NOTE:
Piece I wrote in thirty minutes, got the idea, wanted it out before
thanksgiving, so here it is....
The city hadn't been the same since the Pulse. Lives were inexorably
altered. Perhaps, within the shells created by the disaster that were
once
full of happiness, people can learn how to feel hope again, at least, on
this very special day.
Max entered the apartment without knocking, as usual. Logan had paged her
for the second time that day. The routine had been the same for the past
month, she'd get a page from him about twice a week. Usually it was for
small deeds he needed accomplished, sometimes it was to update her on small
leads he was following in her case. She called him before coming that
night, he had enigmatically said to just meet him at the apartment at five.
She called to him, cutting through the silence, "Logan!" She
awaited his
reply with a hand upon her side. The day was coming to a close and
nighttime would soon emerge. The days had gotten shorter with the approach
of winter.
"I'm in here," Logan answered. His voice resonated through the
sterile
apartment, with its origin from the kitchen.
Rounding the corner, she saw Logan, once again lighting candles at the
dining room table. A wonderful smell surrounded her. The scent wasn't one
she had ever experienced before. However, she did not reveal her surprise
on the outside.
"What's up, Logan?" she asked casually with a hint of irritation
in her
voice. After all, it had been the second time he had summoned her that day.
He turned to face her, with a large smile upon his face, such as the cat
that ate the canary.
"Can you smell that?" he asked cryptically.
"Of course, what of it?"
"That, my coded friend, is turkey, and this banquet laid upon the
table,
Thanksgiving," Logan explained. Max raised an eyebrow. In Manticore
holidays were not taught or celebrated. Birthdays were forgotten, rather
never mentioned. Following her escape from the compound, she had never
stayed in one place long enough to develop relationships and what good were
holidays without people to celebrate with?
"What do we have to give thanks for in this hellhole that we call
World?"
she asked him, alarmed to be confronted with this tradition she had little
knowledge of. The extent of her expertise was that the holiday was begun by
pilgrims when they landed in America, thanking God for the safe voyage
across the sea.
"Friends, shelter, a Kawasaki Ninja 350 motorcycle�" Logan
began. She
smiled at his mention of her baby. He placed a satisfied look upon his
visage and moved into the kitchen. While Logan rummaged in the kitchen, Max
sat at one of the ends of the table and looked at the enormous amount of
food in front of her. In the background light Christmas music was playing.
The food alone was impressive, but there was more to it than that� this
day
had a feeling about it that she could not put her finger upon.
Logan emerged. "Max, could you help me with this? I can't hold food and
roll at the same time too well. Bling had helped me with the other
food,"
he jokingly said. She walked towards him and followed his lead into the
kitchen. The oven was open and upon a rack was a butterball turkey, cooked
to perfection. Her stomach growled in appreciation. Logan glanced back at
her with a surprised look upon his face.
"I guess I missed lunch," she explained sheepishly and he
chuckled. She
lifted the gobble-gobble out of the oven with oven mitts and carried it
into the dining room. Logan lowered the lights as he followed her. The room
was alit with candles and a home-like warmth.
"I'm new to this, what do we do now?" Max asked, shocking herself
in the
process. She preferred to think of herself as an independent woman, who had
no need for anyone else in her life. Sure, she could spurt out biology
jargon at the drop of a feather, but when it came to personal and family
situations, she was blind.
"In my family, before we ate, we used to say what we were thankful for,
one
at a time, around the table and then pray upon those thanks. Then, we would
eat until we felt like we could burst. After that, we'd watch the football
game on TV," Logan reminisced.
"Oh, OK." There was an awkward silence, an indecision as to who
would begin
their thanks first.
"I'll begin," Max volunteered. After all, she reasoned with
herself, the
best way to get into a pool was by plunging oneself all at once� "I
give
thanks for Kendra, my roommate, for being there for me always. I give
thanks for Original Cindy (my homegirl), Sketchy, Normal, and Herbal at Jam
Pony. I am thankful for my motorcycle. Also, I am thankful for you, Logan,
because you have helped me more than anyone I have ever known has. I want
you to know that I appreciate you."
Logan nodded and acknowledged her thanks and sentiments. He began his own,
"Well, I am thankful for the ability to reach people who have not heard
the
truth. I am thankful for those who have supported me throughout my accident
and adjustment. I thank God for Bling, who goes above and beyond the call
of duty. I am thankful for food, clothing, and shelter, because many do not
have those amenities today. And, lastly but not least, I thank Him for you,
Max, a friend and a lifesaver. I value you more than I let on."
Then, they each said a silent prayer for the thanks they had given. Max was
not a fan of religion, but she understood its importance to Logan, so she
tried her best to pray. When they had finished, the serious part of
Thanksgiving was at hand, eating.
"I don't know where to start!" Max admitted.
"I recommend the turkey and gravy. Would you like to do the honors of
carving the turkey?" he asked her. She nodded. He passed her the
carving
knife. She slowly cut the first slice of turkey meat with hesitation,
unknowing if she was doing it right. Logan cheered at its completion.
Despite her normal state of distancing herself, she laughed. One could say
she laughed in spite of herself. Logan joined her.
Max distributed the turkey and gravy to Logan and her plates. Logan began
adding to his plate potatoes, green beans, applesauce, and a biscuit. Max
followed in suit. She took her seat again. Looking across the table, she
saw a contented smile on Logan's face as he began to devour his food. It's
funny, how a holiday just brightens people up, she thought.
She began to eat too, licking her lips after each bite of the delicious
meal. Logan was enjoying his meal too, in the most obvious of ways, the
licking-of-the-fingers way. The dinner conversation was light, about the
weather, interesting things they had seen and such. The main concentration
was the food, and for Max, this new feeling.
Finally, both had admitted defeat. Max looked at her clock, eight! She had
been here for three hours! Where had the time gone?
"What are we going to do with this food we didn't eat? I feel kind of
bad
wasting it," Max mentioned. Logan came over to her.
Precisely. We won't. Waste it, that is. I forgot to mention another thing I
do on Thanksgiving," Logan toyed.
"And what is that?" Max asked.
"Volunteering at a soup kitchen for the homeless."
Each year, since he could remember, the Cale family had aided those who
could not afford a lavish banquet such as theirs. The soup kitchen was a
charitable act that he began to look forward to each year. It was a way to
get in touch with humanity, to see a smile in a city so caught up in greed
and sins.
"Ready to go?" he called to Max as she finished wrapping up the
turkey and
other foods.
"Yes."
"OK."
Max had never been at a soup kitchen before. Her life had always been too
rapid to care for the needs of others. She never felt compassion for those
she passed on the streets without houses as she sped along on her
motorcycle. Yet, here she was, scooping mashed potatoes to dirty, homeless
people. Nevertheless, now she felt more useful than ever before, she was
making a difference.
Men, women, children. Poverty did not discriminate. It was an equal
opportunity destroyer. Despite their hardships and problems, the thought of
having a Thanksgiving dinner lit up their faces and they smiled. Looking to
her right, instead of being in his fancy penthouse, Logan was in a ghetto
soup kitchen, and he was smiling.
She thanked God that she could make a difference. Then she began to smile.
THE END
