It's Our Time to Shine
Cooking.
As Bert, I and Jepha were by the ramp in the parking lot attempting to do tricks on our rollerblades, Quinn suddenly came from behind.
“Fuck, I think I hurt my foot pretty bad earlier.”
“What – what happened?”, Bert asked.
“I twist it somehow when me, Jeph n’ Dan were doin´ some tricks, but I didn’t feel any pain until now.”
“I guess we’re all kinda beaten up now, so let’s go home”, Jepha suggested, receiving agreeable nods from all of us.
We took off our rollerblades and put them in some bags before we put on our own shoes and started walking down the street.
“Gotta call Dan and hear if he’s on his way home by now”, Bert said as he took out his cell phone from his pocket.
“Yeah, sure, dude. I’ll go and get somethin´ to drink meanwhile”, Quinn smiled before he headed towards UTAHCO gas station just 100 feet away. “You wanna come?”
“Okay!”, I replied, following him into the gas station.
“Man, I’m thirsty. Are you?”
“Uhm…”
I hesitated. They all knew how much I hated to spend their money like that.
“Oh, come on! I’m having a Red Bull and so are you”, Quinn grinned as he opened the glass door to the refrigerator and took out four cans.
I just gave him a smile, indicating that I was grateful as I saw him walk towards the counter while he searched his pockets for change.
“Hey”, the counter girl greeted, showing a big smile as she beeped in the four cans of Red Bulls. “Was that all?”
“Yeah”, Quinn responded.
“$3 and 60 cents, please.”
“Here. And keep the change”, he said, giving her $4 before he grabbed the Red Bulls.
“Thanks!”, she replied, seeing him and me leave the gas station.
“Took you guys long enough”, Bert grinned, later followed by Jepha’s laughter as they both grabbed a Red Bull out of Quinn’s hands.
He shook his head with a smile around his face and gave me a Red Bull before we all began walking again.
It didn’t take long before I started recognizing the streets around here, and just around the corner, I spotted the McCracken house.
As we got inside after finishing our Red Bulls, we were met by Dan who’s just gotten back from Salt Lake City where he had been visiting his dogs, Frankie, George and Zero.
“Hey! Where’ve you guys been?”, he asked, sitting in the living room’s sofa.
“We rollerbladed some more when Bert n’ Lina showed up after you’d gone and after that we headed to UTAHCO to cool down with some Red Bulls”, Quinn explained, crashing down next to him.
“How was it at the kennel?”, I added as I approached the sofa.
“Man, it was awesome. I miss ‘em so much. Can’t wait to get them back after this tour is over”, he answered enthusiastically.
“Where’s mom, by the way?”, Bert suddenly asked, scratching the back of his head before he messed around with his hair.
“I’m not sure”, Dain said. “I think I saw her headin´ out to the backyard.”
“Thanks, dude. I’ll go check.”
As Bert went outside to look for his mother, I and Jepha joined Quinn and Dan in the sofa.
I stated into the wall with nothing to lay my eyes on. It wasn’t until then I realized that there was no television whatsoever in the living room.
“Why isn’t there a TV here?”, I asked with a low voice.
“Well”, Quinn began before taking a pause. “You see, since Bert’s family is Mormon, they practice the belief of not tolerating any kind of electronic devices like a TV. It isn’t that widespread, but some families do that. When I was a kid, my family had a TV ‘cause we were anti-Mormon.”
“Oh… Why is it like that?”
“Because of the belief. It says that television makes you high-bounded and narrow-minded and shit like that. It’s really fuck up actually. But then again, it’s a part of the conservative Mormon society of thinking and as long as we’re here, we just gotta respect it. I’m just glad I wasn’t a part of it”, he said, leaning back in the sofa with his hands folded behind his neck.
“No, you know what? I think I’m gonna go lie down for a while before dinner. Could someone wake me up before then?”
“Sure, Quinn”, Jepha replied.
He nodded with a smile on his face before he headed upstairs, leaving the rest of us in the living room.
“So, Danny boy – what up?”
“Nothin´ much. I’m just so fuckin´ tired. And really hungry. Do you know what we’re having for dinner?”
“I have no idea. I don’t know about you guys, but I’m all in for sushi!”
“Yeah, right. Like there’s sushi in this house”, Dan laughed, looking at me as he made me giggle.
“What’s so funny ‘bout that?”
“Come on, do you really think that Mrs. McCracken is into sushi?”
Dan was still laughing, grinning by the fact that Jepha thought there would be sushi stashed somewhere in this house.
“Okay, dude. Whatever. I’m gonna make myself a cup of tea. Hey, Lina – do you want one?”
