Drabble:177

The first time Dimitri had pistachio was when his father bought some from a trip abroad. They were a Christmas gift for Olena, but giving as she was, she insisted on sharing it with everyone.
Dimitri was 5 at that time. The roasted pistachios were hot and salty, and unusual in color. Dimitri hadn't known cashews could be green. He liked them. A lot.

There was a man who'd come by the commune every four months, from the time Dimitri was 4 till he turned 8. He brought along a monkey which could dance in hoops and do basic mathematics. A fascinated Dimitri always attended the shows. He also always got enough coins from Olena to buy two packs of peanuts. One for the monkey, as a favor. And one for Dimitri, for the walk back home. He'd always save some to share with Yeva, who seemed fond of them.

Hazelnuts he experienced in the academy that one winter he decided not to go home for winter. He'd beaten up and driven away his father that very year, and he couldn't bear to go home and see Olena's despondent face.
The hazelnuts were cooked with the Christmas meat, as an unexpected treat for the dhampir children staying back in the academy. Dimitri didn't like it much.
And his notion that he was unwanted back home was driven away on New Year's Eve, when Yeva showed up and beat Dimitri with her walking-staff and made him pack his bags.
Olena welcomed him with open arms and a smiling face.

Ivan was the reason Dimitri got to try walnuts.
Or rather, Ivan's infatuation with maple walnut ice cream. It was delicious, and Ivan being from as rich a family as he was always got it freshly made –gourmet-style. And though the sweetness did appeal to Dimitri, he found it too heavy for his taste. But he never refused sharing a pint with Ivan whenever the Moroi craved it.
After Ivan passed away, Dimitri could never have maple walnut ice cream without thinking of his best friend. And he couldn't bear sharing it with anyone else, not even Rose.

Rose was all almond.
Not only did her skin look like the inside of an almond, her skin felt as soft as almond butter. She glowed too, or seemed to, to him, like dehusked almonds. When Dimitri mentioned this to Rose, years down their marriage, she laughed and giggled until she cried.
She bought an entirely new toiletries-set for their next Valentine's Day. Almond-flavored.
Dimitri was half-certain their third child was conceived that night.

Pecans were abundant in St Vladimir's.
Every year, Alberta would divide the school guardians into teams and have them collect and dehusk pecans within a time-limit, as a group exercise. The winning team got to have one week off-duty, and the other teams got to pelt them with their pecans. Dimitri continued this tradition with his family. Every year from the time his youngest child turned 9, Dimitri divided them up in teams and made them compete at Thanksgiving to do the same from the pecan trees lining his and Rose's backyard. Sometimes, the children of their friends joined it. Sometimes, they joined in too.
The winning prize? First choice of chicken pieces for dinner-cooked by Christian, according to Olena's recipe-incorporating both pistachio and pecans. No hazelnuts though, per Dimitri's request.

So, some of you have been wondering why I had disappeared for the last couple of months.
Well, there are a few reasons…for some time, I had been feeling like I was writing literal trash, and I did not want to put any of that garbage up.
Secondly, life, as it does, got in the way, and I got busy with other projects.
But that's excuse enough.
I'm back now, and I hope to stay, if you all will have me. And my writing might be a bit rusty, but bear with me.

So yeah, thank you for reading this. Leave a review if you want. Prompts, as always, are very welcome.

And I plan on updating Moments on a weekly basis-at least-so look out for new drabbles every Thursday/Friday.

That's all for now.
Cheers!