I
love Historical Fiction.
The
first draft of The Alexanders – Dominic, 1911 – 1920 is complete!
Now comes the revisions, the corrections, the beta readers, the
editing, the cover design….
Please
read an excerpt from 1917 – World War 1 rages in Europe. Dominic
goes to war. But before he goes, he attends a going away party, a
birthday party...and he gets to try Poutine Rapee for the
first time!
1917
When
Dominic tells the recruiter about his bad leg and how he was rejected
back in Scotland, he is informed that there are shortages of many men
for different phases of the war besides the infantry but just as
dangerous. When Dominic joins up he’s being assigned to the 26th
Battalion (New Brunswick) under the command of Lt-Col A.E.G.
McKenzie. Elements of the Battalion have recently been used in the
Battle of the Somme and are now being readied for a planned British
offensive on the German held French city of Arras but that’s not
where he’s going. He’s advised that when he arrives in England he
will be seconded to the Royal Air Corps to receive his training as an
observer
During
the first weeks of February he goes on basic training in Valcartier,
Quebec. It’s torturous, his leg aches every night. He discovers
muscles he never knew he had until they show up being sore. The one
thing is he’s exemplary at (his trainer’s words) is
marksmanship. The Ross Mk II rifle and he have become close friends,
almost lovers. Other recruits argue that it is too long for trench
warfare but Dominic sticks up for the rifle proclaiming its long
range precision as being significant. His rate of accuracy is the
highest in his company. Training is shortened by the urgent call for
men from across the ocean. He’s given a four day pass before he
ships out.
The
twenty-fifth of February is bitterly cold, especially just as the sun
sets, which is early today at 5:20. Any time spent out of doors is an
invitation to more than frost bite, more like a frost banquet.
Exposed skin will freeze in twenty minutes. It’s been that long
since Dominic left his house. Walking into the city, he’s warm
inside his new greatcoat. Ice crystals whiten a khaki scarf that
covers his mouth. A beaver skin hat is pulled down to cover head,
ears, nape of his neck and forehead. The greatcoat goes to his
ankles. Pure Canadian wool that keeps you warm even if it gets wet.
Inside the heavy coat, Private Dominic Alexander is wearing the olive
drab uniform of the Canadian Expeditionary Force, wool jacket, shirt
and tie and heavy wool pants with leggings wrapped about his calf to
his knees, tucked into black sturdy boots large enough for two pairs
of socks. He’s bundled up against the cold.
Two
days from now, on Tuesday, he’s to report for duty at 6:00 a.m. in
Halifax where he will embark for England on the HMS Andania.
Dominic will depart for the war from the same wharf he arrived at a
little over two years ago. Tonight he is attending a going away party
for him and today is also his birthday. When he turns up Cameron
Street, Maria’s aunt’s house is on the next corner on Gordon
Street, less than a minute away. He’s familiar enough with the
large house where Maria and her family tend to have their gatherings
because the place is so big. Ma tante Emma, as she is called,
is a widower whose late husband was a doctor. An addition contained
his offices at one time but now they are all divided rooms to let,
providing a continuous income. She keeps the main house as it was,
terribly big, bought with the expectation of many running feet when
they were younger, but alas, that wasn’t to be. A large open living
room and adjoining parlour can hold twenty people in comfort. The
kitchen has a cozy nook and small table in one corner and room for
three or four cooks. With a dining room containing heavy furniture
that can seat ten, there’s plenty of space. No one enjoys a get
together more than ma tante Emma and her home is the perfect
spot.
People
are coming over later but Emma invited him to come earlier and have
supper with her and Maria, who has been there helping. She made an
old family recipe especially for Dominic, an Acadian treat she told
him. What she called it sounded like Poo-tin Raw-pay. Maria
assured him they are delicious and a lot of work to make.
Dressed
as warm as he is, by the time he knocks on the front door, he’s
starting to feel a chill. A faint command to “come in” seeps
through the keyhole and he enters the foyer. Maria greets him in the
hallway, standing back slightly, not recognizing the shrouded figure
at first. Only when he removes the scarf away from his mouth does she
know who it is.
“Hello
my beloved. Come in quick, don’t let too much of that cold in
here.”
Regarding
the coat of frost on the scarf where it covered his mouth, her eyes
widen in disbelief.
“My
goodness Dominic, did you walk from your house?”
While
removing the hat, he’s nodding.
“Aye
I did. I didn’t realize it was this cold.”
She
pays more attention to his clothing as he removes his greatcoat.
“Oh
how wonderful Dominic, you wore your new uniform. Here, give me that
coat and let me see.”
She
calls out to her aunt who is setting the table in the kitchen nook
where she, Maria and Dominic will have their supper.
“Ma
tante Emma, vien voir Dominic avec sa nouvelle uniforme!”
(“Aunt Emma, come see Dominic with his new uniform”).
Passing
his coat and hat to Maria, Dominic removes his boots to leave them at
the door and steps forward to meet Emma. She doesn’t walk so much
as she waddles instead. She’s a big woman, not too tall, with open
arms and a large bosom that begs to be hugged. Rosy cheeks always
look like they’re blushing and a perpetual smile adorns her face.
