food, crafts and a
small stage where there was a kids’ talent show happening. After stopping by
Gobi’s Diner, where she started off eating a large garden salad, Rena ended
with three homemade rolls dripping with honey and most of Greta’s creamy smoked
salmon pasta in her stomach. She was stuffed.
Still shocked that she could have honey, Rena waited
for some kind of reaction, but none came—just a craving for more. That same
hunger had led her to try a taste of Greta’s fish. When nothing happened but a
warm glow in a belly and a sense of euphoria, Rena had taken another forkful, then
another. She would have been embarrassed by her poor manners if Greta hadn’t
laughed and ordered them another plate and a bowl of Gobi’s hearty salmon and
vegetable chowder. Which Rena recognized as tasting a lot like her
grandmother’s soup without the chunks of fish floating in it.
It didn’t take much effort for her to deduce that if
her grandmother was feeding her honey on the sly that more than likely Genma
had been doing the same with the seafood . But why? That simple question
was plaguing Rena.
“Well, this is Den County.” Greta teased as she weaved
them through all the activity to a booth with SHARDIK FARMS HONEYCOMBS painted
across the top.
“Hi, Lola.” Greta greeted the older woman inside the
booth.
“Greta, are those Genma’s muffins?” Lola’s face was lit
with a smile as she rubbed her hands together.
Rena couldn’t believe that this woman sold so many
honeycomb treats, but was still excited to get her grandmother’s muffins.
“They sure are.” Greta passed the container to Lola
over the side of the stand.
“Perfect, I have a nice dish and place for them.” Lola
carried the muffins to the large table where a man was working and set it down.
“Have you had a chance to meet, Rena, Genma’s
granddaughter?”
“Oh, my goodness. You don’t say.” Lola turned her million-watt
grin on Rena. “I haven’t seen you since you were a baby. How’s your mother?”
At the mention of her mother, Rena forced a smile on
her mouth and hoped Lola and Greta didn’t pick up on it and think it reflected
on her meeting the woman. “She’s fine. Living in Massachusetts.”
Lola stared off in the distance for a second as she
said, “Gracious, your mother and I went to school together. We used to run
around this town trying to get all the handsome males to sniff after us.” She
laughed.
The thought of sitting down with Lola and tapping her
brain about her mother’s childhood was tempting to Rena. Her mother was never
forthcoming about anything to do with growing up in Den County. It was as if
Lillian wanted to pretend that her hometown didn’t exist in her mind. Rena
thought it was a shame. Evidently her mother had friends and people in the area
who thought fondly of her, even if Lillian didn’t feel the same about them.
“You caught me that way.” A burly man in the back
cutting large blocks of honeycomb into smaller pieces called out.
“Yes I did.” Lola looked back over her shoulder and
gave the man a wink. “Don’t mind him. That big, bear of a male is my Ben.”
Rena waved at the man.
“You all headed over to Fur Field to the softball
game?” Lola leaned out of her booth window. “That’s where Gordon and Shayna
are.”
“I heard about that. I’m planning to head over and see
if they have any spots left,” Greta replied. “You okay with that, Rena?”
“Sure. I haven’t seen a good game in a while.” Not to
mention if she said no, Greta may take her back home and that would set Rena
the one place she was trying to avoid, around Cord.
“Let’s go then. Okay, Lola, Ben, we will see you two
later.” Greta began to move away.
“Nice meeting you, Lola…again.” Rena said as she
followed Greta toward the far end of the park area.
“Don’t be a stranger!” Lola called out to her.
Smiling back at the former friend of her mother’s, Rena
didn’t respond. She didn’t
small stage where there was a kids’ talent show happening. After stopping by
Gobi’s Diner, where she started off eating a large garden salad, Rena ended
with three homemade rolls dripping with honey and most of Greta’s creamy smoked
salmon pasta in her stomach. She was stuffed.
Still shocked that she could have honey, Rena waited
for some kind of reaction, but none came—just a craving for more. That same
hunger had led her to try a taste of Greta’s fish. When nothing happened but a
warm glow in a belly and a sense of euphoria, Rena had taken another forkful, then
another. She would have been embarrassed by her poor manners if Greta hadn’t
laughed and ordered them another plate and a bowl of Gobi’s hearty salmon and
vegetable chowder. Which Rena recognized as tasting a lot like her
grandmother’s soup without the chunks of fish floating in it.
It didn’t take much effort for her to deduce that if
her grandmother was feeding her honey on the sly that more than likely Genma
had been doing the same with the seafood . But why? That simple question
was plaguing Rena.
“Well, this is Den County.” Greta teased as she weaved
them through all the activity to a booth with SHARDIK FARMS HONEYCOMBS painted
across the top.
“Hi, Lola.” Greta greeted the older woman inside the
booth.
“Greta, are those Genma’s muffins?” Lola’s face was lit
with a smile as she rubbed her hands together.
Rena couldn’t believe that this woman sold so many
honeycomb treats, but was still excited to get her grandmother’s muffins.
“They sure are.” Greta passed the container to Lola
over the side of the stand.
“Perfect, I have a nice dish and place for them.” Lola
carried the muffins to the large table where a man was working and set it down.
“Have you had a chance to meet, Rena, Genma’s
granddaughter?”
“Oh, my goodness. You don’t say.” Lola turned her million-watt
grin on Rena. “I haven’t seen you since you were a baby. How’s your mother?”
At the mention of her mother, Rena forced a smile on
her mouth and hoped Lola and Greta didn’t pick up on it and think it reflected
on her meeting the woman. “She’s fine. Living in Massachusetts.”
Lola stared off in the distance for a second as she
said, “Gracious, your mother and I went to school together. We used to run
around this town trying to get all the handsome males to sniff after us.” She
laughed.
The thought of sitting down with Lola and tapping her
brain about her mother’s childhood was tempting to Rena. Her mother was never
forthcoming about anything to do with growing up in Den County. It was as if
Lillian wanted to pretend that her hometown didn’t exist in her mind. Rena
thought it was a shame. Evidently her mother had friends and people in the area
who thought fondly of her, even if Lillian didn’t feel the same about them.
“You caught me that way.” A burly man in the back
cutting large blocks of honeycomb into smaller pieces called out.
“Yes I did.” Lola looked back over her shoulder and
gave the man a wink. “Don’t mind him. That big, bear of a male is my Ben.”
Rena waved at the man.
“You all headed over to Fur Field to the softball
game?” Lola leaned out of her booth window. “That’s where Gordon and Shayna
are.”
“I heard about that. I’m planning to head over and see
if they have any spots left,” Greta replied. “You okay with that, Rena?”
“Sure. I haven’t seen a good game in a while.” Not to
mention if she said no, Greta may take her back home and that would set Rena
the one place she was trying to avoid, around Cord.
“Let’s go then. Okay, Lola, Ben, we will see you two
later.” Greta began to move away.
“Nice meeting you, Lola…again.” Rena said as she
followed Greta toward the far end of the park area.
“Don’t be a stranger!” Lola called out to her.
Smiling back at the former friend of her mother’s, Rena
didn’t respond. She didn’t
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