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Erik Samuelson:
After pinning down a time to come over Aya received a text with the address for a townhome in Fishtown a block or two away from the Delaware River, the white-painted brick building standing out from the other buildings nearby. The Bound was standing outside to await her arrival, glancing up from his phone now and again while he relaxed by the front door.
Aya Jabir:
Aya appeared in an alley near the townhome, the smell of ozone and the heated fabric was quickly met with a spraying of rose water to hide the scent of her traversal. She wore a black dress and hijab, designer sunglasses and a veil covering her lower face as she makes her way up to the address she was given.
Erik Samuelson:
Erik smiled as Aya approached, giving her a polite nod. The newly sprayed scent was noticed but not commented on just yet. "Hey. Glad you found the place alright. You're looking great, if I may say so." He offered with a smile, opening the door to usher her inside to the simply decorated living room area, with a couch and TV near the door, bookshelves along the back wall and the wood floors continuing into the well-appointed kitchen that made up the rest of the first floor, a set of stairs near the front door continuing up to the next floor.
Aya Jabir:
She nodded to him, placing a hand over her heart as she took the invitation to enter. Once inside, she answered, "Thank you, I hope you are doing well." She followed along and looked to the kitchen, "I shouldn't be surprised to see you have such a kitchen." Her identity safe, she removed the face veil and sunglasses, "I really wish I knew better ways for separating my private and public lives."
Erik Samuelson:
"Very well, yes. Went back to talk with the rather pissed off ghost I mentioned before and was able to him pass something on to his daughter for him; hopefully that'll help him ready himself to move on."
"There's a few gadgets I like having around." He smirked, his eyebrow arching as she continued. "Something come up recently?"
Aya Jabir:
"That's good to hear. Must be a difficult one to work with, but it's a good thing you're there." She shook her head, "Not really, it's just I tend to get scrutiny in public if people see me around. Certain people who disagree with my politics are looking for any reason to give me a hassle."
She shrugs, "Strictly speaking, in a religious sense, it is fairly improper for me to be here. Many would love to smear me over this. At the same time, though, I do have to admit they probably would like to kill me as a witch if they knew what I can do." There was a small chuckle at the end.
Erik Samuelson:
"Ah...I see. That has to be frustrating." He nodded, smirking a touch at the last comment. "If it'd be easier, you could jump in on the roof and I can let you in from up there next time."
Aya Jabir:
"That might actually be easier, yes." She smirked, "I sometimes am able to avoid being followed by skipping a distance in space, but it's a negligible difference in distance from where I came out from and the roof here." She started walking over to the kitchen to see all the gadgets Erik likes having around.
Erik Samuelson:
"Sounds like a plan, then." He followed her into the kitchen, heading towards the fridge while she perused the rest of the space. At the moment an electric kettle, air fryer and slow cooker were out on the counter, along with a good collection of knives on a magnet strip to the left side of the sink with a wooden cutting board resting below. "I also have a sous vide rig, although that's in the cabinet at the moment. Want something to drink, by the way? Got water, soda, can make coffee or tea."
Aya Jabir:
"Tea would be excellent, thank you." She looked at all the things and nodded, "I really should invest in better cooking utensils for myself, but I've not been in one place for too long in quite a while. When did you start cooking, as in, for more than just yourself?"
Erik Samuelson:
He nodded, moving to fill the kettle with water and get that rolling before pulling a few jars of loose leaf tea for her to choose from; in doing so she would get a good look at the sizable spice collection neatly arrayed in the same cupboard. "Early teens. A friend of my father owned a restaurant and I started there as a dishwasher, then started learning from some of the guys there and found out I had a knack for it."
Aya Jabir:
She looks at the spices and smiles, "Have you ever been to the bazaar in Istanbul? It looks like you have." A snicker, but next she spoke with interest in his life, "I bet even as a dishwasher, there are never enough hands when a rush begins, yes? You probably had to stir a pot here and there even before they took to teaching?"
