The way my life has been writing poetry lately, it is hot and soggy and full of burnt toast. The past few days have read like one of those chain poems endlessly adding a line only to negate the previous idea. Everything that could have fallen or broken or been misinterpreted has.
And there I was in the middle of it all making a pizza. Two pizzas to be exact. The boys have it in their heads that they'd like to go to school in the US for a year (or more?) and it has me scrambling to cut all the corners we can. As handy as it is, the school cantine is out. One pizza for dinner, one for lunch. Despite the sweat pouring off of me, it's going well- the double pizza crust creating. In no time I've got the pans prepped and ready for the oven. I have some eggs boiling for a quick snack or early breakfast and yogurt freshly made. I am feeling accomplished. Then the gas goes out.
Everytime it happens I think there should be some sort of warning so I'm not caught out like that, in the middle of baking. The pizzas look great on my table, but it's 8 o'clock and there's nothing to do but trek out for a refill. The poetry of my life.
This is a two person job and luckily Nabih is still awake. We lost Mohamed to an early bedtime. He plays hard and usually falls asleep exhausted somehere in the 8 o'clock hour. Which meant it was me, Nabih and the girl with an empty propane tank.
Carrying the tank is more efficient with a cloth wrapped around the handle. We each grabbed one and headed out, Mbalia snuggled in her carry on pocket. Between random thoughts about how I wished it would be this light and easy on the way back, I thought about the memories Nabih would have of this time- and the character I hoped it would build. I also wondered how I would ever manage this job alone.
As expected the way back was much heavier. Just after rounding the corner, we ran into one of Mohamed's friends. In true African style, he offered to carry the tank for me. I was happy to accept. An unexpected bit of a different kind of poetry. In return, I suggeted he stop by the next day and collect his pizza reward.
