Graceful Disaster

I woke up to the smell of bacon. Quickly, I threw off the comforter and ran out to the kitchen just in time to see Kara run her hand under the faucet and look up at me helplessly.

“It spit at me. But it’s not just any spit!” I moved quickly towards the pan she had been frying the bacon in and saw what the problem was. She had added a little oil to the pan which was a horrible idea since bacon could pretty much cook in its own oil. Now that it was heated it was spattering everything in the kitchen with boiling oil. Including Kara.

“Why do you bother cooking? It always turns out like this!” I shouted at her over the running water and her whimpering. She had the grace to look embarrassed.

“I just wanted to cook you breakfast after such a horrible day.” I gave her a motherly doubtful look, but smiled slightly.

“Thanks, but next time stick to electronics. You’re better at that.”

“Point taken.”

I grabbed a wooden spoon from the glass vase on the table and poked at the burner knob until the gas clicked off. Kara let out a triumphant yell and picked up the pan to pour it in the sink. Unfortunately, I hadn’t moved back quickly enough and got some burning hot oil spilled on my hand.

Immediately, I dropped the spoon and screamed, clutching my wrist and staring at my hand. “Oh, Jesus. Oh, damn.” I ran to the faucet that Kara had forgotten to turn off and let my sizzling skin get doused with cool water.

“Oh...shit. Oh my God, I’m so sorry.”

I gritted my teeth to prevent me from screaming. “Go get the first aid kit.” She didn’t ask again. I loosened my good hand off my other wrist and gripped the counter top until my knuckles turned white. Oh fuck, did it hurt. I hadn’t had a burn this bad since I clamped my wrist with a hair straightener and judging from the color of the skin, it was a definite second degree burn. There would be blistering.

I took a few deep breaths so that when Kara came back I wouldn’t snap at her. In and out, let the water cool it down, wait for the first-aid kit. I tried to occupy my mind by thinking of the steps I had to take to minimize the damage and improve the healing time. I went over it and over it in my mind because I knew that Kara hadn’t meant it; she had been trying to help and made a mistake.

My temper wore down just as Kara came in with the kit. Using my good hand, I took out the burn cream and bandages and shut off the water. After a few awkward moments, I had a good, secure bandage over my hand and I didn’t have to look at the skin. I decided that I should go to the clinic as soon as possible just to be sure, but for now I needed to look for a new job (preferably one with benefits).

“Hey Kara?” She looked up at my with her eyes shiny. “Oh, honey I know you didn’t mean to.” She sniffled. “You know what you can do? Get my laptop and look for some job interviews for me.” I brushed her unruly copper hair from her slightly puffy eyes with my good hand. “It would be a big help, ok?” She smiled and ran to get my computer, wasting absolutely no time pulling up site after site of jobs I was educated enough for. As I waited, I placed all of the medical supplies back in the plastic box and set it on top of the fridge as she came back from my room.

I rested my chin on her shoulder and read over a few of the descriptions when she had settled into the couch. “KARA!” I stood up in time for her to jump and not knock my teeth together. “Why is there a want ad for a stripper on the screen?” I put my unscathed hand on my hip and stared down at her hazel eyes.

“You are educated enough for it and if I remember correctly, that time at Beth’s dorm—”

“Don’t even think of finishing that sentence.” She was really testing my patience at—what time was it? I glanced above the kitchen sink and I was lucky my eyes hadn’t fallen out of my head. Though Kara would have thought it was a cool trick.

I pinched the bridge of my nose and took a few deep breaths. Slowly, and as calmly as I could I kept my eyes shut and voiced the dreaded words. “Kara?” I heard the keyboard stop clacking. “Why—of all that is holy, sweet, and sugary—were you making bacon at three in the morning?”

Kara cracked her knuckles, something she did when she was nervous. It used to just be that she mashed her fingers together and tried to make shadow puppets, but once one of her knuckles popped, she found it more entertaining to crack them. “I-uh…you know how long it takes me to get things right so I just wanted a head start on making breakfast ‘cause I knew that…I would mess up…”

I didn’t ask why she had even tried if she had known she was going to mess up. That was a whole other problem that I already understood, but it didn’t quell the exhausted feeling of being emotionally drained before my day even started.

“I’m going back to bed. I need more REM before I even begin to comprehend the mysteries of bacon grease and jobs.”