Lasagna

When I woke up this morning I felt a sudden craving for lasagna. I smiled to myself, knowing exactly what to cook tonight for supper, for once. I could almost taste it already, the meat sauce, the basil, the mozzarella… I love the feeling when you just prepared something really delicious and only have to wait for it to get ready in the oven, the wonderful smells that start to spread through the apartment, setting the table, maybe lighting a few candles… Sigh… My head full of vivid images and my senses running wild over the upcoming fun time in my kitchen I went to tell my significant other, who was currently in the bathroom brushing his teeth, of my supper plans. He gave me a nasty look, tooth paste all over his face. He didn’t exactly jump with joy hearing about my lasagna plans. Actually he looked at me as if I was some kind of a bug, an intruder taking up space in his bathroom. I mean, please, he was only brushing his teeth, for heavens sake… He then told me I should go ask the kids, and see how they liked my plans. M is not a big fan of my cooking. Obviously, huh? I have never understood why, though. I put a lot of passion into my cooking. Spices, herbs, my passion, my soul … I am really creative too, let me tell you. Sure, I’ve messed up a couple of times, but who hasn’t, on the other hand? I’d like to think I at least learn from my mistakes.


Anyway, feeling a little bit discouraged I went into L’s room. He was sitting on the floor playing with his Lego. “L”, I said, “you know that lasagna I made for us the other week, did you like that at all? Was that any good? Would you like me to cook that tonight?”. And L, my darling child, my beautiful, brilliant boy, looked at me in a funny way and said: “Mom, you know how you tell us we are only supposed to say nice things to people…?” Me: “Yes…?”. L: “Well, I can say I didn’t enjoy it a lot…, but I still love you…” I asked him what was wrong with it, and then he told me, flat out. He now admitted to having found chunks of actual tomato in the tomato sauce…! He also thought he remembered having spotted a piece of onion or two in between the lasagna layers. And heaven forbid be there any pieces of onion in the food…! I smiled at him, ( the “I love you”-part always gets me…) sighed, kissed him on his hair, and left his room to go ask E instead. She’d stand up for me, at least. I was hoping. I entered her room. She was still asleep. I didn’t care. I had to know. I walked up to her bed and asked her how she felt about the lasagna I made the other week. Did I sound like a psycho doing this? I hope not. Almost still asleep E gave me her answer: “Mom, I didn’t like your lasagna at all”. Just like that. No mercy.

Now, I refuse to make lasagna with no onions and no tomato in it. I mean, what will they complain about next? No cheese? No pasta? Please. I still haven’t decided what to do tonight. I might make lasagna anyway, in fact, I think I should. And they can eat it if they want to, or have their father prepare something else if they don’t. That’s what I should do. That’s how I should react. I hope, tonight, I will find the strength to go through with it.