The Red Apron

I thought, I'll listen to "All Things Considered" on NPR tonight. I thought, this is what grown-ups do. I'll listen to the news and see what's going on in the world. I'll chop garlic for the beans and cut thin slivers of tomato for finger food while I listen to the news. I'll make a simple dinner.

I'll tune in.

I clicked on the radio and heard that something, manufacturing?, had only grown by three tenths of one percent, which was hard for my mind to hook onto but no time to ponder before the voice moved to dozens of people dead in Baghdad. My left shoulder started to throb. I turned the radio off.

I went into the pantry and put on my red apron. The apron Judy brought back from Italy for me, the one with pictures of bread on it. Something in the folding of the apron and tugging it tight around my waist brought me back to my kitchen.

Begin again.

Chop red onion. Scrape with knife into pan with garlic. Slice corn off the cob, sweep white kernels into pan. Toss in a handful of pine nuts. Add salt & pepper. Swirl olive oil over mixture. Stir gently. Simmer.

Add beans.

Cover with white lid (that lost its mate years ago).

Simmer some more.