Aunt Mae
Posted on Wed Mar 20th, 2024 @ 4:41pm by Captain Samuel Woolheater
Mission:
MISSION 0 - History Speaks
Location: Pacifica - The Woolheater home
Timeline: The Past - Years ago
3306 words - 6.6 OF Standard Post Measure
SUNDAY SUPPER AT THE WOOLHEATER HOUSE
[ON:]
Everyone was in the living room of the Woolheater house. Almost everyone. Johanna was sharing stories about the numerous aliens she has met in her duties in a Consulate office. Sam is sharing boot camp stories with his lil’ brother and his Dad. There is a game of Jambo being played on the screen with the volume real low. Jambo is a kind of soccer-like game from Venca IV. Quite spirited. Not as spirited as a good game of Parresis Squares; but good enough to have on low on the screen in the living room. The supper table is still packed with food. Fried chicken, with homemade batter and spices that would make the Colonel envious. Collard Greens the way Mae knows how to cook them. With ham hock and onions from the garden and fresh garlic. Salt and spices that are particular to Pacifica. Mae always takes back with her as much as she can carry of some of the seasonings that folks on Pacifica just take for granted. The pot was bubbling until the greens were nice and hot and tender. That bowl is mostly gone now. There is a big bowl, well dug into, of Macaroni and Cheese. Rich, creamy and cheesy and baked until there is a nice browned top and the cheesy bubbles ooze out, like a delicious lava from the cracked surface. Barclay loaded up on this dish and the chicken – wings and drum sticks for the Barc man. A yellow golden cornbread held everything together. It was warm and sweet and when applied with a pat of butter, it melted and made it so delicious. There was a pister of honey for those that were more refined folk. There was a basket of brown-baked-buttermilk-basted-biscuits, brown and gold on the outside, easy to split in the middle and piping hot on the inside. The perfect coffin for a pat of real butter. A big ass bowl of mashed taters with chicken gravy; Sam’s favorite with breast and thighs. Sun brewed, fresh sweet tea, as much as you could drink. Served in mason jars for drink cups. At the rate Sam and Barclay broke glasses around here, it was just easier to replicate mason jars. The thicker glass didn’t shatter into tiny piece as a tempered glass drink cup. And Emma refused to serve drink in plastic. There were two desserts, Johanna baked a scrumptious peach cobbler, which was all gone now. And Emma had made up a chocolate cake that sat cooling on the window (pronounced ‘win-duh’) sill.
Mae, who was still at the supper table called from the table to the living room with a yell, “I'll be there in a minute! I'm just going to get a biscuit and sop this gravy up.”
It is possible that Aunt Mae did all her clothes shopping when the circus came to town. She wore bright dresses and blouses. Generally preferring pants to dresses. But today was a Sunday dinner and she wore a bright peach yellow dress. She was big, her arms were big, but her heart was bigger. Her smile radiated warmth and joy. She was the Woolheater kids’ most favorite Aunt.
Eventually coming to the living room she’d flopped down in the nearest chair. Honestly, the first chair she came to. And to Barclay and Sam it always looked like it was in slow motion. They were convinced, beyond the shadow of a doubt, for sure the chair was gonna break.
She’d come in, find that chair and then spent a long time standing over the chair as if she were is some kind of a docking procedure. She’d turn, this way and that, aligning her rather generous rear end with the front end of said chair. Then, cautiously, slowly, she’d start lowering herself down. Then, when the point-of-no-return was reached, “WHEW!!!” she’d say with a loud voice and plop onto the seat.
It was a momentous occasion. Sam had always thought that there should have been applause. It as that kind of an accomplishment. George, her baby brother, looked a little dismayed because he knew that if she did break that chair, he’d be the one to take her to the urgent care and fix the damn chair.
Mae looked around, missing the applause perhaps, and see which conversation she wanted to join in on. Or, if something about the Jambo game was worth getting interested in.
“Oh lord!” she’d say with a gaspy breath, shaking her head and a profound sense of relief on her face, “I ate more than I planned too!” she’d say. As if she “accidentally” ate that much. Shaking her head, fanning her face a bit but with a smile on her face.
“Was it good Mae?” Johanna asked.
“Oh honey bun. It couldn’t have been better. Em, I really need that recipe for your chicken batter. I’ve tried but I can get those spices you all have back on Earth.”
Emma smiled and answered, “No worries. We’ll make up a dry ingredient bag for you before you return.”
Mae said, “Thank ya hon. I think…starting tomorrow…I'm gonna go on some kind of a diet.” She said it with some conviction too but then quickly added as an afterthought, “Oh hell I can’t tomorrow. We’re going to Sam’s birthday party tomorrow.”
