Lost In Our Thoughts

Start to Finish

"I want to make a sour dough starter, and, and a yoghurt starter? Yeah.  And I will have those starters until I die."

Most normal teenager are fantasizing about sex drugs and alcohol, but Ren on the other hand is talking about creating starters.  This isn't the first time either, I'd say it's about a three week long ambition that hasn't produced anything just yet.  The first time I heard about this 'creating a starter' she woke me up at twelve AM because it was that freaking important.  Still, we're still talking about it, and nothing has actually been done.  There is a half empty yoghurt container in the fridge rotting, so I know it's still on her mind.

~~~~~

"You just microwave milk, put yoghurt in, and then leave it."

"That's disgusting."

I say, shaking my head.  Why can we not just buy our things from a store like normal people?  What comes out of the microwave three days later is definitely not edible, and has a slight green tint. 

"don't eat it Ro I swear-"

"It's fine!"

She says, her go to words when something goes sideways.  The container is shoved to the back of the fridge and we both agree to ignore it, because it's just a little too natural.

~~~~~

"So it's Kombucha?  kambocha?  Cumboocha?"

"It's just Kambucha."

"Ah..."

Ren says while holding up a bottle of stuff to the light.  After spending a good fifteen minutes talking with someone about yurts while standing in their yurt, we've finally moved on.  Farmers markets, the emergency money in her car has already vanished. 

"It looks like there's some freaky stuff happening inside this jar, you might need to get a stronger tinted glass SOMETHINGS GROWING IN HERE!"

I face palm, shaking my head as she hold up the bottle to the light again.  She always says I'm embarrassing, but she's down right eccentric.  The lady tries not to laugh, while her son watches Ro with confusion and a nervous suspicion.  Don't we all. 

"It's a scobi, that's fine it's supposed to be in there it's what makes the Kambucha."

"...Sketchy.  Can I get a bottle without one?"

"No, it's, the Kambucha makes those it's just good bacteria."

The lady tries, and I wish I could say don't bother.

"How much?"

I roll my eyes not wanting to know how much she's going to pay for a bottle of pond water.   Soon enough she's got a bottle and is rattling off facts about it while we walk as if she's an expert while drinking cheap black tea.

"You see Kenny it's all about the scobi, the scobi is what makes the kobucha.  And if I get enough scobi, I can make more of this stuff.  Good shit, my friend."

"Mhmm"

I say as we get back to the CPR course. 

~~~~~

"What the fuck!"

"Ro if anyone shouldn't be allowed to cus it's you."

"What the actual fuck!"

She repeats, a white disk having plopped into her glass.  The scobi has risen from the purple bottles depths, I'm sure it's just rotten pond water.   It's lifted out with a fork and dropped back into the bottle which is jammed into the fridge beside the yoghurt.

"So?"

"We're not talking about it."

~~~~~

"Taken your kombucha?"

"Shut up Ken."

~~~~~

"I have a Kefir starter?  Would you, would you like to have some of the grain?"

Michellé asks and Ren is quick to say something along the lines of "hell yeah!" And I shout from the sofa "Don't waste your time!".  The sweet French lady proceeds to put faith in Ren as she explains what grains are and rinses them off, giving her a jar full of some sour smelling milk.  I notice the grimace poorly concealed on Her face and snicker as she is handed the jar of grains.  This isn't going to go well, I can already tell.  Three days later my suspicion is confirmed when she finally tastes the stuff, spitting it into the sink right after.

"Anyone asks we take this every day and we're writing a goddamn thank you card and never talking about it again."

She mutters, but I know this is far from over, and now a few weeks later there's almost a whole shelf of half full jars of Kefír, the yoghurt, and the bottle of kombucha.