Momma I M So Bored: A Short Story

“Momma I'm so bored.” Most of the time a statement like this would prove to be dangerous and I would end up doing chores, but every once in awhile her response would be different. She would pull out the square, halfway rusted fudge pan and we would start cooking. With the tattered, fudge stained Hershey's recipe on display, I would climb on the countertops and scurry around to gather all the ingredients. As she poured all the different ingredients into the pot she would look from the mountain of sugar to me, “There is hardly anything redeeming in this pot.” She would be smiling though and equally as eager to eat it later.
The chocolate would bubble up like hot lava and fill the house with it's rich aroma. Now comes the waiting, when I wanted to find

entertainment elsewhere. “This is a tradition me and my mom had ya know. Grandjan and I used to make fudge together after I would come in after a date or being with friends. I could never make it past the kitchen on those nights though, grandjan would catch me and pull me over to the stove and we would make fudge. While we waited, she would ask me about my night and tell me about how she and her dad used to make fudge together.”
So I stayed there in the kitchen with my mom and her stories. She with her hip propped against the stove corner and waving the spoon as she talked. I with my long legs pulled to my chest and somehow balanced on the edge of the counter. I bombarded her with questions about when she was younger and imagined grandjan and her in their kitchen. Though I was eager for the fudge to reach softball stage, I was gaining so much more in my relationship with my mom.
My mom always made fudge in a teaching manner, everything was a chance to teach, even fudge.

With every step of the recipe, she would make sure I was watching and learning. Waiting for soft-ball stage took forever especially because of our finicky, old thermometer. Sometimes it worked like a charm, other times my mom taught me how to tell with a glass of ice-water. “You just take a lil bit on a spoon, drop it into the glass.” Taking it out she would roll the bit of chocolate between her fingers, “Just like that it should form a ball..well.. maybe not.” Most of the time it wasn't and I would have to settle back down to wait for it to be ready. Fudge is not a quick and easy recipe, you definitely cannot leave it. It's our tradition though, we put time and effort into that which we love.
That tradition is one that my mom and I shared with my friends, Carolyn and Adrienne. They are sisters and I just happen to be smack-dab in the middle of their ages. I am considered another sister in their house, and they think of my mom as a second mom. Our families were friends before we were even born, we have gone through everything together. One of those things has been standing in the kitchen and making fudge

together.
Carolyn and Adrienne would come over and before too long we would be gathered around the stove with the beaten up recipe. My mom would tell the same generation story and teach us how to do everything just so. The most important part was at the end, “You have to keep beating it with the spoon until you see that shine go out.” My mom would angle the pot to the light and leaning in we would watch to see if we could tell when it was ready. The sudden activity of getting that hot chocolate into the pan before it set up was hectic with all of us crowded around. When we were old enough Carolyn, never to be intimidated, took over the important job of stirring. Adrienne would start on the dishes and I would put them away and supply the music. As soon as the chocolate was poured though everything was dropped, we grabbed spoons and huddled around on the kitchen floor.
“You've had it too long maemae”
“I just got it and I'm getting the chocolate off the sides for everyone”
Even though Carolyn and Adrienne are siblings and their squabbling was natural, when it came to fudge, I too joined in on the squabbling. Those memories huddled and bickering over the tiny amount of fudge are a part of our relationship that I love.
I relate fudge to quality time spent with people who I love. Relationships are so often built on doing the smallest and everyday activities with people. Cooking, washing dishes, and eating with people are some of those things that have definitely strengthened and continue to build relationships. I realize how I took those times for granted and tried to hurry it along, not realizing that the chocolate was not the most important thing.