FreeWriteHouse Party Day 38: Of Wood, Ice & Chickens

Wood

When family meet, we inevitably start talking about the past. The way it was. How differently we did things. During Hari Raya (Eid Mubarak) in Singapore, 3 generations sat down and stories of today gravitated towards yesteryears. All of us trying to outdo the other with our memories and the things we used to do.

I remember watching my Dad chop wood every evening. My brother and I would stack them up for use. We cooked over a wood fire stove. It was a big cement block with two groves to place the wood and the pots go over them. My husband D shared his memories of helping his big family cook for weddings. Stacking bricks strategically to hold the huge pots and pans (cooking for hundreds), then burning wood under. Because the pots are so big, to ensure everything gets cooked, some burning charcoal is placed on the lid as well. They recently cooked for a cousin, and it was massive and yes some still do this today.

Then came the kerosene stove. This was much smaller and mobile. So much so, Mum used to bring it for picnics at the waterfalls. While we played in the water, she'd whip up a simple meal of coconut rice and gravy for lunch.

We didn't have a fridge til I was almost an adult. Food was cooked just enough so there are no left overs. And if did have any, we'd heat it up last thing before we go to sleep, and first thing when we woke up in the hopes it will keep til lunch. It didn't always work.

Then D tells me that for the weddings, they prevented ice from melting by keeping it in a hole in the sand. Blocks of ice would be delivered, which are placed in the sand with sawdust over. And when they needed to serve, they used a hammer and a chisel to break it into smaller pieces, wash off the sawdust and serve with drink.

All the dirty plates were stacked in a basket. And like a production line, the basked is lowered into a pot of hot water and soap, then dipped into clean hot water and then again. Then the plates are sent out again for the next batch of guests.

We hardly ate out. Eating out was a treat. Everything was made from scratch. Dad used to come home and pound rice or wheat to make flour for breakfast the next day. To eat chicken, we stepped out into the backyard and tried to catch one. It wasn't easy but it was a lot of fun tricking the chicken. *I once saw my Mum slaughter the chicken and totally flipped and called 911. I got into a lot of trouble as it was considered pranking.

I could go on and on, but I might have already slightly. So I will stop here and save the rest for another time.

Another day another prompt, another Free Write! This is where you are allowed to frolic in the happiest place or traverse into the darkest corners of your mind and then share it. It can be fact, it can be fiction, as long as they are your words!!

Check out @mariannewest and @freewritehouse to find out more.

This is my submission for the 200 Day Party Challenge where we need to write one freewrite every single day for 50 days. Read other stories inspired by the prompt wood here!!

’Til we meet again over text, pics, videos, maybe even coffee - Steem On!!

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