Turkey, Anyone?

“Hey Hon, how about we cook out and deep fry a turkey for Thanksgiving? I've always wanted to do that. You know, something different for a change."

“You don't have the stuff to do it, besides it's dangerous, haven't you seen that insurance commercial? You can't do it in the garage, it has to be outside and it's chilly out there."

I can get all the stuff, it's only dangerous if you're a dummy and don't know what you're doing."

“Right, and you do I suppose. If you want my opinion, I think it's just an excuse for you and that son-in­-law of ours to sit in the garage drinking beer while we slave over the stove in the house.”

"A little cold weather doesn't bother me, I'm a deer hunter, remember? I can take the cold. Look at it this way, it will be one less thing to slave over, you won't have to worry about the turkey.”

"Well, I supposed, if you're set on it but won't you miss the stuffed bird?"

"Not really, I think we'll be stuffed enough, don't you?" replied Hank, laughing at his own joke.

Amy just shook her head and walked away. Once Hank had an idea there was no turning him around. What difference would it make anyway, let him have his fun.

Hank took the non-response as a green light and came home with a carload of items.

Amy opened the garage door, “Hank, did you get the stuff I asked for from the store?”

“Oh gosh hon, I forgot about the list.”

“Geez, Hank, all you had to do was take the list. Where is it anyway, I don't want to re-write it again. I swear. Bet you remembered the beer, huh? Let me know when the car is unpacked, I'll have to go to the store now.”

“Sorry, I”ll go when I'm done here.”

“No, forget it, just let me know, OK?” She left and slammed the door.

“Guess that didn't go well,” Hank said to himself. He started setting things up, whistling as he worked, when the door opened again.

“Hank, it's been over an hour, don't you have the car emptied yet?”

“Oh, right, I forgot about it. Yeah, it's been empty for a while, you can have it.”

“Gee, thanks for letting me know. Need anything?”

“As a matter of fact, I do. Can you pick up some of that 'all seasoning' stuff?”

“Sure, I'll put it on the list, so I don't forget. Oh, wait, that doesn't always work, does it dear?”

Hank just smiled. “That's what I love about you, always the comedian.”

Amy cranked up the radio in the car and chuckled when an old song, one of her and Hank's favorites, came on. “Gotta love the man,” she thought to herself.

The song brought back memories. They had gone to school together but never dated until they ran into each other at a mutual friend's party one night. They started talking, danced a little, exchanged phone numbers, and went their separate ways. One night, out of the blue, Hank called her for a date. It was very casual; he took her to an out of the way country bar and dance hall. The food and music were good, so was the company. The dates continued until one day he asked her to marry him. She didn't hesitate to say yes.

What she loved the most about him was that he never put on airs like other guys she had dated in the past. You knew who he was and what he stood for. They lived a modest life; had everything they needed and were comfortable. Their two children, Ryan and Megan, were grown now. Ryan attended a tech school for electronics and Megan had been married two years and was expecting a child. Amy felt that Megan's husband, Bill, could be a little more ambitious, but they seemed happy together. Hank and Bill got along well, they enjoyed the same things, fishing, hunting, baseball, football, NASCAR and beer.

Back home again, Amy pulled up in the drive. Hank came out to help unload the groceries.

“I see you've got everything set up for the turkey,” she said.

“Yup, I've been reading the instructions, doesn't seem too difficult to me.”

She smiled at him, “Good, I think I've got everything else we need. I hope so anyway, can't believe the prices.”

“I was thinking,” he said. “Maybe you want to go to a movie tonight, we haven't gone for a while. We can get pizza after.”

“I'd like that, it will do us good to get out of the house.”

On the drive home from the movie, Amy snuggled in the seat beside Hank. She thought how lucky she was to have him; a husband she knew would always have her back, through good and bad.

Thanksgiving morning the house was abuzz with activity. They both got up early, there was lots to do. She started a batch of bread baking, something she always made for Thanksgiving, they all loved it so. Soon the kids would come, she missed them. Hank, still groggy, got out the turkey and started preparing it for the fryer. He was beaming at the thought of trying out his new deep fryer and impressing everyone. She wasn't so sure, so she basted and stuffed a large chicken and put a spiral ham in the oven.... just in case.

At last, the children came. Amy, Megan, and Ryan were chatting in the kitchen catching up on each other's lives. Bill breezed through the kitchen, gave Amy a hug, and headed out to the garage by Hank where he knew a cold beer would be waiting. Hank had a football game on the TV in the garage and he and Bill were busy watching the game rather than the turkey.

Some time had passed, and Amy sent Ryan out to the garage to see how long Hank thought it would be before the turrkey was done. "Tell him I need a time so I know when to get everything else ready," she yelled.

When he opened the side door to the garage, it told everything. A big waft of smoke came into the kitchen. They all ran to the door and could see Hank and Bill in a flurry of activity, flames leaping out of the fryer. Precious beer was being poured onto the now smoldering, blackened turkey.

“What the heck,” shouted everybody.

"Jesus, Hank,' growled Amy. "Get that put out before you start the garage on fire."

Thereafter, it was pretty quiet until Amy called dinner.

A sheepish Hank and Bill came into the kitchen stating that they might not have turkey for Thanksgiving after all. "I'm sorry guys Hank said, how about my treat and we'll all go out somewhere for dinner. Guess I have a bit more studying to do on deep frying a turkey."

"Maybe less beer and more attention," laughed Ryan which also brought laughter from Meg and Amy.

“That's OK, dear,” Amy said, as she casually pulled a perfectly brown, stuffed chicken and ham out of the oven. “I don't think we'll starve.”

Who knows a husband better than a wife?

1,209 Words