The Land Beyond the Forest 15

[Julia A Knaake]

The Land Beyond the Forest 15
Today was Jim's birthday and Márta made his favorite Carrot birthday cake. Sue and Jim would be over around six tonight. Andrei and Benjamin were delivering dough only to a new client today. Andrei asked what they were doing with the dough.
“Pizza. I make pizza. People in Bucharest love this hand held snack. I help brother in Bucharest make pizza. I will try here to see if people like. Come back around five thirty and I give you ones I do not sell.”
Andrei and Benjamin went back and tried the pizza. Andrei told him it was good but needed some more vegetables as it was a bit dry.
Benjamin told him: “Vegetables like onions, tomato, pepper and a few mushrooms. They do not cost as much as the meat and cheese. People will think the pizza a full meal. You will sell more if you are allowed to serve a light beer.”
The baker was pleased for this new knowledge and gave the two brothers six pizzas to take home to family and friends. At Jim's party Benjamin added a few vegetables to each pizza and re-heated them on George's outdoor grill. Everyone like the “different” food.
“Remarkable. We'll have to let that feller from Bucharest know adding vegetables worked next time we see him.” replied Andrei.
“ I had this pizza when I was in Italy and it was very good. His was just a bit too dry. It just needed sauce or vegetables.” said Benjamin with a big smile.
Sue gave Jim a book of poetry by Mihai Eminescu his favorite poet.
“Read. Read. Read us a poem. Chanted his mother, Márta. Andrei joined in along with others.
O, Remain by Mihai Eminescu

"O remain, dear one, I love you,
Stay with me in my fair land,
For your dreaming and your longings
Only I can understand.

You, who like a prince reclining
Over the pool with heaven starred;
You who gaze up from the water
With such earnest deep regard.

Stay, for where the lapping wavelets
Shake the tall and tasseled grass,
I will make you hear in secret
How the furtive chamois pass.

Oh, I see you wrapped in magic,
Hear your murmur low and sweet,
As you break the shallow water
With your slender naked feet;

See you thus a midst the ripples
Which the moon´s pale beams engage,
And your years seem but an instant,
And each instant seems an age."

Thus spoke the woods in soft entreaty;
Arching boughs above me bent,
But I whistled high, and laughing
Out into the open went.

Now though even I roamed that country
How could I its charm recall ...
Where has boyhood gone, I wonder,
With its pool and woods and all ?

Bravo! Bravo! Everyone clapped and whistled. They heard more clapping and it was Shelly and Carl.
“Where did you two come from?” asked Jim.
“Better yet say where are you two going?” laughed Carl.
“George laughed and told them all that Carl and Lettie just bought the house behind Shelly and him.
“We are going to be your neighbors. The gentleman and his daughter made us a great offer. He even gave us the house furnished. His daughter asked if she could bring her father over once in a while. We told her absolutely.” replied a very happy Lettie.
Carl and Lettie were even staying in the house tonight. Soon everyone walked over to the house to see their new home. Lettie said she had was going to ask everyone here if they wanted her extra furniture she brought with them. They both liked the furniture in the house so anything they brought including dishes would be offered. “If none of our new neighbors or their friends do not want anything we will donate it in town to some organization.”
Herta said the things they brought were just taking up space in Andrei's garage so they also would donate that.
“Herta I also have the dishes with no cracks or chips. Are you sure you would not take those at least for spare dishes?” asked Lettie.
“They are nice. I guess I could box them up carefully and have them for spares.”
“Why not use them now?” asked Lettie.
“Andrei gave us his furniture and dishes so we do not need much more.” replied Herta.
Andrei looked at Márta and said: “We better give your son his Birthday Gift now.”
“Andrei and I are finally getting married next month.”

You are special,
because you
know how to give
everything to
a family to make
every member
feel blessed.

©Julia A Knaake