Читать книгу The Barkuu - Lauren Wright - Страница 9

"Hand me the tomatoes, Jelly Bean," Kelly gestured toward the Roma tomatoes. Mika was very excited for pizza night.

They had done pizza and movie Fridays for as long as she could remember, and she wasn't going to let the cloud take that from them. So, instead of giving up on the tradition, they upped the ante and started making the pizza.

As it turned out, making the pizza was far more fun than ordering one, and it tasted better too. It had started with pre-made, cooked pizza shells, and using store-bought sauce.

Then using raw pre-made dough, they tried to roll out the pizza themselves with interesting results. The first one had a few holes, was a little bit lumpy, and the shape could best be described as "oblong."

It was a consequence of untrained fingers but gave the pizza character. So much so, you almost wanted to name it. However, after a couple of weeks, they had perfected using pre-made dough and were turning out pizzas that New York would be proud of.

Kelly assured Mika this was the case, a fact Mika did not question. Mika quietly considered a life as a pizza pie maker, tossing the dough in the air, spreading the toppings with flare, and shouting in Italian.

Tonight, they had decided to make the sauce from scratch, so they made a special trip to the Farmer's Market to get all the ingredients. Mika couldn't believe you could make your own sauce.

"Why doesn't everyone do it, Auntie?" Mika asked with earnest curiosity.

"Maybe they just don't know how great it is to make it yourself. Or maybe they don't have a wonderful little helper that makes it so great." She gave Mika a wink.

Mika giggled. "Which tomatoes do you want, Auntie K, the little ones or the big ones?"

"Let's start with the small ones," Kelly replied. Mika grabbed the clear bag of colorful heirloom cherry tomatoes and handed them to Kelly.

"Thank you, Sweetie. Here, why don't you try one? We need to test them first."

Mika took a bright yellow one and popped it in her mouth. "It's so sweet!" Mika replied excitedly.

Kelly chuckled. It was amazing to see her discover the world. "That's how you know they're the good ones, baby girl."

Kelly thought about earlier that day at the Farmer's Market, one of the last concessions of community. The market had been so alive, buzzing with people bartering over vibrant, healthy food.

The smell of the barbecue and baked goods, with the funnel cakes and kettle corn, was downright intoxicating. Mika loved it, all the samples of soft white peaches, nectarines, blood oranges, and cherries.

They had also shared a bag of kettle corn while watching some ducks in the pond; Kelly relished the memory. Mika picked out the best of everything, making sure to verify her findings with the attendants, who were always happy to oblige.

One lady in particular had delighted Mika. She was an aging hippy lady who sold various knick-knacks, crystals, dream catchers, hemp products, and tie-dye skirts.

She was a sweet and quirky lady with a flower in her hair and big turquoise bead bracelets. She smiled a lot and said her name was Pearl.

She told Mika a joke: "How do you make a tissue dance?"

Mika's eyes got big. "How?" she asked.

Pearl squatted down and did a little twist, wiggling her rear opposite her arms. "You put a little boogie in it." Mika giggled at the silver-haired lady's antics.

"Can you do a boogie?" Pearl asked. Mika smiled and squatted down to show her best boogie. She squinched her nose and face and hopped around, twisting herself in an endearing fashion.

Or at least Pearl had thought so, because she stood uproariously and clapped her hands together, WooHahaha. "Oh, dear girl, you're so adorable." She continued laughing. "Wait here; I have something for you!"

Pearl exclaimed with excitement and skipped to the back of her van, where she had the doors open. She retrieved a small item from a box and hurried back over to Mika. "Here you are," Pearl said.

It was a shiny gold butterfly brooch with little jewels in it. It was two inches tall and quite sparkly. Mika loved it; she looked at it with big eyes, and then to Kelly.

Kelly smiled and gestured, "Go ahead."

Mika smiled big and then held out her hands. "Thank you!"

"Oh, you're welcome, Sweetie. Here, let me put it on for you; it goes on your dress." Pearl reached out and pinned the brooch on Mika's dress.