“Yeah, sure!”, I answered, before following him into the kitchen.
“I’m gonna go pack for tomorrow, so I’m heading upstairs”, Dan said as we were preparing the tea.
“You want green, right?”, Jepha asked, looking at me with a curious look.
“Yeah.”
“Grab a cup and I’ll turn on the water boiler.”
As the water was done boiling, he filled each cup full before adding the green tea.
“You kids aren’t making yourselves dinner, are you?”, a gentle, familiar voice said behind us.
“No, Mrs. McCracken”, Jepha answered with a smile. “We’re just making some tea.”
“Oh, how lovely. But don’t fill your stomachs with tea because I’m just about to start making us dinner.”
“Is it by any chance fish?”, he asked somewhat eagerly.
“yes, as a matter of fact it is. I was planning to make baked codfish. Does that sound okay?”
“Yeah, absolutely!”
“Well, then. It will be done in about an hour, I presume”, Mrs. McCracken said as she started taking out ingredients from the refrigerator and gathering the supplies she needed.
“Sounds delicious, Mrs. McCracken! But where’s Bert? I thought he was with you outside?”, Jepha asked with a puzzled look on his face.
“Yes, he was, but Robert came inside with me again, dear. If he isn’t in the living room, I would believe he’s upstairs.”
“Oh, okay. Uhm, I think I’m gonna go pack for tomorrow. I got a bunch of clothes that need to be packed”, he smiled before he went upstairs while carrying his cup of tea.
“Lina, sweetie, I know you must be terribly tired after strolling around the town today, but would you mind preparing dinner with me? I would appreciate the help. It’s such a shame that you and the boys are leaving again tomorrow, so would you mind cooking with me?”, Mrs. McCracken asked, looking at me with a gentle smile and hopeful eyes.
“Of course. I don’t mind. It would be an honor”, I replied as I saw her entire face light up.
“Splendid! It is so good that you said yes. I know we haven’t spent that much time together. Well, probably due to the fact that you all arrived there yesterday. But still, that shouldn’t be an excuse for us to not get to know each other”, she smiled.
Mrs. McCracken slowly put her hand on my shoulder and squeezed it gently before she looked me in the eyes where I saw nothing but gratitude and a warm and kind human being…
“Fuck, I think I hurt my foot pretty bad earlier.”
“What – what happened?”, Bert asked.
“I twist it somehow when me, Jeph n’ Dan were doin´ some tricks, but I didn’t feel any pain until now.”
“I guess we’re all kinda beaten up now, so let’s go home”, Jepha suggested, receiving agreeable nods from all of us.
We took off our rollerblades and put them in some bags before we put on our own shoes and started walking down the street.
“Gotta call Dan and hear if he’s on his way home by now”, Bert said as he took out his cell phone from his pocket.
“Yeah, sure, dude. I’ll go and get somethin´ to drink meanwhile”, Quinn smiled before he headed towards UTAHCO gas station just 100 feet away. “You wanna come?”
“Okay!”, I replied, following him into the gas station.
“Man, I’m thirsty. Are you?”
“Uhm…”
I hesitated. They all knew how much I hated to spend their money like that.
“Oh, come on! I’m having a Red Bull and so are you”, Quinn grinned as he opened the glass door to the refrigerator and took out four cans.
I just gave him a smile, indicating that I was grateful as I saw him walk towards the counter while he searched his pockets for change.
“Hey”, the counter girl greeted, showing a big smile as she beeped in the four cans of Red Bulls. “Was that all?”
“Yeah”, Quinn responded.
“$3 and 60 cents, please.”
“Here. And keep the change”, he said, giving her $4 before he grabbed the Red Bulls.
“Thanks!”, she replied, seeing him and me leave the gas station.
“Took you guys long enough”, Bert grinned, later followed by Jepha’s laughter as they both grabbed a Red Bull out of Quinn’s hands.
He shook his head with a smile around his face and gave me a Red Bull before we all began walking again.
It didn’t take long before I started recognizing the streets around here, and just around the corner, I spotted the McCracken house.
As we got inside after finishing our Red Bulls, we were met by Dan who’s just gotten back from Salt Lake City where he had been visiting his dogs, Frankie, George and Zero.
“Hey! Where’ve you guys been?”, he asked, sitting in the living room’s sofa.
“We rollerbladed some more when Bert n’ Lina showed up after you’d gone and after that we headed to UTAHCO to cool down with some Red Bulls”, Quinn explained, crashing down next to him.
“How was it at the kennel?”, I added as I approached the sofa.