George asked, “You think you’ll have room tomorrow? It at one of those all-you-can-eat buffets.” She dismissed the thought with a wave of her hand, “Oh, I’ll have room.”
Someone made a score in the Jambo game and a roar came from the screen. In the pause that followed, Mae said, “Ah…I don't know why fried chicken lays on my chest like this.” She pointed roughly to her upper right chest area, “Right there won't go no further!” she said in pain.
“Are you alright?” Emma asked. Mae managed to stifle and quell a burp by saying, “Ooh! Oh I wish I’d a brought my gas pills!”
Sam listened and grinned and then inclined his head towards her. Indicating to Barclay to look and listen. “I didn't know you put onions in your collard greens! Lord knows I can't eat cooked onion!”
George made a face to his wife. As if to say, “Oh gawd….here we go.”
Mae leaned forward in the chair, Barclay finished up what he was talking about as Johanna looked on and asked, “Mae? Are you ok? Can I get you a glass of water?" Mae nodded, “Oh that’d be best sweetie. Thank you, hun, I think I could have a hiatal hernia!” This time a burp did get past her. Johanna went to get a glass of water from the replicator. Mae turned her attention to Sam, “Sam? You look good. Life with the Marines agrees with you?”
Sam answered, “Yeah. I’m just glad I survived. The week of hell; there were some moments. But, all in all, pretty good. They say that I score high with a rifle. Maybe they’ll send me to sniper school? Hell, I’d go.” Mae nodded, “You’re Dad says you’re a good shot. Hunting, when you guys have gone. You too Barclay. Are you going to follow your big brother? Or big sister?”
Johanna arrived with a cold glass of water for Mae and gave it to her, “Here you go.” Mae took it, “Thank you!”
Barclay answered, “I haven’t decided. I still have time I think?” George answered Barclay by saying, “Starfleet OK. You can do anything you want in Starfleet. Marines? No. Very limited options.” Barclay looked at Sam and Sam rolled his eyes. Mae set the glass on the reading table next to her and said, “Don’t listen to him. You can do anything you want.”
Emma asked, “Are you feeling better?” Mae said, “Honey, if i knew my insurance would pay for it, I'd get me an MRI. Because sometimes the x-ray don't show everything…” She rubbed her chest and then added as if to make a point, “…On fat people…”.
Johanna stifled a laugh. They hadn’t used MRI scans for years now. And ‘x-rays’? Was this the 21st century?? Emma stood up and nodded to Johanna, “In the kitchen?” and inclined her head towards the dirty dishes on the table. “Help me with the dishes and the replicator?”
After Johanna pulled Barclay up from the couch and the three of them went to the kitchen, Mae made a face and said, “If y'all wait a few minutes I'd help with those dishes.”
She looked in after them and said, “I just feel so light-headed.” She turned back to George and said, “I bet you my blood pressure's up. I had no bidness eating all that salt! Oh! But I'd just assume not have taters and greens if’n I can't put salt on it.” George nodded and answered, Yup.” Sam watched the two f them a moment and then turned to the Jambo game.
Mae was talking to George now, “I tried some of that no salt. But it just didn't taste like salt. That's probably why they call it no salt.” George made no comment and neither did Sam. The relationship between them was a bit strained. Sam had gone into the service but not the branch that George wanted him to.
From the kitchen and the dining room table came the sounds of cleaning up after a meal. The clinkity-clankity of dishittery and cutlery. The whirring sound of an old Mark II replicator that came with the house and made the lights dim and flicker just a bit when it was being used. That slight ionic small that came from dishittery that dematerialized into thin air.
Emma came back into the living room and said, “No bother Mae. We got all the dishes. You’re a guest anyway so just relax.” Emma came over and gave Sam a hug, “I’m glad you’re here.”
Mae, fanning herself now with her hands and pulling at her dress to air it out said, “Whoo!! Is it hot in here or is it just me?” She was in a sweat now. “George?” Emma concerned asked, “Turn down the environmentals? I think Mae is hot.” George looked disgusted. Mae gave him a look and said in mock apology, “I swear I'm soaking wet!”
George said something under his breath and went to the environmental control to turn down the air temperature while Aunt Mae sat there sweating, “Oh Lord!” she said. “I hope it ain't my bladder!”
Sam put his head down to stifle a laugh and rubbed his eyes. Then she said, “Oh! I'm stuck to the chair!” It took all his force to hold that laugh in. He looked up at his mom who was also trying to keep a straight face. She just looked at Sam and her eyes told him not to laugh. George came by and Mae grabbed his arm and he pulled her just a bit. Her dress was stuck to the chair and it made a peeling sound as she was pulled forward. It sounded like someone had just ripped their pants. Sam kept his head down and rubbed the bridge of his nose.
