The Spices On The Roast | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Entertainment

The Spices On The Roast

A scene of creativity and brokenness straight from my soul.

20
The Spices On The Roast
http://www.lovethispic.com

I'm a creative writing major, so writing for me is an expression of who I am. It’s a major part of my soul. Most of my articles have fallen under the creative non-fiction category. They’re based upon my thoughts and opinions and interests. I love writing them. But if I’m going to sit and write for hours (which I do often), fiction is my best outlet. So the following is a snippet of some of my fiction work. As a disclaimer, this is an edited version of a free-write I did for a class, and part of the prompt was to write it as one long run-on sentence. So I’m deeply sorry to all the grammar freaks out there. It is not grammatically correct and, if you know me, you know that hurts my soul. However, after trying to tweak it, I felt that changing it took away the flow and even a bit of the emotion. Since the format is different from anything else I’ve read or written, I didn’t want to change that and lose it’s uniqueness. It’s not quite poetry, not quite prose, but definitely a part of my soul.


“That’s not how you do that,” I tell Dad as he puts the roast into the crockpot, but without seasoning it first, so that it would come out dry instead of tender and juicy, falling apart just as this family is falling apart, as separate and lonely as the spices on the counter, which I toss to him, thinking he will catch them, out of habit, like he used to, but he doesn’t; he just lets them hit the counter and roll, dropping into the sink full of dirty dishes he told me to wash last night, but I forgot about and then he looks at me, questioning what I did that for, and it makes my heart sore that he doesn’t remember our old kitchen games, the way we used to goof off and joke around, the way we used to laugh, and I am reminded that so much of him has been lost now that Mom is gone, now that she’s moved out of our lives with all her boxes, I find she’s taken him too because he’s never here anymore, he’s never listening because he’s too busy missing her, and I hand him the carrots and celery and potatoes and onions I chopped, hoping he’ll forget to miss her sometime soon, that maybe he’ll remember I’m still here, that Grace is still here and that we still love him even though Mom doesn’t because she left for that stupid man with all his fancy suits and all those zeros at the end of his paycheck, but we didn’t leave and we’ve chosen his side, if sides must be taken, his was the only one we could take because he loved her, always loved her, and she got bored with that so she left for something more exciting, something more fulfilling, she said, but he had given her his everything and now he has to cook for us after work so we can do homework and stay away and try to ignore the emptiness in the house, and now I think there are tears hiding behind his eyes as he adds the spices and vegetables and sauces, covering the crockpot so the roast can sit overnight and be ready for Sunday lunch, if anyone decides to get up for Sunday lunch, since none of us go to church anymore, but that’s not important because he did it and he’s providing and for a brief, single moment I can see a tiny flash of hope as he turns to the dishes but doesn’t ask me to help because he seems to have forgotten I’m there or perhaps he wishes I would leave so he can cry in peace, but I don’t leave, I won’t leave, and I take up the towel to dry without being asked because I want him to know I’m still here, even though she’s not, and I’m not leaving him because I do still love him even when he forgets the spices on the roast.


Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Student Life

The Daily Struggles of Being a College Commuter

It's not all morning coffees and singing along to the radio.

282
The Daily Struggles of Being a College Commuter
morethanwheels

I've been in college for four years now. I spent half my time as a commuter and half as a resident so I've experienced both sides of the housing spectrum. One thing I've learned comparing the two is that my struggles as a commuter far outweigh anything I went through while living on campus. Commuters have to deal with the problems school brings along with a slew of other issues; I've filled up my gas tank in the worst kind of weather conditions and napped in random places in public more times than I'm proud to say of. This is a list of some of the most challenging aspects of being a commuter.

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

15 Times Michael Scott's Life Was Worse Than Your Life

Because have you ever had to endure grilling your foot on a George Foreman?

3070
Michael Scott
NBC

Most of the time, the world's (self-proclaimed) greatest boss is just that, the greatest. I mean, come on, he's Michael Freakin' Scott after all! But every once in a while, his life hits a bit of a speed bump. (or he actually hits Meredith...) So if you personally are struggling through a hard time, you know what they say: misery loves company! Here are 15 times Michael Scott's life was worse than your life:

Keep Reading...Show less
Featured

12 Midnight NYE: Fun Ideas!

This isn't just for the single Pringles out there either, folks

17409
Friends celebrating the New Years!
StableDiffusion

When the clock strikes twelve midnight on New Year's Eve, do you ever find yourself lost regarding what to do during that big moment? It's a very important moment. It is the first moment of the New Year, doesn't it seem like you should be doing something grand, something meaningful, something spontaneous? Sure, many decide to spend the moment on the lips of another, but what good is that? Take a look at these other suggestions on how to ring in the New Year that are much more spectacular and exciting than a simple little kiss.

Keep Reading...Show less
piano
Digital Trends

I am very serious about the Christmas season. It's one of my favorite things, and I love it all from gift-giving to baking to the decorations, but I especially love Christmas music. Here are 11 songs you should consider adding to your Christmas playlists.

Keep Reading...Show less
campus
CampusExplorer

New year, new semester, not the same old thing. This semester will be a semester to redeem all the mistakes made in the previous five months.

1. I will wake up (sorta) on time for class.

Let's face it, last semester you woke up with enough time to brush your teeth and get to class and even then you were about 10 minutes late and rollin' in with some pretty unfortunate bed head. This semester we will set our alarms, wake up with time to get ready, and get to class on time!

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments