Thursdays
It is another Wednesday night getting ready for bed I slip into more comfortable clothes brush my teeth and go to sleep. Hours later three continues bangs on the door my father walks in the room opens the blinds sunlight shines the room he shouts out wake up wake up time to get ready to go to your grandmothers. Father would wake me and my brothers up so early it put us in a bad mood every time. Leaving my bed I walk to the bathroom for an early worm shower I stand under the water while it comes down on me steam starts to fill the room I feel awake again ready to start my day. Walking down the stairs breakfast is almost ready my father sends me, and my brother to go get some fresh bread from the bakery. As we get closer and closer the smell of fresh bread becomes stronger the voice of the bakers shouting out to the people what would they like becomes louder we approach the baker asks us what we liked I reply five flat white breads please. Fresh coming out of the oven the bread is as hot as coal I place I few sheets of news paper on the table to roll the bread into it. Walking back home the smell of the freshly backed worm bread is so strong we just couldn’t help not to tear some of it off and eat it on the way back. Interring the house breakfast is ready we join the rest of the family for the large breakfast that was laid out for everyone to share from.
Hours later everyone is ready my father pulls out his famous lasagna from the oven that he would make every Thursday for the gathering it was expected every week. Every week every member of the family would make a dish for the gathering and my fathers lasagna would be the dish from are family. Arriving at my grandmothers house cars are parked all the way till the end of the block. We walk into the house the loud voices of my seven aunts and grandmother are herd laughing and shouting talking about food arguing about where u can find the best produce in the country to the best dresses. Passing buy the kitchen and putting all the nonsense that’s coming out of the mouths of my aunts I smell the aromas of cumin and cardamom as well as the cinnamon and chicken boiling away, the smell of the empowering aromatic saffron that’s being seeped in water and tea, garlic, onions and raisins being caramelized opens my apatite even more making me hungrier then I was. Time is passing the two hands on the clock are getting close to two the floor is cleared I plastic sheet is rolled out capable of fitting fifty plates and glasses just enough to seat everyone from aunts, uncles, close, and far cosines. Platters of fruit, vegetables and sides start to fill the floor. Then comes all the hot dishes like braised lamb cooked perfectly it can be sliced with a butter knife, chicken cooked two ways boiled then finished in the oven it ends up to be incredibly moist when one bites in to it the liquid it was cooked in just bursts out. Different types of potato dishes, grape leaves, cabbage rolls, macaroni with ground beef and béchamel sauce as well as my father’s lasagna. Dishes are endless flavors are complex and powerful close to twenty different dishes are served satisfying everyone’s pallet and stomach an hour later the feast ends with empty plates empty platters a few people nibbling on what ever is left the family gets up to wash and clean up.
After every Thursday lunch would come tea and sweets about an hour later my two youngest aunts make the tea coming in the house with four different types of tea the smell is extremely potent having a selection of mint tea, saffron tea, lemon tea and rose water tea every time I glass of tea is pored it almost like someone spread perfume throughout the room. Dates and nuts are passed around in little plates, cake and baklava is being served the alders go on treading conversions to one another while the younger ones play out side waiting for the ice cream man to pass by, and that is the way every Thursday gathering went.
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