COLD,RAIN AND CHILI by DANIEL.BOOKS (e book reader pc .txt) 📕

COLD, RAIN AND CHILI
BY DANIEL. BOOKS
9-17-09


It was a cold day, a day for staying inside. To top that off, it was raining as heavy as anytime I could remember. But cold days call for hot chili in my world. As I closed my eyes I could almost smell that home-made chili. I went to the pantry to check what ingredients I had and what I needed to get to make the chili .There was only one item in there that I could use in my supreme hot home-made chili. I knew then that I would have to brave the rain and go to the supermarket in my ragged old Ford ranger pick-up truck for the items I didn’t have in my pantry.

Really chili is a simple dish to make, unless you do it my way. I make it slow cooked with the ingredients added at the right time in the process, then add some cabbage just twenty minutes before I take it off the heat. I may not be a professional chef, but I have been told my home-made chili is up there with the best . I do have my secret ingredient like everyone else.

With all that said,, I made my list of things to get at the supermarket and headed for the door. Damn I said,, ,when I realised I had left my umbrella behind the seat in my truck. I ran to my truck as fast as I could and got behind the wheel. Did I mention it was ragged, well it leaks when it rains too don’t you know.

I started the truck and was waiting for the engine to warm up. The leak in the roof sent trickling rain down my back as I tried to clean the fog off the windshield with a greasy tee shirt I had in the truck for just that purpose. My rear view mirror had fallen off a few months ago and was still in the floorboard. As I backed up the driveway I heard a thud and sounds of something being dragged under my truck. I opened my door and saw my plastic trash can sticking half way out from under my truck. I got out and yanked it out and put it farther over so I could get out. I’ll say something to the garbage man about leaving it in the driveway when I see him,or not, he is a big guy.

When I got to the road, which is a US hi-way, I had to wait forever it seemed before I could pull out. To say the least I was extra cautious and hoped the other drivers shared my fear, It was only eight miles to the supermarket, usually only 10 minutes on a fair day, but this was not a fair day at all. The first of three traffic lights was out so I slowed a bit to look , then it happened, I got rear-ended and possibly whiplash. We both pulled to the side out of traffic to assess the damages. My old truck wasn’t damaged enough to worry about and hers wasn’t either. We exchanged phone numbers and insurance policy information while sitting in her Toyota car to stay out of the pouring rain.

I finally got back on the hi-way and went about a mile when my left rear tire blew out and sent me to the shoulder of the road. Just lucky I guess. Knowing the spare tire was underneath the rear of the truck I knew I was going to get soaked. I got the jack out and got the truck up and proceeded changing the tire. I crawled under the truck to get the spare tire out, laying in the sand and mud all the while. By the time I got the tire changed the rain had washed my back clean of the mud and sand. I went on my way to the supermarket all wet and cold and tired but I said to myself this chili is going to happen no matter what today brings down on me.

The rest of my trip to the supermarket was uneventful. I pulled into the parking lot trying to get as close to the front door as possible .I got a spot farther away than I wanted but oh well it would have to do. I got the umbrella out and started to the door when a gust of wind turned my umbrella up and broke the frame rendering it useless for its purpose. I began running to the front door although I was soaked already. There were customers without umbrellas waiting at the front door for the rain to slack off and as I jumped the curb I slipped and ran face first into the plate glass window in the door. As I rubbed my aching head I thought is anything going to go right today or is chili off the menu for me.

I didn’t need to get much so I got a hand held basket to put my goods in. I had most of what I needed except for a head of cabbage and was looking for just the right one when a kid ran into me with a shopping cart with the force of a small car. Everything in my basket went flying out and down the isle. While I was regaining my composure people were picking up my goods and handing them to me. The kid had disappeared when I looked around. As I headed to the meat counter for some ground chuck I met with a wet spot on the tile floor and slipped to my knee. The pain was not very much appreciated after all I had gone through for a bowl of chili. I’m saying to me” is it worth it.”

I got a 2 pound package of fresh ground chuck and headed for the cashier before anything else could happen. After the girl rung up my goods I reached back for my wallet and low and behold it wasn’t there. I told the girl cashier how sorry I was and I would have to come back when I found my wallet. She smiled and said it happens a lot here. The customers behind me looked and shook their heads as I asked the cashier to hold the items for me till I got back.

I raced home without incedent as the rain had slowed somewhat, to get my wallet. I searched high and low, every place that I could have put my wallet .I was about to call the store so they could restock the items I had in the basket when a thought occurred to me. Maybe I lost it while changing the flat tire earlier on the way to the store. I went to the spot where the flat happened. It was still raining as I walked around looking for my wallet and I saw it just as I was about to give it up.

I went back promptly to the grocery store but I was to embarrassed to go to the same girl cashier that checked me out earlier. I gathered up the same good as before and went to another cashier to check out and left quickly. I went home and started preparing my supreme home-made hot to the tongue chili. I take time to make my chili because the longer it simmers the better it is. I had all the ingredients in and simmering when I thought I heard a knock at my door. It was raining so hard it was noisey against my roof so I listened again for the knock. Someone was for sure was knocking at my front door. I went to see who it could be. As I peeked through the curtain I saw a girl standing in the rain . I opened the door quickly and told her to come on in .It was then that I recognized who she was. She was the first cashier, the one that I asked to hold my groceries till I went to get my wallet. The bag she had in her arms was those groceries .She said her shift was over and a friend of hers knew where I lived and told her, and since I was on her route to her house she would bring them to me on her way home.

As I started telling her I had went back and got the same goods again I noticed how she started shaking from the cold and wet clothes she was wearing. I offered her my bathroom to dry off get warm again. While I was checking and stirring the chili I felt a warm breath on my ear. I turned to look and she had pulled off all her clothes and had nothing but a towel around her. She said how long will that chili need to simmer. By the look in her eyes I could tell she wanted the chili to cook a long time. I said the longer the better. I turned the heat down a little lower while she pulled my arm ever so gently and the towel hit the floor. She said if you are as good as the way you make chili we will be just fine.

We later ate some chili and by then her clothes were dry. We kissed a long good-by kiss at the door and she went away. That day had been just a nightmare trying to make my chili, but that evening was a dream come true for both of us. As I got another bowl of chili I looked up and said thank you God for the beautiful rainy day, and if You could would You make rain more often.

Publication Date: 09-18-2009

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