"It looks MARVelous, dear girl," Pearl exclaimed with delight and clapped her hands.

"Thank you!" Mika said with a little jig. "I Iove your toes!" She pointed to the lady's toes. Pearl was sporting flip-flops with flowers lacing the straps. Her toes were vibrant turquoise with flowers and frogs on them.

They had left the market with a beautiful assortment of veggies that filled the car with aromatic splendor. Along with the heirloom cherry tomatoes, they picked out some lovely Roma tomatoes, a huge bright yellow and red heirloom, and a beautiful black krim.

They also grabbed some garlic, onions, mushrooms, and fresh herbs: Thai basil, sweet basil, oregano, and thyme to throw into the mix.

For dessert, they picked up some fresh peaches, for peaches and cream, another first for Mika. Despite the world's aura, there was still love to be experienced.

Kelly looked at Mika and asked, "Are you ready?"

Mika gave a squinch and a smile. "Let's do it!" she proclaimed.

"Let's get saucy!" Kelly replied with enthusiasm. She began cutting the cherry tomatoes in half, while Mika washed the larger tomatoes.

Kelly put the halved cherry tomatoes in a bowl and set to work on the onions. Mika had no idea that the sulfur in onions combined with the water in your eyes to create sulfuric acid, or that this caused one's eyes to turn red, burn, and tear up.

Mika addressed Kelly with concern. "Why are you crying? What's wrong."

"Oh, you know," Kelly said, sounding choked up as she wiped the tears with her arm. "You're just so darn cute; I can't stand it." She gave a smile that let the little one know they were not painful tears and exclaimed how onions make you cry.

Kelly began with the garlic, explaining to Mika garlic preparations. "So, first, you turn the knife on its side, and smash the garlic like this." She turned the knife flat and placed it over the garlic clove.

She gave it a little tap with her fist. "You see, once it's crushed, you can chop it up like the rest." Kelly expressed this information with the great pleasure that comes with passing knowledge to the next generation.

"Next we need to get the pot all warmed up," She retrieved the cookware from a lower cupboard. Kelly put the pan on the stove and turned the pan on medium heat.

She reached for the olive oil and said, "Next, add in a swirl of olive oil." She gave a demonstration swirl with the cap still on. Kelly opened the lid and handed it to Mika.

Mika mimicked her auntie with great attention, taking the instructions very seriously. Kelly commended Mika: "Oh my gosh, girl! You are quite the little chef."

"Such flare, such pizazz! Where did you learn to be such a great cook?"

Mika giggled. "From you, Auntie!"

"Oh yeeaah," Kelly pretended to remember. "Such a good-lookin’ teacher."

Mika giggled some more and said, "You are beautiful, Auntie."

Kelly replied with a little ditty and looked up. "Aww, so are you, my little munchkin."

Kelly grabbed the cutting board and scraped the garlic and onions into the pan with olive oil. They made a little familiar sizzle, and Kelly began dicing the herbs Mika had just washed.

When she was done with the herbs, she and Mika watched the garlic and onion sizzle. Kelly stirred it with a wooden spoon. She then scraped the herbs into the pan and gave it a little toss, causing Mika to coo with delight.

She dumped in the cherry tomatoes and asked Mika for the larger tomatoes. Mika was happy to oblige and watched Kelly dice them up with grace and experience.

She then dumped them in the pan and stirred it with the wooden spoon. "There!" she proclaimed, putting the lid on the pot. She turned to Mika and held her finger to her lips. "Ssshhh, we gotta keep a lid on this."

Mika just looked at her quizzically. Kelly laughed. She hadn't heard the idiom yet and didn't get the joke.

"You want to grab the dough out of the fridge for me?" Kelly asked politely.

Mika responded in kind, "Of course, I would love to." They began kneading the dough, lightly dusting their hands to prevent sticking.

Kelly let Mika do most of the kneading and began stretching the dough. After putting it down, she let Mika press it out to pull it further. "Okay," she turned to Mika, "now we just have to wait for the sauce."

