Mock Dinner Take 1 Part 2

Chapter 254-1

Mock Dinner Take 1

Part 2

 

Time was running away from me as I quickly lined up my pans and started to portion everything to fit nicely into the chaffing dishes. Then put it inside the hot carts ready to be taken out once everyone started to arrive. It was the girl’s job to serve the salads the moment people started to take their seats. It was also their job to make sure everyone’s root beer stayed full.

Chef Phipps asked me. “Are you ready to do this?” Taking off his soiled Chef jacket and putting on clean one, and then wiped anything that got on too his pants. He gave me a chef’s cap, it was paper, but it was better than wearing a ball cap like we wore in the kitchen. We traded shoes so they would look shiny. We did a last check then waited giving the go-ahead to Kirk to start cooking two pans of carrots when the first of the guests started to arrive.

The girls came in first wearing nice black skirts and white blouses with a little blue scarf around the neck. With little frilly aprons, they had been working on for over two weeks. With flat comfortable black buckle shoes and tan nylons. They almost looked like airline stewards helping people to their seats and carry on luggage.

Adam, Jake, Mark were dressed in tuxes as the boys would be taking our guests to their tables. West and his brother Hank worked the coat room.  They had worked out between them which tables they wanted and placed a reservation on their seats tonight, this was just a dress rehearsal. The girls had each practiced carrying a tray, being extra careful when they put the clear glass salads plate. Rhoda quizzed each of the girls by asking which side they serve from and what side they take from. They had it down pat considering they had been practicing it for weeks.

Everyone here tonight would be helping on Friday night during dinner services and for the games, they were responsible for and helping to take away the tables and chairs afterward before the games and the Halloween dance. Then when it’s done it was our responsibility to take it all down. So the cleaning crew and the stage crew can clear down. It was going to be a very long day and night.

Stringum and London had stated that we would be put up in a hotel for the night and be treated to homemade breakfast in the morning for all of us by the Hilton hotel for all our hard work we put into this party. This in a way was a pre-thank you dinner on him and our backers that were paying for most of it including footing the bill for our night stay at one of Hilton's biggest hotels in Salt Lake City.

Mom and Dad were the first to arrive with my mother and all my brothers, as well as my two adoptive sisters; who were busy wrangling my younger brothers, by helping them off with their coats. I saw Mrs. Earl Cringe the moment a muddy shoe made it to her clean white carpets. She considered making them all remove their shoes, but the shoe pile would be enormous with 100 or so pairs of shoes piled by the door. 

However, she did put down a plastic runner that went from the bottom of the stairs and almost too main entryway where the coat room was reaching the dining room. They had built especially for parties like this one. There was a nicely lit fire in both rooms the living room and the dining room. Bishop Earl was also dressed in a tux as his wife wore an elegant dress that she had purchased specially for our fundraiser like most of the woman.

Greg’s younger brother Chad was helping West and Hank in the coat room because everyone started to come at once. Their younger brother Tomas and his little sister Sam were standing by their parents both in Sunday clothes all wearing shoes like everyone else as Bishop Earl and they greeted each of our guests. Including our Bishop and his wife who was over the woman’s young beehives, Even our High Bishop and his wife Dora and their three boys were equally dressed for this occasion. Bishop Sakes arrived with Kirk's Mom at his side and Kirk's younger bother. 

My mother smiled at me in her brand new dress. I knew my father wouldn’t of approve of considering how much cleavage she was showing wearing a wrap scarf over her shoulders. She said taking a whiff in the air. “Everything smells so good son.” Her eyes wander about the house noting that Bishop Earl spared no expense building his cabin. 

However, it was the first time my mother had seen it other than the outside when it was being built. She gasped at the dining room where we would be eating. Following Rhoda to her seat where I would be seating where my name was with her right beside me as well as Eli and Jackie. Greg would be eating with his family.

Chef Philips had placed his name right next to my mother as he helped with her chair, said. “I hope you don’t mind me and my boys dinning with you Linda?” whispering something in her ear that brought my mothers eye into focused with a silly grin stating she very much approved to what he was offering. Jody and her husband Dave took the next two seats filling our table; once Chef Philips and I were done serving and we too could enjoy our handiwork.  

Mom said. “I would be honored,” answering his question to dine with her. 

He nodded said. “Well in the meantime you can visit with my two boys Luke and Martin.” They each stood shook her hand and took their seats. They wouldn’t be needed until it was time to clear the table and helped with the dishes afterward. The mothers had planned a special evening by providing the entertainment later on while we ate our dessert.

Then we would clear the tables and dance for an hour or two… for those that wanted to and mingles before going home. Wanting to get a good night sleep knowing that most of us boys and all the girls that were roughly my age have to get up early for the premier shoot. We needed enough to fill a classroom. We were short, but that was ok.