Erik Samuelson:
"I have not, sadly. There are a couple of online vendors I go through, though, and they're pretty sold." He chuckled, nodded as he leaned against the counter near the kettle. "Pretty much, or doing other mise en place, cutting vegetables and things like that."
Aya Jabir:
"I feel like working in a commercial kitchen is something that one really does have to like in order to do long-term." She looked over the teas and chose a rich black tea, "Not to say that it's something horrible, but that I understand the pressures are immense and starting out, the pay is not gainful. I have only watched a few shows about professional chefs, and it looks very stressful. I feel blessed that all my urgency to write is internal."
Erik Samuelson:
"Very much so. It's a crucible that can break or burn you out if you're not careful." He pulled two tea strainers from a nearby drawer and loaded them with the tea Aya selected, setting them into the cups and pouring the water from the kettle over them once it started to boil. "I've had some rough patches myself, I'll admit, but it's been worth pushing through them to get where I am today."
Aya Jabir:
"You've got a great deal of strength and good character. And a passion!" She shakes her head, a bit sad, "It is sad to see how many people have lost their passion and joy for life." She then watched the tea water darken with a smile, "Life is best savored."
Erik Samuelson:
"Agreed. So many people are forced to survive rather than live, and it's truly a shame. We only have so much time here, and you should be able to use it to the fullest."
Aya Jabir:
"Indeed, so you understand my work pretty well," She smiled. "I want for everyone to have a full life. A fearless life, even better, but simply having opportunities to pursue a passion would be a major change for the better." Her eyes back to the tea, smiling just a little wider, "Perhaps the freedom to appreciate the little things; America really needs more 'breaks', for tea or coffee or something, in my opinion."
Erik Samuelson:
"Agreed, on both counts." He nodded with a small smirk. "That was something I noticed pretty quickly when I came back, the little things that had faded to background noise before suddenly popped back into focus and became important again."
Aya Jabir:
She nods in agreement, "After I survived the battle where my eyes and ears opened to the Dead, I spent a lot of time staring at things I'd not paid any mind to. Like I had to squeeze every drop of beauty out of every millimeter of the world. Considering how much further you went in terms of Death's grip, I can only imagine the experience to be even stronger."
Erik Samuelson:
"Most likely. Things are a little more...muted these days in comparison to before, but that makes finding those moments of brightness that much more important."
Aya Jabir:
"Then maybe you'll find some light in a lost family recipe, it's story, and the story of how it was recovered?" She offers, hopeful in expression both that he has the ingredients and that he'll find illumination in the process.
Erik Samuelson:
"Certainly." He nodded with a smile, pulling the strainers from the tea mugs and disposing of the remnants in the trash while letting her doctor her cup as she wished. "Like I said I have a few; you feeling more savory or sweet at the moment?"
Aya Jabir:
She took her tea with just a healthy drop of honey, "I like my drinks sweet and my food savory. Sour on desserts."
Erik Samuelson:
"Fair enough. Got a German cookie recipe that's pretty well spiced and has candied orange and citron peels, if that calls to you."
Aya Jabir:
"Oh, that sounds outrageously good." She sips her tea, "But as for the recipe I know, you'd need these.." She begins listing off a series of common ingredients in middle eastern cooking. "..and of course, we can't do without chickpeas."
Erik Samuelson:
He nodded along as she went down her list, fixing his own cup of tea with a bit of sugar. "Should have all of that, I think."
Aya Jabir:
"Good. So, our story starts off over 300 years ago, with a wedding in a small village..." With a few sips of tea, she tells the story of a poor family marrying a daughter to the son of a wealthier family. He was so smitten, he refused any other. This was, of course, all relative; the whole village was nothing big. As she continues the story, she gets to looking around for the ingredients.
The mother wanted to make a good impression and cook a meal for both families, cooking many dishes with what little she had, but when it came to one final dish, she didn't have the ingredients. "She fretted and fretted, but in desperation, just threw together what she had.." And this is the part of the story where they begin to make the food.