Kelly extracted small bowls from the cupboards and prepared all the toppings ready to be arranged onto the pizza. They had mozzarella, little pepperoni, Canadian bacon, mushrooms, halved cherry tomatoes, basil, and green onions.

The sauce began to bubble, so Kelly stirred it, added some paprika, sea salt, and black pepper, then she turned down the heat. "Now we let it simmer for a little bit." They set the timer for forty-five minutes, and the stove buzzer went off.

"Garlic bread is done!" Kelly proclaimed, and they removed the breadsticks from the oven to cool. They put the breadsticks on a plate and headed for the living room to watch a show while the sauce cooked.

They were going to watch one of their favorite shows, a classic called Friends that had first aired over fifty years before. It was sad to think that most of the cast had passed on over the years, a fact Mika was not acutely aware. It's one of those things as a kid that comes as a kick in the gut, to know that your favorite childhood characters are no longer with us.

They were watching the "One with the Race Car Bed." Monica ordered a bed and got a race car bed instead, while Ross tried to impress Rachel’s dad.

Mika loved the show and wished she could have lived in New York City when they did. It was a much different place now, busier, crowded, with automated taxis.

She would never be able to hear taxi drivers shout absurdities to one another on the street. It seemed like such a classic thing, something she would never experience.

After the episode finished, the next one began, "The One with the Giant Poking Device." It was a hilarious adventure in which "Ugly Naked Guy" was lying on the floor seemingly dead when they made a long poking stick to check.

How wonderfully absurd they were, Mika thought, all five of them, lined up trying to poke the would-be dead guy. "Why don't they just knock on the door?" she had said while laughing at them.

Just then, the buzzer sounded. Mika hopped up excitedly. "To the sauce!" she proclaimed with excitement. Kelly laughed and got up with her, trailing her to the kitchen.

"Smells wonderful, Auntie," she said as she moved her chair into place. She then stood on the chair as Kelly checked the sauce; she could barely wait to try it.

Kelly took the lid off, and they both leaned over and took a deep breath through their noses. Kelly grabbed the wooden spoon and removed a sample.

Blowing on it to cool it, she said, "Here you go, Jelly Bean, you can try it first." Mika smelled, rose onto her tip-toes to meet the spoon, and tasted the sauce with a little slurp.

Her eyes got wide and lit up. "It's soo good, Auntie Kelly. Can we make it every week?" Mika asked with zeal.

"Of course, and we can try different stuff in it next week," Kelly said. Mika was elated.

Kelly tried the sauce herself. "It needs just a pinch more sea salt," she declared. She bowed her head and gestured to Mika to do the honors. "If you would, Madame."

"It would be my honor, my Lady," Mika said with grandeur, giving a little curtsy.

Kelly turned off the heat to the burner, and on to the oven. Mika added the pinch of salt, and then they both tasted the sauce once more. Kelly gave her seal of approval and looked to Mika, who made the "OK" sign with her hand, then kissed her fingertips and pushed them out. "MuuaaHH!"

They began building the pizza, spreading the sauce thick, since that’s where the flavor is. They sprinkled it with cheese and added the onions and mushrooms.

They used the Canadian bacon and pepperoni to form the shape of the United Americas, using mushrooms for the water outline.

They added a little more love on top in the form of sprinkled mozzarella and put it in the oven. Kelly turned to Mika and asked, "Are you excited for tonight's movie?" She knew she was. Onyana was Mika's idol, and Kelly approved. She was so beautiful and sweet; you couldn't help but love her.

Onyana's big screen debut was in a magnificent representation of the ancient time of Egypt. It was one in which Onyana had starred as an angered, all-powerful extraterrestrial entity.

She had come to Earth in the form of an evil deity to wreak havoc on the hearts of mankind. She manipulated, tortured, and enslaved thousands. She further ordered mass sacrificial offerings of the young and heart-filled variety, all to please her.

The cinematography was spectacular, and Onnie glowed on screen. Even when she was casting down humanity by the dozens, she was enrapturing. People gave into her as if magic; men lined up to present themselves to her body and soul, all while she slaughtered their communities.