Stringum and Mr. Tate had put out the word that we need students that wanted to be in a movie playing extras in a high school environment. We had a total of 200 hundred students and plenty to fill a classroom. They were unaware of the kind of movie we would be shooting considering none of them would be in those films. Except for the ones that were playing roles. To everyone else, it was a typical high school day and nothing more.

I took my leave the moment my mother was settled into her seat so I could attend to my duties. Bishop Earl would be the hosts and would be responsible for making sure we started on schedule. Stringum and his wife Dr. Sar’s and Arthur took their seats towards the back in case Arthur became a problem. I overheard her say to Arthur that she intends for him to behave himself or there would be no trip to the zoo tomorrow or the water park. 

My adoptive Mom gave a slight frown, stating. “I wish it was that easy when Arthur was staying with us, bribes only worked so far before he insisted that he had earned them even though his behavior was unruly.”

Dr. Sar’s turned to her and said. “Yes I am sure it was a bribe, but Arthur knows now. That I mean what I say, knowing if he doesn’t behave not only will he miss out on the fun, he will be severally punished, in the worst way. Where he sits in his room with nothing, and not allowed to move from that spot. Until he can admit he was being unruly and apologies to me. I never have to lay hand on him, other than a good spanking every now and again.

“He’s is quite the gentleman most days, even keeps his room clean. He has gotten to the point I don’t have to ask him to do his chores, he goes to the chart board and finds his name then does them without me or Stringum getting after him. I think where you had the trouble was, Arthur was being manipulated by Shawn and the other foster kids you had taken in. 

"Arthur being the only child knows that he only has to listen to me and David. He can not blame anyone for his own behavior when there isn’t anyone in the home but him. My only worry is what will happen when you bring Shawn home for the holidays. I plan to make sure that Shawn understands Arthur is to be left alone period. Nor will he step one foot inside our house.  Shawn has been his tormentor for too long, you should have done something long before it was a problem.”

Mom sniffed and said. “Yes I agree, I will make sure Shawn understands a great many things the moment he sets foot on the plane. You are not the only one that has expressed their concerns about him coming home. You must trust me when I say Shawn isn’t the same boy anymore and wants nothing more than to make amends with all of us for his behavior, stating he is truly sorry. Yet no one is willing to take our word for it. I know my son. I know he is truly sorry and wants nothing more than to make amends.”

Dr. Sar’s said. “I won’t argue with you… I wish it was true, but I have seen the proof and nothing states that Shawn is truly sorry, he is playing you. Like he has always done knowing you will welcome him with open arms, and then he will strike back the moment your back is turned. I will promise you, Mrs. Carrion, that moment he does, we will be watching and see how good your word is. Now lets us not speak no more about this. I intended to enjoy our night together before we face what we must do in the coming days.”

Mom turned around and said. “I couldn’t agree more,” giving a slight sniff as her feeling on the matter were hurt. Greg and Derek brought out the food as I lifted the lids for them to place them in the order Chef Philips and I had discussed as the girls worked around the room placing salads in front of everyone.

Bishop Earl went to the front of the room and grabbed the mic of the small stage so everyone could hear him. He said. “First off I would like to welcome you all here to my house. This is the first time we have actually had a real party with so many guests. I would like to thank Nate and his team of fine Chefs for allowing a taste of what we could expect Friday Night. Many of us will be to busy too just too be sitting around. So we thought we would give you a nice night out before the craziness truly starts for many of us here. Plus it gives our young Chefs and their team a chance to see how Friday night will go and work out any kinks or problems of preparing for so many people.

“I am told the count is close to 2000 and it keeps climbing each day it gets closer. Everyone has heard about our little party. I am not sure if it is because of the entertainment we have lined up, or the food they will be eating and you will be eating tonight. Or the fact it is a fundraiser to raise money for children and families for Christmas.

“Personally I really don’t care what the reason is… as long as they just come and donate lots of money to our fundraisers. Christmas is the worst time of the year for many people more so with young children. I hated being Bishop and sitting across a couple that had no money.  Nothing extra or even less, they didn’t have enough money to put food on their table. For versus reasons like the husband is out of work and has been laid off for several months. Someone was hospitalized and the bills are piling up.

“Food is a plentiful and easy problem for a Bishop to fix with our many LDS storehouses. Yet food is only one problem families are facing. Like clothes and school supplies that they can’t get from the Bishop Storehouse, and bills that keep the families warm and the lights on. We rely on donations and tithing, yet during Thanksgiving and Christmas, there is nothing worst then telling those in need I am sorry we can not help them because there isn’t enough money in the ward's budget to help them all. Many times Bishop like myself have dug deep into our own pockets to come up with something to give them, but there is only so much we could do without breaking our bank accounts to the point our own families go without and many times they do.

