As the little puffs of clouds came floating towards Ally, she could tell that Susan was cooking again. It smelled like rain, so something was wrong. She made her way through the giant garden and into the little cottage made of logs. Ally walked inside to find Susan’s back to her at the stove and Dan sitting at the table, munching on chips. Dan said to Ally, “Hey Ally, where have you been all day?”
“I’ve been at the doctor. I caught a cold and they were helping me coax it out. What did I miss?”
“Oh nothing, we picked some carrots for tonight’s forecast. I think Susan’s planning on some showers, but she might mess it up.”
“Yeah, but she needs the practice.”
“Ya’ll know I’m standing over here right?” Susan said. She was furiously stirring a pot of boiling water. Ally and Dan could tell that those showers would become thunderstorms tonight. Susan continued, “I don’t see why both of you are so worried. So what, I mess up a couple of times. Everyone does.”
Dan says, “Yes, but not everyone has your job of deciding the weather.”
“True.”
“What else do you need for tonight? I could run to town,” Ally said.
“I could use some butter and bacon. It might add a nice flavor,” Susan responded.
“Okay.” Ally started to gather her things to go to town. It was very rare that one of the three ventured out from the forest to the town because of what people said of them. They were called crazys because of what they did. Nobody believed that their job was a real one. But, today Ally didn’t really care about any of that. She just wanted to have some time to herself to think.
Ally’s conscience is starting to worm into her mind. She starts to think, “Why am I only a helper to Susan when I have been here longer than her? I should be the head chef, not her. I know those recipes better than her. I’ve got to change this. I know! I’ll go to the Head Chef tonight after the forecast!”
Ally, now with a new purpose in mind, joyfully heads to town. She doesn’t consider of the stares shot her way. She just thinks about what her future may be.
-
Ally is within sight of the cottage. Inside, Dan and Susan are oblivious to what she has planned. Ally walks inside the cottage, arms bristling with bacon and butter. “I’m back! And with plenty of bacon and butter!”
Susan says, “Oh, your back so soon. That’s a lot of bacon and butter. What are we going to do with it all?”
“I didn’t know how much you wanted, so I got a lot for the showers tonight to make it a good and long one. It’s kinda dry out there.”
“Excuse me, last time I checked, I was the cook, and not you.”
“That’s a little harsh Susan. She was only trying to help,” Dan said.
“Yeah, and who asked you?” Susan snapped back.
“You know, you’ve gotten a little bit too big for your britches lately. Just because you’re the head cook and we aren’t doesn’t mean that you’re the boss of us,” said Ally.
“Oh Ally, we just need to have her pants altered. Nothing drastic,” Dan said.
“I’m just going to leave you for the night to your own thoughts, okay Susan?”
Susan sends a cold shoulder in Ally’s direction. Susan had just taken the last straw out of Ally’s now empty cup, and put it into her overflowing one. Ally knew she had to go to the Head Chef. Now. “I forgot, I have to tend to the tomatoes tonight. Their cages are broken. Better go fix them before they get worse. I’ll be back in late.” With saying that, Ally disappeared without a second thought out the door.
-
Approaching the bridge in front of the giant tree in front of Ally, she realized she has never seen the Head Chef before. All she had ever heard of then was that they could bake and cook everything in every cookbook imaginable.
Ally is standing in front of the big oak door. She knocks on it, and waits for what seems like a lifetime. She was about to leave when the door cracked open.
“Hello?” a small elderly woman’s voice answered.
Ally was so shocked that someone actually answered the door, it took her a few moments to respond. “Uh, hi. My name is-
“I know who you are Ally and why you are here, come in.” The door opens all the way into a quite spacious kitchen, despite the size of the tree. Smell of all types of weather come bursting out towards Ally. The elderly woman, who is the Head Chef, leads her in to the stool by the island in the center of the kitchen.
“Now Ally. I know what trouble you are facing with Susan. It seems she has taken the idea of head chef to her head. She took an oath to never do just that when she became a cook. But, never fear, I have a solution. All you need to do is just give Dan and Susan this vegetable soup I made. Then, you will take over the role as cook. You have proven yourself worthy over the years. It has been long due.” The Head Chef then gave Ally a big pail of soup.
“So that’s it? I just give them the soup and I become cook? Just like that?”
“That’s correct. Now, be off before the soup gets cold.”
Ally stands up and quickly walks to the door, keeping in mind the precious cargo she holds. “Thank you!” And she leaves.
-
At the door of the cottage, Ally takes a deep breath, then walks in. Dan looks up from his book and smiles. He asks, “What’s that?”
Ally replies, “Oh this, it’s just soup I got for both of you. It’s an apology for the attitude I had earlier. Susan, will you try it?”
Dan gives Susan stares at her, and she finally says, “I guess so. Thanks”
“Great! I’ll get bowls for us. Both of you sit down and wait.”
Susan and Dan make their way to the table, and Ally gets the bowls and spoons for the soup. She pours it out for everyone, then sits and waits for them to start. Dan and Susan take a sip of it, and then everything in the room freezes.
Suddenly, it is morning, and Ally is where Susan was earlier that day. Dan is munching on chips at the table. Dan said to Susan, “Hey Susan, where have you been all day?”
“I’ve been at the doctor. I caught a cold and they were helping me coax it out. What did I miss? Smells delicious in here”