Barclay entered the room with a piece of chocolate cake on a plate. The teenager had a bottomless pit and was thin as a rail. Ah, the benefit of being 19 years old. Sam got to his feet to get a glass of tea. He was thirsty and as he walked by Aunt Mae she asked, “Ah, Samuel? If you going into the kitchen cut me a piece of that cake?” Sam nodded and kept walking and she called after him, now that she was free to turn in the chair, “Just a little taste!”
She turned back to Emma who was looking at George who was looking irritated. “I’ve cut way back on my sugar” she said as way of explanation. Nobody could say anything although everyone had a comment.
Barclay finished the piece of cake, and he took the remote and started surfing the video feeds. Scanning from this channel to that, just surfing the feeds and not really paying attention too much. Mae said after a moment, the channel surfing was getting too much for her., “Oh! I need to get up and walk around.” She looked down at her two feet. They looked like two loaves of white bread that were stuffed into too tiny bread pans. They looked terribly uncomfortable too. “I wish my feet weren't swollen!” here she kicked off both shoes and they looked like they had, at one time, been high heels. But over time had gone from high heels, to mid risers, to whatever these were now.
Sam came back in and offered her a plate with a piece of chocolate cake on it and a fork. He had a glass of sweet tea in his other hand. Mae took the cake, “Thank you Sammy. Oh my! Did you bake this Emma?” She took a bite and Sam sat down next to Barclay, “Hey? My game?”
Mae savored the cake, “My feet have been swollen – I don’t remember when they first got so swollen! I don't know what causes that.” Sam turned and looked at Mae who was focused on a fork of cake, then he looked at his mom and his eyebrows went up, “Really? I could take a stab at it” he said. Barclay looked at his dad, Johanna stifled a laugh and Emma put her head down and laughed quietly. Sam turned back to the screen and wrestled the remote away from ‘the kid’.
Mae, oblivious to this said, “I might be allergic to something. I hope it ain't bread. I don't believe I can live without at least some bread.” As Mae took another bite of cake she said with her mouth full, “Oh! We’ve always been a military family. Your grandfather was a Marine and his poppa was. And I don’t all know about your side of the family Emma?” “We’ve had most of my family in Starfleet. Mostly in the Sciences too. But not too many of my side of the family tree made it into space on a starship. More like Johanna, we were planetside. But no less important.” George added, “It’s not all about the stars. Need to have lot of people to make it work. And a lot of that work happens on the surface so. Johanna is on the proper path.” Barclay looked at Sam. Sam sighed slightly but kept his mouth shut.
Setting the empty cake plate down, Mae said, “Now I need mug of milk. Oh! I hope I feel better before supper!” George looked across at Emma who had her head down and her eyes covered trying to subdue a laugh. “We just ate…” he said.
“Oh, I know. I’m talkin’ about later” she said. Licking the chocolate cream off the tips of her fingers and the tiny bit that was on the fork she added, “You know…I'm good in mind to change doctors.” There was no reply, but Sam had such a grin on his face. “The one I'm going to now ain't doing me no good. Of course, his scales just go to 300. So…really, truth be told… he don't know whether I lost weight or not.” Sam exchanged a look with Barclay and Johanna who was on the verge of losing it.
George got up from his chair and went into the kitchen, stopping by Mae as she handed him her empty cake plate. She looked at him and said sternly, “Um…don't throw that cornbread out. I'll take that home with me. ‘cause Lord knows I don't feel like cooking!” George left after giving his older sister “the look”.
Johanna saved the day by saying, “Who wants to go for a drive down to the beach?”
These are the people who have helped you become who you are -- those who have cared about you and wanted what was best for you in life. Whomever comes to your mind now, whomever you're thinking about -- how pleased they must be to know the difference you feel they've made. Aunt Mae is a compilation of grandma’s and aunts, teachers and friends, co-workers, cooks, doctors…a mother from another brother. Who go with us a short time on our journey. They remind us that we are much better together than we are apart. That life is about kindness. They allow us space to laugh and to cry. They deserve to be remembered.
You know, they're the kind of people our stories do well to offer our world.
With love, I miss you,
[OFF:]
Captain Samuel Woolheater
“Saepius Exertus, Semper Fidelis, Frater Infinitas”
Division VI, MARDET 62nd Company "Spartans", 1st Platoon CO
=/\= USS ELYSIUM - NCC-89000 =/\=