“This fundraiser means more to them then it will mean to us, because each dollar that is donated means that we can put food on the table, and provide clothes for the families that need them and keep them warm during the winters months, Yet for young kid finding a special toy that their parents couldn’t afford will give them something to look forward to. We give them hope and love, which is what Thanksgiving and Christmas, is all about. Each dollar raised will be matched by our backers that have given generously for this event. We may not be able to help every child and their families around the world with this one single event but doesn’t mean we can’t help as many as we can.

“If this event goes off as well as we think it should, we will do this event every year from now on. This event is not for just one single person or religion. This event is for everyone no matter what their ethnic background is, or their beliefs. We chose Halloween because it had no religious ties like Thanksgiving and Christmas. Every kid looks forward to dressing up in some costume and eating the most candy as they go trick and treating.

“We have asked that all kids under the age of 12 to be done trick or treating be done by no later than 5 pm on Friday night, still hungry are home and not filled with candy. So they can be ready for the event on Friday night. In fact, the LDS church here in Heber has announced the first trunk of a treat so the kids can get a bag full of candy and not worry about where it came from.

“I am not saying there won’t be candy at our party. I am telling you I saw at least 3000 pounds of candy being loaded up on the big Si mi heading towards our event center.  I have never seen so much candy in my entire lifetime. So I will leave with a quick payer.

“Oh, one other thing my wife would like it if you wonder the house. Too please remove your shoes. She has worked hard scrubbing our carpets that she hunches over when she walks…” Getting the laughs he wanted as his wife scowled at him.  He closed by saying. “If you need a restroom they are in the back of this dining room, all we ask is you clean up after yourselves.”

Our ward Bishop stood up Bishop Wall and said. “Let us eat I am starving, but first lets us pray.”  Everyone took hands around the table as Chef Philips and I stood with Greg, Kirk, and Mark being our runners tonight.

Once the payer was given Bishop Earl said for them to take their time and if they left hungry it was their own damn fault stating there are two lines and he would like them to come up five tables at a time with their plates and serve themselves. He turned on some music something more of soft jazz dinner music as he asked us if we needed any help. I said. “No, we got it; perhaps you can help do the dishes.”

We were teasing, of course, considering we had lots of dishwashers. Plus having a state of the art industrial size dishwasher about the half the size of the main one we use down in the main kitchen. You could fit two-three trays of glasses in it at a time before they came out of the other end nice and clean. Tonight we were using Bishop Earl dishes, and he was quite pleased about how they looked on his tables, right on down to the tablecloths and napkins that had never been used before, before tonight.

The girls ran back and forth replacing fresh pitchers of root beer and gathered up the empty salad plates. Everyone was busy either chewing or talking how good the salad and the rolls were as I quickly finished filling each of the chaffing dishes. Once they had eaten their salad they started to line up in orderly fashion as they whispered to their younger children that they had to eat everything on their plate. The chicken tenders were a big hit, not only for the smaller kids. But for some us teenagers and adults as they stacked their plate’s high not wanting to miss out on anything.

Chef Philips and I carved counting per rib making sure we each got the right portions, the prime rib went quickly and so did the cordon-bleu and the twice baked potatoes, but our runners had no problem keeping up with it. Kirk timed everything to perfection when it had to do with his carrots. The moment one pan went out he had another one just coming out of the steamer and replaced inside the hot cart. At last, the line started to thin down as my table was being served and my adoptive parents with my brothers and sisters came through.

The entertainment started seeing the last groups of tables going through the line. Mrs. Earl and some of the girls got up on the small stage as the lights dimmed as the spotlight shown on them and they begin to sing, causing the hairs on the back of my neck to stand up with gooses flesh. They were good, they were very good. Greg went up grabbing his violin and Chad grabbed his guitar, as Rhoda, Fran and Greg’s sister Cindy went up and played a version of paper roses I have never heard before, and ended it with tie yellow ribbon, they were perfectly harmonized.  

Once they were through the line it was the girls turn to be fed and then it was our runners, saving me and Chef Philips for last. I had to eat fast because I needed to get the deserts out, but the moment I started to get up Chef Mack took over and our baker with Greg’s help as they brought out the dolly and started to fill the table with deserts. Causing everyone heads to turn seeing all those different kinds of deserts dieing to be eaten.

Bishop Earl said telling everyone there is still plenty of food left for those that are still hungry, said personally he was looking forward to all those leftovers; causing everyone to laugh at all the fathers and some of the mothers like mine wasted no time in refilling their plates as the last of the prime rib was sliced and put into empty chaffing dish where the fries and chicken tenders used to be.