She laid upon humanity vengeful wrath for the pain she had experienced a millennia before. I guess when you're immortal, so are your painful memories. And so grows the past that follows you.

In the movie, Onnie’s character "Crandalae," after a great deal of death and destruction, fell for a kindly male servant. Witnessing the tenderness in his heart, the walls she had built around her heart began to crumble.

She fell for this depiction of the humanity that people were capable of. She saw in this man the beauty of what she once had, followed by the pain. This time the pain was a crushing realization of who she had become.

She softened and stopped the killing, slavery, and oppression. Slaves were released into the streets and further provided with a way to contribute. Lands started producing vast amounts of food, animals proliferated, and the ships over-flowed with fish.

The lands began to flourish, just as Crandalae and Amon's love blossomed into something amazing. She made him Pharaoh of all the lands, and they ruled them together.

The kingdom prospered, the people loved their rulers, and they cheered whenever they laid witness upon them. Crandalae began teaching select people more about the Universe and how it worked.

She guarded the information and bestowed fundamental technological advances to help them read the stars and cycles. Their progression seemed unstoppable until the King made a discovery.

The movie ended with the King witnessing the truth of their now benevolent Goddess. She was a mortal from the sky, with the technology of the stars. The screen cut to the King's face and slowly zoomed to the right side of his face,s centering on his right eye.

As the screen turned dark, a look of deceit crept across his face... The credits rolled. A second movie had been in the works since the beginning, and they shot a lot of the scenes simultaneously.

However, they put everything on hold, and production was set to resume after the cloud. "Hell or high water," as they said. It's funny, for the first time since it was muttered a century before, it might actually be the case.

Kelly and Mika were fond of Onyana for more than her beauty and sweet disposition. It was her value of family. They felt a bond to her because of the relationship she shared with her parents.

Everyone wanted her attention; she could have anything she wanted. But she would rather spend the time with her parents, traveling the world. If all that wasn't enough, there was her deeds.

Onyana, who loved the people in return, donated ninety percent of her earnings from the film to a massive philanthropic endeavor. She had employed an army of excavation equipment and purchased twenty thousand shipping containers of various sizes, as well as other types of containers.

There was no shortage of people willing to donate labor in trade for a place among the lucky inhabitants. She purchased over a hundred acres in an area in what was once known as Colorado — surrounded by mountains.

They buried septic tanks and systematically placed several back-up, gravity-fed water systems. They were placed as far from one another as manageable.

They further buried septic systems beneath everything, lending to the gravity system. Flexible reinforced water bladders were buried above the housing units, feeding the units with water pressure without the need of a pump, and providing protection to any radiation they might be exposed to.

The electrical systems and cameras placed outside were heavily insulated to protect against any electrical damage. It was understood that a disturbed atmosphere creates abundant static electricity.

Enough of it can completely overwhelm the natural resistance of the air, causing a chain reaction that grounds directly to the earth, or your electrical systems.

Using flexible lines and auto-shutoff valves, they buried the fuel reserves away from the units. They further provided excellent ventilation for these systems to prevent the build-up of gases. The systems sprawled dozens of acres and included underground hydroponics.

They had also cut out the sides of twelve, forty-foot containers. Using the sides as a fortification, they linked them all together to create a large room.

They made this into their animal farm, where they had dairy, sheep, chickens for laying eggs, roosters for breeding, and bunnies for eating.

There was excellent ventilation in the system, and the methane was collected to be refined and used as fuel. Animal waste was, of course, to be used as fertilizer for the vegetation.

There were elaborate hydroponic systems that hosted a great deal of plant life, that with the algae system, helped keep the air oxygenated and scrubbed.

Ten main groups were all connected by a tunnel system with fortified ports littering the surface.

This massive underground network would house thousands comfortably for up to eight months of isolation. It could be stretched to a year, or more in severe cases.

Onyana was someone who could be looked up to, a real role model. Kelly was happy Mika looked up to her. They ate fantastic pizza and watched a spectacular movie.

A duo as old as movies themselves.