Raisin Pie

Meals at my Mom’s were always an adventure and as sure as the food was going to be good, except for the occasional curryless curry chicken, there was going to be laughter.

Whenever we had a meal at Mom’s, no matter what it was and how much you ate you always had to leave room for dessert.

Most of the time Mom would whip up dessert herself. Her lemon meringue pies were to die for, she made the absolute best fruit cake that I have ever tasted in my life and her cookies and pastries….

It was a wonder we all didn’t weigh 300 pounds or more.

I remember this one particular time when we were going to have a barbecue at my parents. For some reason Mom was going to be busy most of the day so she informed us that she would not have time to make dessert.

We were disappointed, but we understood and we told her not to worry about it.

So what did Mom do?

She worried about it all day.

She called us from the grocery store and told us she would be a little late because she was going to pick up desert.

One of the local grocery stores had a bakery that made amazing desserts. Not as good as Mom’s, but pretty darn good.

We told her to take her time, we were in no hurry. Just gave us more time to drink wine and beer.

Anyway she came home, we had an amazing barbecue and when it was all over, Mom cleared the table and went to get dessert.

The conversation that followed went something like this.

“I couldn’t get lemon meringue pie because they were all out, so I got a raisin pie instead.”

Dad turned in his chair and looked at Mom. “None for me my dear. You know I don’t like that pie that much.”

I agreed with Dad’s sentiment. “Me neither Mom. I’m not a big fan of it.”

It was as though she never heard a word. She came back to the table and put plates in front of each of us with raisin pie on it.

Dad looked at Mom and then looked at me. I simply shrugged.

Mom opened the refrigerator door. “Anyone want whipped cream.”

Dad looked at Mom. “Joyce why would you buy raisin pie when you know none of us are that fussy of it?”

Mom took out the whipped cream and put it on the table.

“They didn’t have any lemon meringue pies so I got raisin. That was all they had left. They were busy today.”

Dad was shaking his head. “But no one likes it.”

Mom put whipped cream on her pie and started to eat it. “But we needed dessert.”

“But what is the sense of buying something for dessert that no one likes. You may as well have bought a roll of paper towels.”

Mom chewed the pie in her mouth, all the while staring at Dad.

Finally she said.

“Bill don’t be so fucking silly. No one is going to eat paper towels.”