Apologies are Bull-Shit
By Michael Domino
By Michael Domino
I went to a summer party yesterday and
arrived there late.
I don’t think I’ll arrive late at a large family
party anymore because you have to
make sure that you get around and
say hello to everybody that you know.
It’s better to get there early and greet people
as they arrive and then
make check marks in your head.
The host of the party, my Brother, was cooking a whole baby lamb on a
spit over coals in the back yard and the spit went right through the top of
its skull and its eyes were cooking and a young girl asked her Daddy if she
could have the lamb’s teeth that were sticking unnaturally out of its head.
One of the guests was Turkish and he volunteered to cut up the lamb after
it was cooked and my brother looked tired and hot from cooking so he was
happy to let his friend do the difficult carving. My Greek Uncle told the
Turk to split the head and take out the brains and that this was a delicacy.
The Turk split the head with a dull knife and a sledge hammer and the Greek
scooped out the brains and mixed the white mass with lemon, olive oil, salt,
and pepper and left it in a small bowl on the table, near the greasy split
skull.
I tasted some of the lamb brains that were in the dish but I didn’t go talk
to my Aunts near the pool where the family elders had gathered.
As people began to leave my two Aunts came up to me and told me
that they were very hurt and angry that I never made it to say hello and talk
to them down by the pool where they had been sitting. I didn’t disagree
and I apologized; but it didn’t matter. They were still pissed and I didn’t
blame them.
arrived there late.
I don’t think I’ll arrive late at a large family
party anymore because you have to
make sure that you get around and
say hello to everybody that you know.
It’s better to get there early and greet people
as they arrive and then
make check marks in your head.
The host of the party, my Brother, was cooking a whole baby lamb on a
spit over coals in the back yard and the spit went right through the top of
its skull and its eyes were cooking and a young girl asked her Daddy if she
could have the lamb’s teeth that were sticking unnaturally out of its head.
One of the guests was Turkish and he volunteered to cut up the lamb after
it was cooked and my brother looked tired and hot from cooking so he was
happy to let his friend do the difficult carving. My Greek Uncle told the
Turk to split the head and take out the brains and that this was a delicacy.
The Turk split the head with a dull knife and a sledge hammer and the Greek
scooped out the brains and mixed the white mass with lemon, olive oil, salt,
and pepper and left it in a small bowl on the table, near the greasy split
skull.
I tasted some of the lamb brains that were in the dish but I didn’t go talk
to my Aunts near the pool where the family elders had gathered.
As people began to leave my two Aunts came up to me and told me
that they were very hurt and angry that I never made it to say hello and talk
to them down by the pool where they had been sitting. I didn’t disagree
and I apologized; but it didn’t matter. They were still pissed and I didn’t
blame them.
© 2007 by Michael Domino
