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    Valkyrie
  • Valkyrie
    • Signature Author
  • 12/16/2019
  • 814 Words
  • 2,561 Views
  • 36 Comments
Stories posted in this category are works of fiction. Names, places, characters, events, and incidents are created by the authors' imaginations or are used fictitiously. Any resemblances to actual persons (living or dead), organizations, companies, events, or locales are entirely coincidental.
Note: While authors are asked to place warnings on their stories for some moderated content, everyone has different thresholds, and it is your responsibility as a reader to avoid stories or stop reading if something bothers you. 

Our Christmas Cookbook - 16. O Holy Night

*Warning - this story is not an easy read. It may be upsetting to some people, and I recommend having tissues handy. *Edited to add: Just to be clear, this is a difficult story to read. If you want something light-hearted, you might want to skip this chapter.

O Holy Night

By Valkyrie

The arched stone doorway provided some relief from the bitter, stinging wind, but not from the pervasive cold. No amount of clothing was adequate to ward off the frigid temperatures. The man slunk down the wall and hugged his knees to his chest. His situation was hopeless. The shelter only a block away was full. The force of the door slamming in his face was worse than any sub-zero wind chill.

The snick of the door lock was his death knell.

His usual heating vents were all occupied by other wretched souls. And there was no sharing on the street.

So huddling in the doorway was the only option left. He tucked his face down into his knees. So tonight would finally be it. He’d survived for years on the streets. Survived disease, beatings, hunger, weather extremes. Hell, he’d even lived through the war, even though the battles never left him. Drugs and alcohol helped. They were the only things that stopped the voices and images haunting him almost constantly. They cost him his job, house, family. Everything. And now his life.

The weary veteran wasn’t afraid or angry. After all the mistakes he’d made, he deserved his fate. He sighed, his warm breath temporarily warming his upper thighs.

Daddy! Daddy, look! Santa came!

He snapped his head up, peering down the street. Elizabeth? Where is she? He hadn’t seen his daughter in years. Had she found him? Come to rescue him?

I got a Cabbage Patch Doll! Oh Daddy, I love her!

A small, blurry image appeared a little ways down the block—a brunette-haired young girl in a red dress, clutching her beloved doll.

The man made a strangled noise, his vocal cords stuck from the emotion gripping him. “Bethy….” He whispered, reaching toward his young daughter.

The blurry blob grew as it approached.

I made your favorite, Dad. Meatloaf with the Brussels sprouts you like so much.

Elizabeth always took such good care of him. She looked so beautiful, even in her ugly Christmas sweater.

I can’t do it anymore, Dad! I just can’t! You have to leave. Avery and Cindy saw you shoot up. After you promised not to! I mean… Oh my God, Dad! In front of the kids? Get out. Now!

He gasped and sobbed. He was hallucinating. Elizabeth was an adult. Married with kids. His grandchildren.

He’d failed them. And her. And himself. He’d failed everyone with his addiction.

He slumped against the cold stone wall. He deserved his fate. Maybe it was a good thing he was dying. His suffering would end. And Elizabeth would be rid of her burden. For the last time.

A strange warmth enveloped him. He wasn’t shivering anymore.

I love you, Dad. You may not think so right now, but please… always remember that.

Those were Elizabeth’s last words to him before she kicked him out of her house.

“I love you too, Bethie,” he whispered.

The approaching figure shrank, making the man think he was in Wonderland, about to be given something to make him either taller or smaller. It finally came into focus and stopped in front of him.

“Gizmo?”

The tan and white medium-haired dog wagged its tail and nudged his hand.

More hallucinations. Gizmo died twenty-five years ago.

The animal barked and tugged on the man’s sleeve with its teeth. What did he want? The man looked down the street and immediately understood. He reached to pet the shaggy canine’s head. “I got it, Gizzy. You always did like going for walks.”

Gizmo barked and trotted a few feet away, then stopped and looked back expectantly. The man smiled and stood, then followed his beloved pet into the bright patch of light that had appeared in front of them.

 

Valkyrie’s Shaved Brussels Sprouts

*Don’t run away at the mention of Brussels sprouts! These taste nothing of the sulphuric funk whole sprouts can have. Even sprout haters love this dish.

· 1 pound shaved Brussels sprouts

· 1 medium onion, diced

· ½ pound bacon, cut into small pieces

· Chopped toasted pecans

· Salt, pepper, garlic powder, chili powder

 

1. Cook the bacon, remove from pan, and reserve some of the fat.

2. Caramelize the onion in the bacon fat until nice and brown.

3. Add in shaved sprouts, season liberally with seasonings of choice, and cook until desired doneness. You may need to add some of the reserved bacon fat.

4. Add in chopped pecans and bacon.

5. Enjoy!

*Amounts of ingredients are approximate. If you like onion, add more. If you have more bacon, add more. You can’t have too much bacon! Or if you’re vegetarian, omit the bacon and use a different fat to caramelize the onions. Change up the seasonings to your taste. This recipe is more of a template. And it’s quite delicious!

