I was sitting on the bathroom floor, taking a break and trying to decide what room I should tackle next when Pietro appeared in the doorway, his eyes wide with a hopeful expression on his face. “Is that smell what I think it is?”
He rolled his eyes. “The food smell, Wanda. Is it—”
“Your all-time favorite thing? “ I cocked my head to the side, raising my brows. “Come on Pietro—did you really think I’d make something else the first time I cooked? I’ve been listening to you moan for three years about how much you crave it—”
He let out a whoop of joy, reaching down to jerk me to my feet. The next thing I knew he hoisted me up in the air by my waist—I giggled as his excitement, clinging to his shoulders as he spun us around in a circle. “Does this mean you approve of the menu?”
“How long until we eat?” He demanded.
“It’s probably ready now—Pietro! Put me down!”
He ignored me, heading straight for the kitchen with his arms wrapped around my waist. “Can’t stop—not when Saturday stew is waiting!”
“You are being very silly,” I said fondly, resting my chin on the top of his head. “But I am glad you are so happy about it.”
The sound of metal clattering made me turn my head; the professor stood beside the stove. If the guilty look on his face hadn’t been enough to betray him, the spoon on the floor by his feet certainly would have given him away. “I… uh… was going to stir it for you.”
“A likely story,” I huffed—shooing him away from the stove as soon as my feet hit the ground. “You were going to sneak a taste—”
“I wasn’t! Well… maybe just a little one.”
“Go wash your hands—both of you. By the time you are back I will have the table set and ready.” I narrowed my eyes, prepared to stare them both down if they protested, but to my surprise, they didn’t—they hurried off, leaving me alone to finish my last minute preparations.
By the time they’d returned, the small table in the kitchen was set—each place had a bowl of stew waiting and a thick chunk of buttered bread. I hovered—ridiculously nervous; I wanted the old man to like it, of course—but more importantly, I hoped that it tasted enough like Mama’s stew to satisfy my brother’s cravings. Trying not to stare at Pietro, I watched as the old man took a taste, worrying my bottom lip with my teeth; his eyes widened, flicking from the bowl up to my face.
I frowned. “Does that mean you like it?”
“Your Saturday stew… it’s real name is Janija—my mother used to make it when I was small. Yulina tried to duplicate it., but she never quite got it right. This… it is perfect chavi!”
“Janija,” I repeated, rolling the strange word around on my tongue. “I wonder why Mama didn’t call it that?”
“Perhaps she did not know the proper name—it is a Romani staple, passed down from mother to daughter. She carried on the tradition, teaching you how to make it.” He reached over, taking my hand—giving it a gentle squeeze. “Thank you for making it—you have no idea how happy I am to taste it again after all these years.”
I blushed, ducking my head down—finally allowing myself to take a seat; glancing over at Pietro I saw his dish was already almost half empty. “Pietro? It is okay?”
“It is perfect—just like Mama’s,” he said, cramming another spoonful in his mouth.
“If you continue to prepare food like this, I think I will have to pay you more,” the old man said, dipping his bread into the stew. “My stomach will never forgive me if you decide to quit—you are an excellent cook.”
“Of course she is—Wanda is the best cook around. She even manages to make the scraps we find taste good,” Pietro boasted; the pride in his voice filled my heart to bursting.
“Well there is plenty more—I made enough to last a good while. You might get sick of it by the time it’s all gone.”
“Never—I could eat it every day for a million years and still want more.” Pietro grinned, sopping up the last of the stew with his bread. I started to rise—prepared to get him more, but he shook his head, standing up. “You eat—I can get it, Pietra.”
Transcendence— Chapter 10
[ Someone just pointed out to me via chat that this panel ties nicely into the above quoted chapter of Transcendence—I have to admit that it thrills me to have my story tie in nicely with this amazing solo series canon. ♥♥ ]