As Joseph took the turkey out of the oven, he took a deep breath, inhaling the various scents that came from this magnificent meat. Closing his eyes, he thought of the first time that he was taught how to cook a turkey while he visited his grandparents as a young child. The spices and the herbs, the vegetables, and the stuffing, all these delicious foods cooked with so much love and care. Joseph took in every detail, as he would watch his grandmother prepare the turkey at various family gatherings.  He always remembered the important secret that she would tell him when it came to cooking a turkey. “Always remember to keep it covered so the love doesn’t escape,” she would say. He always liked that message, although as he grew older, he came to realise that covering the turkey was more to keep the moisture in than the love itself, but it was his favourite memory of her. 

After she passed away 10 years ago, he had offered himself as being the one to make the turkey at family gatherings. Of course, no one in the family objected, seeing as how he knew his way around the kitchen best as compared to the rest of the family. Being a trained chef probably helped. Since then, he would not only use the same recipe that his grandmother used, but also use the same love and care that he remembered so fondly. As he slowly removed a part of the tinfoil from the roast pan, a smile grew on his face. He carefully stuck the meat thermometer into the turkey and waited patiently to confirm as to whether the meat was well cooked or not. Unfortunately, he still had a bit of time left and re-covered the meat so that he could return it to the oven.

As he heard the kids running around, he could sense that some of them were about to enter the kitchen. “No running in the kitchen, please,” he said as he carefully returned the turkey to the oven. Entering the kitchen, his youngest daughter stopped and looked up at him, clutching her stuffed bunny. 

“Why do you cover up the turkey?” she asked. 

As he straightened himself up and removed his apron, he looked down at her and smiled. “I cover it so that the love doesn’t escape,” he responded. He took her hand and led her to the living room, where the remainder of the guests laughed, talked, and enjoyed themselves.

Philippe MacDonald

Philippe MacDonald is a 2nd year student of the Professional Writing program at Algonquin College. He enjoys telling stories and hopes to one day have a book published.