Rules of the Kitchen
“Daddy?” No response. Osha sighed. “Daddy?” he tried again to no avail. He wandered over to his guardian and tugged on his sleeve.
Zack jolted, looking down at the young boy. He didn’t even see him coming! He must have been spacing out again. He tugged off one of his ear bud. “What’s wrong, Osha?” he asked, still half-listening to Matchbox 20 blaring in his other ear.
Osha shook his head. Nothing was wrong, per say… “Cookie?” he asked, looking up at Zack hopefully.
The black-haired man snorted. “You haven’t had dinner yet.”
Osha paled. Dinner? “No dinner.” Gods, every time Zack cooked, something went wrong. Every single time. Just a few weeks ago, he had to meet the people who drove the ambulance because his guardian was so inept at life he set himself on fire making grilled cheese! His old mommy never did that. Gavin’s mommy didn’t do that. Ina’s mommy didn’t do that, and he bet Elisa’s mommy and Dacian never set themselves on fire either. It was just Zack. Maybe Zack was broken.
Zack ruffled the boy’s red hair. “No dinner, no cookies. That’s the rule.” He knew he was a wretched cook. He was trying, damnit! Practice makes perfect, right? Right?
Osha shook his head wildly. “No dinner!” he insisted, desperate. Even take out was starting to taste yucky! He’d been eating take out for months now!
Zack sighed, bobbing his head to the currently playing song. “Huh?” Dinner. Osha needed to eat. Right. “I’m not going to let you starve, kid.” He stood slowly, wincing a little as he stretched. Memo to self: sedentary Zack makes for painful Zack. He sighed, watching the boy’s look of horror as he realized Zack was going to challenge the all-conquering kitchen again.
“It will be fine, Osha. Ari taught me how.” Ari tried to teach him how, anyways. It was a simple recipe, just macaroni and cheese. Simple was what Zack needed. If he could master…or at least manage a simple recipe, than the was well on his way to becoming a home cook. Sort of.
…it was days like these Osha really missed Bran. Bran was kind of strange, and he did strange things with Zack…like the funny thing where it looked like they were trying to eat each other, but it was okay. Bran was very nice to him; he even gave him a shiny from the box. He was in the house a lot too, so he made real food for him and Zack. He did like Bran.
Osha shook his head, looking back over at the black-haired man. Zack was at the stove, singing a song to himself as he stirred something in a pot. It smelled good. The boy looked around quickly. Nothing was burning? It was some kind of miracle! But just to make sure nothing would go wrong, Osha retreated to the kitchen table to begin coloring again. He could make a nice picture while he waited. He’d know if something happened in the kitchen. Zack would yell, and if Zack screamed, he knew the number to call.
“Daddy?” No response. Osha sighed. “Daddy?” he tried again to no avail. He wandered over to his guardian and tugged on his sleeve.
Zack jolted, looking down at the young boy. He didn’t even see him coming! He must have been spacing out again. He tugged off one of his ear bud. “What’s wrong, Osha?” he asked, still half-listening to Matchbox 20 blaring in his other ear.
Osha shook his head. Nothing was wrong, per say… “Cookie?” he asked, looking up at Zack hopefully.
The black-haired man snorted. “You haven’t had dinner yet.”
Osha paled. Dinner? “No dinner.” Gods, every time Zack cooked, something went wrong. Every single time. Just a few weeks ago, he had to meet the people who drove the ambulance because his guardian was so inept at life he set himself on fire making grilled cheese! His old mommy never did that. Gavin’s mommy didn’t do that. Ina’s mommy didn’t do that, and he bet Elisa’s mommy and Dacian never set themselves on fire either. It was just Zack. Maybe Zack was broken.
Zack ruffled the boy’s red hair. “No dinner, no cookies. That’s the rule.” He knew he was a wretched cook. He was trying, damnit! Practice makes perfect, right? Right?
Osha shook his head wildly. “No dinner!” he insisted, desperate. Even take out was starting to taste yucky! He’d been eating take out for months now!
Zack sighed, bobbing his head to the currently playing song. “Huh?” Dinner. Osha needed to eat. Right. “I’m not going to let you starve, kid.” He stood slowly, wincing a little as he stretched. Memo to self: sedentary Zack makes for painful Zack. He sighed, watching the boy’s look of horror as he realized Zack was going to challenge the all-conquering kitchen again.
“It will be fine, Osha. Ari taught me how.” Ari tried to teach him how, anyways. It was a simple recipe, just macaroni and cheese. Simple was what Zack needed. If he could master…or at least manage a simple recipe, than the was well on his way to becoming a home cook. Sort of.
…it was days like these Osha really missed Bran. Bran was kind of strange, and he did strange things with Zack…like the funny thing where it looked like they were trying to eat each other, but it was okay. Bran was very nice to him; he even gave him a shiny from the box. He was in the house a lot too, so he made real food for him and Zack. He did like Bran.
Osha shook his head, looking back over at the black-haired man. Zack was at the stove, singing a song to himself as he stirred something in a pot. It smelled good. The boy looked around quickly. Nothing was burning? It was some kind of miracle! But just to make sure nothing would go wrong, Osha retreated to the kitchen table to begin coloring again. He could make a nice picture while he waited. He’d know if something happened in the kitchen. Zack would yell, and if Zack screamed, he knew the number to call.
