What I Came to Tell You by Tommy Hays

Author:Tommy Hays [Hays, Tommy]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
ISBN: 978-1-60684-434-2
Publisher: EgmontUSA
Published: 2013-09-24T04:00:00+00:00

As they made room in the refrigerator for the turkey, the lights flickered.

“I’m wondering,” Jessie said, “if we might should go ahead and cook this bird in case the power quits on us.”

There was a pause when it seemed to Grover everybody must’ve been thinking the same thing: Their mother had always been the one to cook the turkey.

“They print directions on the turkey,” Sudie said.

Jessie lifted the turkey out of the refrigerator and set it on the counter, reading the little square box full of cooking directions on the wrapper.

“What does it say to cook it on?” Grover’s father said, turning on the oven.

“Let’s see,” Jessie said, squinting at the wrapper. “Three fifty.”

Grover’s father set the dial on the oven.

Jessie rolled up his sleeves as Sudie handed him a pair of their mother’s kitchen scissors, then cut off the plastic wrapper and set it aside with the directions facing up. Checking the directions a couple more times, he pulled out the gizzard, the neck and the giblets too, rubbed some olive oil and salt and pepper onto the turkey and started to slide it into the oven.

“Mama always put on a little tinfoil tent to keep it from drying out,” Sudie said. Jessie pulled the turkey back out of the oven. “Reckon you can make us one?”

Sudie had already gotten out the tinfoil and was tearing off a section. She folded it neatly into a little tent and set it on the turkey. Then Jessie slid it into the oven.

“Says you want to cook him fifteen minutes per pound,” Jessie said, squinting at the directions. “And he’s a nineteen pounder, so let’s see …”

“Two hundred and eighty-five minutes,” Grover said. “Or four hours and forty-five minutes.”

“Mama takes the tent off an hour before it’s done cooking,” Sudie said, and then like she’d heard herself use the present tense with their mother, her face darkened a little.

“In three hours and forty-five minutes we’ll want to take the tinfoil off,” Grover said. “So we’ll need to do that at one thirty.”

“I’ll set my alarm clock,” their father said, stifling a yawn.

“I could cook it at my house, Walt,” Jessie said, “if you don’t want to get up. Cause once you’re up, you’d have to wait another hour after you take the tinfoil off.”

His father groaned. “I don’t know if I can manage that. It’s been a long day.”

“I’ll do it,” Grover said. “I’m not tired.” The possibility of a big snow was one of the most exciting things that had happened in a while, and Grover was wide awake.

“I’ll stay up with him,” Sudie said.

“I don’t know,” his father said.

“Please, Daddy,” Sudie said, putting her hands together. “Tomorrow’s Thanksgiving. It’s not like I have to get up to go to school.”

“I guess it won’t hurt anything for you to keep Grover company.”

“Yes!” Sudie said, pumping her fist.

Jessie went home, saying he’d be back tomorrow to start cooking, and their father stoked up the stove in the living room, then went to bed.

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