"Ruin and Redemption"

No Longer Faithful

“O.K. Patsy, of course I’ll finish the breakfast. It can’t be that hard.” She hesitated. The dough looked sticky. It was going to get all over her hands, and she didn’t want it on the sleeves of her dress. How was she going to manage this? The dress would surely need laundering afterwards. Perhaps she could find something else to flatten the dough with.

“What are you looking for?”

“Well, I-I need something to flatten the dough with, Patsy.”

“What’s wrong with your hands?”

“Isn’t there a rolling pen or something?”

“You don’t need a pin for that small amount. You just press it in a little with your hands, so it lays flat and has room to rise up and get fluffy.”

“Just my hands, she reached towards the biscuits hesitantly.

“Go ahead and get yourself some flour.”

“Flour?”

“Haven’t you seen me do it before? Just sprinkle a little on your hands so the dough doesn’t stick.”

“O.K.” Lizzie searched for the flour, and finally found the large jar they stored it in. She took out the measuring cup and poured it over her hands several times, coating both sides.

Patsy was smirking as she watched Lizzie. This was rather interesting. Good thing she wasn’t too hungry right now.

Now that Lizzie’s hands were entirely coated with flour, she didn’t have any trouble smashing them down into the pan.

“Careful, Lizzie. They only need a firm pat. You don’t have to spread them out like pancakes.”

“Alright, Patsy. Is that good? She said, gently patting one.

“Why don’t you get the eggs out of the basement, while I finish these?”

The basement. Lizzie hated going down into the dark cellar. Sometimes there was water and slugs or spiders on the walls. But she resolved to be courageous and made her way out the door and down the steps. It took some looking, but she found the eggs and brought them up.

“Thank you. Did I ever show you to break an egg?”

“It’s been a long time, Patsy. I think I got the shell in.”

“Watch me. Just give it a little tap like this.” Patsy broke the egg, and easily halved the shell, the yellow yoke completely centered in the white. “Now you try one.”

Lizzie gave it a tap. It didn’t break. She tapped again, and the egg still didn’t break. When she put some force into it, the egg cracked all over the counter, with egg dripping down onto the floor.