Erik Samuelson:
Erik pointed Aya towards the fridge for the cold items needed, which she would find as well-organized as the spice cabinet, while he went into the pantry for the dry goods. He listened intently to the store as she spun it, nodding along and smiling here and there at the proper points while they began to cook. As they worked it was clear that he was in his element even in a simple home kitchen, moving from task to task and following her instructions with ease and keen interest.
Aya Jabir:
She told the story with energy; as they cook, at points, she plays the role of the mother. "'Ah, this is no good, this will not work..' But she kept cooking it, putting more together.." The modest ingredients were not typically put together in food like that, but as they added more 'scraps', it became more appetizing. "She hoped it would do, it smelled good enough. Worst come to worst, it's the one dish no one cares for."
As the food cooks, she explains the day of the wedding and now there's a scheming aunt of the boy who wants to humiliate the girl's family. So while the celebration is just starting, "She sneaks something into the food the mother cooked, which she was sure would ruin any dish it was put in!"
Erik Samuelson:
Seeing how the different ingredients mingled together as things came together piqued Erik's interest, making mental notes for future possible recipes. "Scandalous." He added at the mention of the aunt's misdeeds, smirking a touch. "What happened next?"
Aya Jabir:
"I figured it would be obvious..." She chuckled and went on. The celebration was going very well, but suddenly, there was a stir among the guests. Something had people actually gasping in shock. The aunt was internally gloating-- which Aya acts out in a rather humorous way-- but come to find out, the guests were shocked at how phenomenal it tasted. "The one ingredient she added..." As the dish is seemingly finished, Aya produces the mystery ingredient.
It would've ruined a dish with richer ingredients, it would've unbalanced the flavors, possibly would've made people sick. "But the mother's humble ingredients were simple and satisfying but lacking one 'spark'."
Erik Samuelson:
And there went the lightbulb, chuckling as she revealed the secret to the whole dish. "Ah hah...can see how that would help lift the dish up."
Aya Jabir:
"The guests were so thrilled, the friends of the wealthy family all wanted to know the daughter's family." Both families grew closer together, the aunt confessed what she did after the wedding and the mother forgave her, and even shared the recipe and the credit. They prospered.
"But such things do not last, generations later squander what was built, losing bit by bit until all that was left was the recipe and the story, and the shadow of a man who could do nothing but repeat both until someone listened to all of it."
Erik Samuelson:
"You honor him greatly for retelling his tale so well. And this also looks amazing." He added with a smile, looking over the almost-completed dish. "Should be just about done, yeah?"
Aya Jabir:
"Yes, we can take the heat off." She smiled and nodded, "I really like the story because it's about coming together, lifting each other up, forgiveness, and a celebration that goes well. Life well lived."
Erik Samuelson:
Erik nodded and did just that, setting it off to the side on a handily placed dish towel. "Agreed. The 'stone soup' aspect of it as well is interesting; I wouldn't have pictured mixing some of these together, but seeing it in action it works."
Aya Jabir:
"I love that story, 'stone soup', there are many in the world. I think my favorite is the 'Thieves Stew'; orphans put together a stew with what they could grab from a farmer's field." She rolled her eyes and shrugged, "Somehow they found cheese in the field to throw in, not all of these stories are true and/or honest."
Erik Samuelson:
"Bit of a rind left from a farmer's lunch, maybe? I've used parmesan rinds in soups and stocks before." He offered with a smirk. "A little embellishment never hurt a good story, after all."
Aya Jabir:
Aya nods in agreement. "Truth can be served if the embellishment helps the listener feel how it really was. The fish you caught while you were starving might not have been two feel long, but it felt that way, if you were hungry enough." She looks to the finished food and smiles, "Speaking of which, are you hungry?"
Erik Samuelson:
"I am indeed, and I'm really looking forward to trying this." He said with a smile, reaching into the nearby cabinet for the necessary dishes. "Thank you again for sharing this."
Aya Jabir:
"You're welcome, it's a privilege to share it." She prepares to help serve it up, "I'm looking forward to those cookies, myself."
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