“Man, it was awesome. I miss ‘em so much. Can’t wait to get them back after this tour is over”, he answered enthusiastically.
“Where’s mom, by the way?”, Bert suddenly asked, scratching the back of his head before he messed around with his hair.
“I’m not sure”, Dain said. “I think I saw her headin´ out to the backyard.”
“Thanks, dude. I’ll go check.”
As Bert went outside to look for his mother, I and Jepha joined Quinn and Dan in the sofa.
I stated into the wall with nothing to lay my eyes on. It wasn’t until then I realized that there was no television whatsoever in the living room.
“Why isn’t there a TV here?”, I asked with a low voice.
“Well”, Quinn began before taking a pause. “You see, since Bert’s family is Mormon, they practice the belief of not tolerating any kind of electronic devices like a TV. It isn’t that widespread, but some families do that. When I was a kid, my family had a TV ‘cause we were anti-Mormon.”
“Oh… Why is it like that?”
“Because of the belief. It says that television makes you high-bounded and narrow-minded and shit like that. It’s really fuck up actually. But then again, it’s a part of the conservative Mormon society of thinking and as long as we’re here, we just gotta respect it. I’m just glad I wasn’t a part of it”, he said, leaning back in the sofa with his hands folded behind his neck.
“No, you know what? I think I’m gonna go lie down for a while before dinner. Could someone wake me up before then?”
“Sure, Quinn”, Jepha replied.
He nodded with a smile on his face before he headed upstairs, leaving the rest of us in the living room.
“So, Danny boy – what up?”
“Nothin´ much. I’m just so fuckin´ tired. And really hungry. Do you know what we’re having for dinner?”
“I have no idea. I don’t know about you guys, but I’m all in for sushi!”
“Yeah, right. Like there’s sushi in this house”, Dan laughed, looking at me as he made me giggle.
“What’s so funny ‘bout that?”
“Come on, do you really think that Mrs. McCracken is into sushi?”
Dan was still laughing, grinning by the fact that Jepha thought there would be sushi stashed somewhere in this house.
“Okay, dude. Whatever. I’m gonna make myself a cup of tea. Hey, Lina – do you want one?”
“Yeah, sure!”, I answered, before following him into the kitchen.
“I’m gonna go pack for tomorrow, so I’m heading upstairs”, Dan said as we were preparing the tea.
“You want green, right?”, Jepha asked, looking at me with a curious look.
“Yeah.”
“Grab a cup and I’ll turn on the water boiler.”
As the water was done boiling, he filled each cup full before adding the green tea.
“You kids aren’t making yourselves dinner, are you?”, a gentle, familiar voice said behind us.
“No, Mrs. McCracken”, Jepha answered with a smile. “We’re just making some tea.”
“Oh, how lovely. But don’t fill your stomachs with tea because I’m just about to start making us dinner.”
“Is it by any chance fish?”, he asked somewhat eagerly.
“yes, as a matter of fact it is. I was planning to make baked codfish. Does that sound okay?”
“Yeah, absolutely!”
“Well, then. It will be done in about an hour, I presume”, Mrs. McCracken said as she started taking out ingredients from the refrigerator and gathering the supplies she needed.
“Sounds delicious, Mrs. McCracken! But where’s Bert? I thought he was with you outside?”, Jepha asked with a puzzled look on his face.
“Yes, he was, but Robert came inside with me again, dear. If he isn’t in the living room, I would believe he’s upstairs.”
“Oh, okay. Uhm, I think I’m gonna go pack for tomorrow. I got a bunch of clothes that need to be packed”, he smiled before he went upstairs while carrying his cup of tea.
“Lina, sweetie, I know you must be terribly tired after strolling around the town today, but would you mind preparing dinner with me? I would appreciate the help. It’s such a shame that you and the boys are leaving again tomorrow, so would you mind cooking with me?”, Mrs. McCracken asked, looking at me with a gentle smile and hopeful eyes.
“Of course. I don’t mind. It would be an honor”, I replied as I saw her entire face light up.
“Splendid! It is so good that you said yes. I know we haven’t spent that much time together. Well, probably due to the fact that you all arrived there yesterday. But still, that shouldn’t be an excuse for us to not get to know each other”, she smiled.
Mrs. McCracken slowly put her hand on my shoulder and squeezed it gently before she looked me in the eyes where I saw nothing but gratitude and a warm and kind human being…
♠ ♠ ♠
ahh, i love utahco. <3 (:if you pay extra attention to the used's music video
'the taste of ink', you can see that the gas station
play a role in all of it. kinda cool, i think. :]
and btw; as far as this updates goes, i already love mrs. mccracken. ;D
xo,
lina.