Chapter Six
The following afternoon, Laurie found Rueben hard at work in the kitchen. "What's up?" She asked, noticing the frustrated look on the manager's face as he stood in front of a bowl, potato masher in hand.
"The darn potatoes won't mash!" Rueben complained, frowning at the peeled spuds lying in the bowl.
"You're making dinner?"
"I'm trying to."
Laurie came to his side and picked up one of the potatoes. She squeezed it. It was hard. "Reuben, you're supposed to cook the potatoes first."
"Well, how am I supposed to know? Nobody tells me anything!"
Laurie merely shook her head and went into the cabinet for a pot. She set it in the sink and began to fill it with water. Just then, Keith entered the kitchen.
"What's for dinner, Ma?" He asked with a grin, setting his books on the kitchen counter.
And for the first time that day, Rueben actually smiled. "I'll have you know, that I am making a roast!"
"Roast?" Keith's smile widened. "Sounds good."
Laurie paled. He was making a roast? "W-Where is it?" She dreaded the answer, but figured she should try to save the meat before Reuben could do any more damage. If someone couldn't make mashed potatoes, they most definitely couldn't handle a roast.
"It's in the oven, where it belongs. Should be done in an hour or so."
Laurie sniffed the air, and for the first time, she detected a peculiar odor. Her eyes widened. He didn't. Oh, but he did.
Laurie hastily grabbed some mitts and rushed over to the oven. When she opened it, thick, black, smoke poured out and into the room. "Keith, open the door! Rueben, the window!" She directed as she pulled out the burning meat. Both men quickly did as they were told.
"What happened?" Reuben wanted to know as Laurie set the burning roast into the sink and doused it with cold water. "Why is my roast all black?"
"You set the oven temperature too high." Laurie explained, coughing. "Keith, you'd better open the rest of the house windows."
"I'm on it." Keith fled from the room.
"Can it be saved?" Reuben looked to the meat. He coughed too. Laurie knew it was unhealthy to stay inside until the smoke cleared, but doubted Rueben would leave without first getting an explanation.
"Maybe." Laurie wasn't sure she wanted to eat roast anymore.
"What's that funny smell?" Chris soon walked in the back door followed by the other two Partridge children. All three had just come home from school. Chris had felt fine that morning and Laurie sent him along on his regular routine.
"Dinner." Laurie told them and then walked to the oven to turn it off.
"I don't think I want to eat that." Tracy wrinkled her nose.
"Ma Kincaid failed again?" Danny looked to Reuben.
"Get out." Rueben commanded and flapped at the three youngest with a spatula.
Danny smirked.
"No, Ma Kincaid is right. It's not good to be breathing in all this smoke. Let's all go outside and allow the house some time to clear." Laurie went to the youngest children and began herding them towards the front door. Keith met them at the stairway.
"All open." He said.
"Good. C'mon." Laurie said and the children all fled outside. Rueben soon joined them, collapsing on the front stoop, cradling his chin in his hands.
He looked sad. Laurie felt sorry for him. "Don't worry about it, Rueben. I'm sure everyone's made that mistake at least once." She swallowed trying to moisten her dry throat.
"Oh yeah? Like who?"
"Um…" Laurie struggled for an answer.
"Yeah, like nobody." Reuben frowned. "Admit it, kids. I'm failing as a mother."
Keith laughed uneasily, "Well I wouldn't exactly say you 'failed'…"
Laurie silenced her brother with an icy stare.
"What are we going to do for dinner now?" Tracy wanted to know.
Laurie thought for a moment. "Well, we can't go into the house just yet. Maybe we should go out someplace?"
"Tacos?" Suggested Danny.
Laurie shook her head. Chris had just gotten better. The last thing he needed in his stomach was more grease.
"How about the A&B Café?" Keith suggested.
Laurie smiled. A wonderful suggestion. The A&B Café was Rueben's favorite restaurant. It was just the place to cheer him up and feed the family. "Sounds good to me. Ma?"
Rueben attempted a smile. "Okay."
"Great! Let's get in the car!"
Suddenly, loud sirens filled the air. Laurie hastily pressed her hands to her ears trying to muffle the sound.
"Is that-?" Keith's unfinished question was soon answered as a bright red fire engine suddenly pulled up in front of the house, followed by a red paramedics unit.
A fireman instantly hopped down from the cab and hurried over to the kids and their manager. "Is everyone alright? We got a call from a neighbor that they saw smoke coming out from the windows."
Laurie looked to Keith and they groaned. How were they going to explain this one? Unfortunately, they didn't have to. Danny took the liberty of telling the story.
"It's very simple, sir." The redhead started, looking up at the fireman. "That smoke, was our dinner."