Short greyish curls top her round head. An aroma of boiled potatoes
follows her.
“What
a handsome lad you are Dominic. A shame that you have to go off to
war. We’ll have to telegram ahead to warn all those young British
girls, won’t we Maria?”
She
says that with a wink and engulfs Dominic in her arms. Stooping a bit
to enjoy the warmth of her embrace, he takes in the lovely scent of
jasmine she always wears.
“Now
come Dominic, we have some delicious poutines for you. I’ve made a
batch for our company to enjoy later on. If it’s one thing you will
learn from us Acadians is that we love a good meal.”
Placing
Dominic’s coat, scarf and hat on a hanger, Maria stows them in the
closet by the front door and gives her boyfriend a quick hug, a peck
on the check and waves for him to follow. The hallway has a set of
stairs on the right and extends toward the back on the left. Colorful
ribbons are strung around the walls and a hand printed sign hangs
over the stairway proclaiming Bon Voyage, Happy Birthday and
Best Wishes. The dining room is on the immediate right and the
kitchen is on the same side. A table in the corner of the kitchen is
set for three and Emma invites Dominic to take the head of the table
near the window and has Maria take the side seat facing the kitchen
and her place setting is on the opposite end of Dominic’s. She
spoons out each a poutine on three plates and brings one to
set in front of Maria and the other in front of Dominic. He stares at
it and loses his appetite.
For
those who’ve never eaten poutine rapee, the first time you
see one can be a perplexing proposition. Dominic doesn’t know what
to say. The object on his plate is the size of a grapefruit, a
misshapen, steaming globule that makes him think of snowballs. Emma
sets her plate down and turns to get them some tea. Maria is slicing
hers in half when she notices the look on Dominic’s face and starts
to giggle. She’s seen the same look before when someone is
introduced to this delicacy.
“They’re
much tastier than they look Dominic. Just cut it in bite size chunks
and add some sugar or molasses on it. There’s delicious meat in the
middle and you can choose between white sugar or brown sugar. I like
brown sugar on mine. Some folks just eat them with salt and pepper.
”
He
replies hesitatingly.
“Okay,
if you say so.”
Not
wanting to seem ungrateful, he does as she suggests. Picking up his
knife, he slices the poutine down the middle. The two halves divide
to expose a center of tender chunks of pork that have been salted and
spiced.
“Well
it certainly smells good.”
After
placing cups the cups of tea down, Emma joins them.
“I
prefer molasses on mine Dominic. You can try a little bite of each
and see which you like best.”
Slicing
small tentative pieces, he sprinkles a bit of brown sugar on one,
white sugar on another, a drip of molasses on the third and only salt
and pepper on the fourth. Not sure about sugar on potatoes, he tries
the unsweetened one first. Biting into it, he closes his eyes and his
teeth sink into the firm but creamy potato mixture with tender pieces
of pork that almost melt in his mouth.
“Mmmm,
it is good! Certainly much better than I expected.”
Maria
agrees as she chews on her own piece.
“Told
you so, didn’t I?”
Dominic
tries the sweetened pieces and a smile states how much he agrees with
the flavors but decides he likes the natural taste of the poutine
best with salt and pepper. Poutine is a heavy meal and he shares a
second one with Emma, Maria is full with just one. For their dessert
one of her neighbors has dropped off a raisin pie for the celebration
and it is another food that Dominic has not had before and he falls
in love with the flaky crust and the sweetness of the dried fruit.
The plates are cleared off and washed up before the trio sit at the
table with their last cup of tea. People will not begin arriving
before seven o’clock. With everything ready for their guests they
broach a variety of subjects.
Dominic
wonders how you make poutine. Emma fills him in.
“Well
we started with about 90 potatoes because we wanted to have 60
poutine or so. After we peel them, half of them are boiled and
mashed. The other half is grated, the liquid squeezed out with a
cheese cloth which we call epurer. Salt and milk are added and
the two potato mixtures are blended together, we call that part
meler. Then you need to be quick because if the potato mixture
is left out too long, they turn grey, still as tasty but not so
pretty. So you form them into balls, rouler, add seasoned pork
in the center and put them in a pot of boiling water for two hours
and voila, you have poutine rapee.”
“Wow!
That does seem like a lot of work”
Emma
is Maria’s favorite aunt and she loves the rapport and goodwill
between her aunt and her boyfriend and listens to their banter. Emma
shows concern with knitted brows when she asks Dominic about going to
war.
“What’s
going to happen when you get to England Dominic?”
Thank you to Paul Chiasson (RIP) for explaining the making of poutine.
Thank you dear reader for visiting the Scribbler. The Alexanders – Dominic 1911 – 1920
will be published in 2019. Watch here for more details.
Coming
soon is my collection of short stories, some previously published on
commuterlit.com, here on The Scribbler, and several on limited
editions booklets dedicated to my grandchildren. Many of them are
new. Titled Boxes of Memories.
Watch
for details.
