Chapter 7: We Can Do This!

Wary some might be, nevertheless, they all preened as they displayed their new attire.

Jason walked to Annie and Marcie, offered an arm to each, and escorted them to the middle of the table, seating them on either side of himself. “I’d like the Safis to sit across from me,” he told his waiting family, “because I want to hear what they decided for our meal and to thank them for their planning. The rest of you sort yourselves as you please.”

“So, Imp what rule are we up to?” he asked the AI’s diminutive image.

“Well, your lordship,” she replied, “your next rule will be number six.”

“Okay then,” Jason looked up and down the table, “meals are to be happy times. No unpleasantness, no recriminations, and unless absolutely necessary, no business - at least during the meal. Speaking of dinner, what is on the table for us?” he asked the Safis.

“First, I need to tell you that most of our foods are eaten with your fingers or scooped up with naan. That’s bread that looks sorta like pancakes or tortillas,” Amira told them. She looked at Nelson and said, “That’s why we made sure you washed up before you dressed for dinner.”

Barika took over, “It’s okay to use utensils if you want, but we wanted to be as authentic as possible. Nelson told us he liked chicken, so that’s the kebab. The rice dish is Kabuli Palaw. It’s Afghanistan’s national dish and has lamb, raisins, pistachios, and slivered carrots.”

“My favorite is mantu. That’s the steamed dumplings,” Jamaal told them. “These are filled with ground beef and onion. If you like ravioli, you’ll probably like them,” he told Nelson in an aside, “especially if you use the tomato sauce.”

“Imp found lots of different templates,” Amira finished. “We picked the ones that are closest to what Mom used to make for us. Imp said she’d keep the dishes warm with induction heating, so no need to hurry, but do dig in. I’m drooling...”

Nelson found that he did like the kebab and the mantu, so there was no need to resort to hotdogs to keep him happy. He especially like the eating with his fingers and declared that he was going to eat Afghanistan style for the rest of his life.

As the newly forming family happily ate, Jason looked past Marcie to Nelson and asked, “What do you call a bear with no teeth?”

The gleeful Nelson responded, “A gummy bear! Why do giraffes havta grow long necks? ‘Cuz their feet really stink!”

The ice was broken and the meal continued with hearty appetites and happy chatter. As Shellie cracked a joke met with raucous laughter, Marcie pulled Jason down so she could whisper in his ear, “I’m really, really sorry. I won’t be bad again.”

He turned and kissed her cheek and whispered, “Apology accepted.”

Tina stood and looked around the table. “It’s Amira’s and Barika’s wedding night. I won’t have them detailed to cleanup. Everyone else grab your dishes and whatever is in reach and dump it all into the recycler.”

Marcie grabbed her own and Jason’s residue and was the first to the recycler. The others were not far behind.

Jason moved to a sofa with Amira and Barika, settling them on either side. “That was a very nice meal,” he announced, “and I’d like to have similar themed meals on a regular basis. He looked around and told them, “This may have been our last meal with a family this small. Imp tells me that between, Calypso, Neli, and me; we need to add ten more concubines. Add in their dependents, and the newcomers will outnumber us originals.”

“Some of us like to cook, so Imp, make sure we have adequate food preparation and cooking space. It can be sized to cook for six or so. The results can then be replicated to serve everyone.” He looked to Neli, “Check with Neli or Calypso if you have questions.”

“Growth in family size means several things. We need to make sure we pick well - if you know anyone we should consider, tell Imp so she can check for availability and if Dora says they’d be a good fit.” He paused to let his family think, “One large table is too hard to manage. Imp, let’s have round tables seating six each. We may also need to have a kid’s table, sized for the small-fry,”

“Now, before we move on to your long-anticipated body sculpting session...” Jason teased while hugging Marcie, “Michael’s family has invited all you under-fourteens to a sleepover. I think your peers from the Covey and Woody’s family will be there, too. Go and have fun, find out what’s okay and what’s not, and let the governor’s kids show you how to cope with it all.” He winked, “We won’t expect you back until after lunch tomorrow. Now, on to the remodeling project.”