Jamming

Jamming

They were shiny, messy and delicious - I really, really loved cherries. But I didn’t want to eat any of them. I was stuck in the kitchen when all I wanted to do was finish my homework and get outside. And I’d like to skip the homework but it was Saturday. I wasn’t allowed out of the house until I had these stupid cherries pitted. Why did she have to make jam today! I finished my homework yesterday anyway. All I had to do was make a list for my writing teacher. And it didn’t have anything to do with writing. Five imaginary lives. That was it. Done. And kind of fun but I’ll keep that a secret. 

“Mom! I’m splashing this messy cherry juice all over me! Can I stop now?”

“Did you put an apron on, sweetie? Just wipe the counter when the juice splashes.”

Of course I put an apron on - what does she think I am. Stupid.

“Yes I put an apron on, but it’s splashing on my jeans anyway and they’re my best jeans.”

“Well, just be careful. How did they splash on your jeans anyway? I’ll come help you when I’ve finished the project I’m working on. I’m just about done with the last coat of paint on the dresser.”

She could have done these cherries. Hmm. I wonder what would happen if this was the best cherry jam ever? But if I just cut them up and put them in the slow cooker, my mom would get all big headed when I did all the hard work. And she used my iPad to look the recipe up. It doesn’t look too hard. I bet I could do it real fast - but what if it turned out awful. Cherries, sugar, lemon juice and some stuff called pectin. I’ll ask. She’ll never know why I’m asking.

“Mom do we have any pectin and where is the slow cooker?”

“Yes, we do have pectin? I keep it up in the cupboard on the shelf beneath the slow cooker. By the way, honey, have you finished your homework yet? I know you want to get outside with your friends. Isn’t the new Internet cafe opening today?”

“I haven’t even started my homework yet, and it’s taking me a long time to work with these cherries. And we’re going to meet at the Internet cafe - if I’m a bit late it’ll be ok.”

“Do you even remember what your homework was? Did you read farther on your assignment sheet or just stop at making a list?”

“Just some other dumb thing about writing that isn’t even about writing. But, if you insist, I’ll read it again out loud so you know I read it - ‘Look at your list. Pick one and do bits and pieces of it this week.’ See. Nothing to do with writing. Just like my list:  

1. Captain of a Fire Department 

2. Artist  

3. Chef 

4. Race car driver

5. A Rock Star

“It’s very hard to write a song alone. It’s only by 

jamming that you can get a song together.”

~ Maurice Gibb