Thank you for reading.
Copyright © 2019 Valkyrie, aditus, Cole Matthews; All Rights Reserved.
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Stories posted in this category are works of fiction. Names, places, characters, events, and incidents are created by the authors' imaginations or are used fictitiously. Any resemblances to actual persons (living or dead), organizations, companies, events, or locales are entirely coincidental.
Note: While authors are asked to place warnings on their stories for some moderated content, everyone has different thresholds, and it is your responsibility as a reader to avoid stories or stop reading if something bothers you. 
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  • Site Administrator
Valkyrie
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1 minute ago, chris191070 said:

I ignored the warning and read on, I'm now sat here crying my eyes out. I'm not keen on this recipe as I don't like brussel sprouts.

:hug:  I hated Brussels sprouts until I tried these.  They seriously do not taste like them.  That reminds me... I never posted a pic.  I made them this weekend. 

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Former Member

We don’t really have heater vents around here. But there are doorways and other places that provide shelter from the rain and wind that are highly coveted. There are never enough shelter beds available – the Fire Marshall limits the occupancy and shelters could be fined if they exceed the numbers.

Some homeless people (especially Trans folk, but also other LGBTQ+s) fear the violence of some shelters and prefer to deal with the weather instead. Others stay outside because they have pets that aren’t allowed inside shelters. Still others don’t want to be separated from their human companions due to gender segregation in most shelters.
 

In Berkeley, they have a storm shelter that only operates when it’s rainy or very cold. You are protected from the elements, but it’s crowded and noisy. And only available when weather conditions are severe.

The shelter I stayed at in Berkeley is in the basement of an old brick building. Every evening, we walked past a sign on the building warning that it wasn’t structurally reinforced to withstand an earthquake. There was a minor earthquake centered in Berkeley while I was in the building for the night (but there was no damage).

Berkeley provides many services either through the city itself, or through churches and other organizations. Many churches provide one meal a month, but it’s coordinated so you can eat every day, somewhere. And there are groups that take food out to where the homeless congregate, such as People’s Park. UC Berkeley students put on a free clinic once a week in the evening when school is in session that provides food, OTC meds, massages, haircuts, eye care vouchers, and medical checkups.
 

Possibly a bigger problem than shelter is the lack of beds in recovery facilities. Even if you want to kick your habit, there probably won’t be a space available for you unless you have the money to pay for it (eg Betty Ford Center). The lack of sufficient services means that many people who could be living productive lives have not survived.

There are studies that prove that it’s much easier to quit your chemical addictions if you are housed, but nearly all programs require that you be clean before they accept you into their housing program.

Former Member
1 minute ago, Valkyrie said:

:hug:  I hated Brussels sprouts until I tried these.  They seriously do not taste like them.  That reminds me... I never posted a pic.  I made them this weekend. 

I actually had Brussel Sprouts for the first time when I stayed at the rescue mission. They were tasty and well prepared. They weren’t at all what I feared they’d taste like based on the stories they tell on TV and in books.
;–)

  • Site Administrator
Valkyrie
  • Site Administrator
25 minutes ago, droughtquake said:

Possibly a bigger problem than shelter is the lack of beds in recovery facilities. Even if you want to kick your habit, there probably won’t be a space available for you unless you have the money to pay for it (eg Betty Ford Center). The lack of sufficient services means that many people who could be living productive lives have not survived.

There are studies that prove that it’s much easier to quit your chemical addictions if you are housed, but nearly all programs require that you be clean before they accept you into their housing program.

There are similar services around here, and I would imagine across the country.  During the winter, the city puts into effect "Code Blue" when the weather is going to be particularly cold or bad, and open additional shelters during that time.  And you're spot on about recovery facilities.  The addiction recovery system in this country needs some serious fixing.  

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  • Site Administrator
Valkyrie
  • Site Administrator
2 minutes ago, LilDaddy98 said:

Well written @Valkyrie. Kinda hard to maintain the image of an unemotional badass though with puffy tear-stained eyes. Might never live it down. 😂 Will try the Brussels even though I'm not fond of them. 

Your secret is safe with me ;)  :X Thank you, and let me know how you like the sprouts :) 

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Valkyrie
  • Site Administrator
6 minutes ago, dughlas said:

He seemed untroubled by the thought of dying. He simply lay down the earthly burdens that afflicted him and in the company of a beloved companion, went home. 

 

I have a similiar way to prepare brussels sprouts that omits the nuts and adds a healthy drizzle of aged balsamic vinegar at the end of cooking.

Yeah, I think he was ready.  

Brussels sprouts and balsamic vinegar go really well together.  My mom made roasted sprouts with balsamic vinegar for Thanksgiving.  I'd love to try your recipe :) 

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