Extra money (second installment)

13. Lisa started to notice the shiny toaster, just above the cluster of gold sparkles on the Formica countertop. The toaster wouldn’t be popping up any time soon, because it wasn’t turned on, but the toaster could potentially pop up – if it was turned on. And this reminded her of other appliances, it reminded her of the oven and its oven-timer in particular.

14. She stopped looking at the cluster of gold sparkles and reached over with her left hand to set the oven timer to be set for an extra seven minutes. The two boneless top loin steaks, and the vegetables, were already done. The two steaks were resting in their steel-lined cozy pan upon the stovetop. My steak was sprinkled with a peculiar blend of crushed mustard seed, cut-up sage leaf, and thyme.

15. The vegetables, split peas and sliced carrots in sour cream and garlic sauce, for the both of us, were in the cozy pan’s matching cozy pot upon the stovetop. But the onion rings weren’t finished yet. The onion rings were still in the oven, for the extra seven minutes.She covered both the pan and the pot with her brand new vent-controlled pan and pot lids. And not only did she re-set the oven timer, but she also pressed the white button on the left side of the oven timer so that the stovetop would keep the pan of steaks and pot of vegetables warm.

16. Dinner is just about ready, so you better go and wash up, she announced from the kitchen.

17. Okay, I’ll go and wash up, I said, still sitting on the sofa in the living room. And I continued looking at the advertisement for an extra minute.

18. I looked at the bottom part of the ad where an assortment of small garden luxury equipment and other accessories were scattered about. Plants were also there for sale on the page. And sod was over to the right, rolled up like new carpets – and a few rolls were unfurled, leading to bags of fertilizer.

19. I looked closer at the bags of fertilizer. A group of children were playing kickball in one part of one of the labeled bags of fertilizer. And on another labeled bag, there was a picture of a man and woman standing together near a wood-red-painted picnic table near a large oak tree in what seemed to be a park. I noticed that the woman in the picture was holding a small green birch-tree leaf in her hand. Why would she be holding a birch-tree leaf when she was standing near a large oak tree? I thought.

20. I wonder how much money people get paid to do these advertisements, I said to Lisa, and I placed the ad onto the cushioned surface of the long swirl-armed sofa, next to where I was sitting.

21. I don’t know. Probably quit a bit. But will you please go and wash up! Dinner is going to be ready in a minute, she said from the kitchen.

22. All right, I am, I said, and I stood up from sitting on the sofa.



If you'd like, go back and read the first installment (1 - 12). Or read more.





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