Alissa had gotten up early and went out to the catering kitchen and checked the dishes she had left washing when she went to bed. Their supply of stereo cans. She was going to have to make a run to Costco to pick-up more Sterno cans and aluminum full chafing dish steam pans, 19 9/16in wide x 11 5/8in long, 15 aluminum half chafing dish steam pans, 3/4in wide x 9 3/8 in long. The racks she has been using were fine.

Alissa walks into the deep freezer and checks to see what meats and vegetables they were going to need. She still wanted to see if she could replicate her uncle’s barbeque. She had some of his home-made sauce left, but she couldn’t get the meat just like he did. She wanted to use his award-winning barbeque on the food truck.

Which reminded her, that she needed to sit down and create a list of what burgers she was going to serve. Then which one she wanted to enter in the hamburger contest coming up. She was up against some stiff competition for that contest. If she could recreate her uncle’s barbeque. She could do the barbeque burger. Hamburger patty, top with barbeque meat with crispy onions. Then add his homemade barbeque sauce and serve it on a Brioche burger bun.

She’ll have to make a list and create some to test. She walks around the kitchen and wishes her uncle was still here. He would advise her on what she should do. He always gave her good advice and was her Jimmy cricket.

She walks into the storage area where she kept her uncle’s homemade smoker. She knows the key to his barbeque was that smoker and the wood he used. Her uncle constructed the smoker from the frame up. Every inch of this smoker was handcrafted by her uncle. She wonders if his old barbequing partner wouldn’t mind helping her. They were like brothers and would do anything for each other. Maybe he could help her learn her uncle’s secret barbeque method. She runs her hand across the metal surface on the smoker.

She walks over to the dishwasher when it is done. She puts away the clean spoons and pans they used. While she is putting things away. She thinks about how similar her life and her uncle’s life have been. He had been physically abused by his father while protecting his mother. His father killed his mother in a fit of rage. He then killed his father with a kitchen knife. He served time for the crime and was eventually set free after his case was re-evaluated.

Her case was different. Her father, older brother and their friends had attacked her when they thought she was gay. She had volunteered to play a girl’s part in a school play. They found the costume she had been constructing for the play. She kept it hidden because she knew how her father and brothers felt about males playing women parts.

Her oldest brother had gone into her room looking for his fishing pole when he found the dress he was constructing. He also found all the accessories and undergarments that went with the dress. They came up to her High school and pulled her out of class. They took her back to the house and strung her up in the garage.

Her father had started beating her with his fist. Later, her brothers and members of their group showed up. She didn’t know her father and brothers were members of the local white supremacist group. They kept that part of their life secret from her. She was in the hospital for a month because of the torture she endured. She still had marks on her body that reminded her of what happened to her. They had cut her penis off and feed it to the pit bull her brother had adopted and trained. She knew he was into the illegal dog fights and she didn’t approve of it.

The police officer that had found her, said that if she had arrived a few minutes later she would have died. She managed to slow the bleeding, till the paramedics arrived and rush her to the hospital.

Her father made the mistake of pulling a gun on a police officer and was shot to death. Her oldest brother got into a fight with a black officer and he was taken down. Her middle brother, he got in a firefight and got shot in the leg and abdomen.

While she was in the hospital, her uncle visited her every day when he could. When she was discharged from the hospital. She moved in with him and he looked after her. He encouraged her to go to Culinary school after he saw how much she enjoyed working with him. He saw the enjoyment in her eyes when she helped him in the kitchen.

As she was heading back from the storage area. The catering kitchen phone starts ringing.

Alissa walks over to it and picks it up.

“Hello, Skyvue catering service. How can I help you?” Alissa grabs a legal pad to write the order down.

“Do you guys have a wing platter that will feed sixty people?”

“Yes sir, we do. It comes with your choice of two sides. We have a larger platter if you want to do a variety of wings.”

“How much does the sixty-piece wing cost?”

“For a sixty piece, plus two sides. You’re looking at forty-five dollars. If you want us to cater any alcoholic drinks. You’re looking at an additional charge.” Alissa figures at fifty cents a wing, plus the cost of the sides added in. Forty-five dollars was a good cost.

“How much do you charge for setting the event up?” The caller was curious.

“If we set the food up. You’re looking at additional thirty dollars.” Alissa knew it didn’t take her long to set the buffet up.

“I like to hire you guys to set it up for this weekend.”

“We require a non-refundable security deposit.” Alissa didn’t like agreeing to a contract without a deposit.

“How much will that be?”

“Twenty dollars. That’s all.”

“That’s reasonable. Can you, set-up the event this Saturday at 2:00pm.?”

“Yes, I can set up the event this Saturday. What sides would you like?”

“Do you guys serve onion rings?”

“Yes, we do. We also have Blooming onion, Coleslaw, Macaroni and Cheese, cheese sticks, Nachos, French fries, Hush puppies, potato salad,
baked beans and anything else you would like.” Alissa had a long list of sides she has done since opening.

“Let’s add two blooming onions, please.”

“Okay. Now I need an address and a phone number I can reach you at.” Alissa figures she could see if Jessie’s cousin was available to help.

“5417 Waterfront Dr. The number you can reach me at is 731-924-8754. Here is my credit card number for your deposit. Xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-6532. Expiration date 12/21”

Alissa had pulled out her cell phone and used the square app to run the credit card number. Once it is approved.

“Okay, Mr. Killington. I’ll see you at 2:00pm. I forgot to ask you if you wanted normal, mild, or hot?” Alissa could do twenty of each.

“Do you have anything that is hotter than your normal hot?”

“I have a suicide mixture that is the mixture of six different hot peppers.” Alissa shivers. She tried it and she couldn’t finish one wing because of how hot it was.

“Can you give me ten of those out of the sixty?”

“Sure, but I’ll need you to sign a release when I deliver them.” Alissa made that mistake once and wasn’t going to make it again.

“Sure.”

Alissa heard chuckling on the other end. Mr. Killington thought she was joking.

“Alright, Mr. Killington. I’ll see you on Saturday.” Alissa disconnects.

Alissa walks back into the freezer and sees if she needed to go and buy any wings. She had the wings. The peppers she was going to need to make the suicide sauce. She was going to have to pick those up.

She grabs a few things to make herself a sub. As she is walking out of the freezer. Gregory was at the counter fixing them some lunch.

“Hey, what are you fixing?” Alissa figures the items she grabbed to make subs won’t be needed.

“I’m making us, a nice vegetable stew.” Gregory had brought the ingredients with him from his place.

“Oh, boy. I’m in trouble now.” Alissa takes the items in her hands and put them back in the freezer.

“Ha, ha. I’m not that bad of a cook.” Gregory goes back to stirring the stew.

A smile forms on Alissa’s face as she put things back. When she comes back out.

“We have a wing gig this Saturday and the customer wants ten of our suicide wings. He has agreed to sign our release form. He also has put down the security deposit for the event.”

“Is he crazy about the suicide? We have to wear respirators just to make the wing sauce.” Gregory knew how hot the sauce was.

He was the test subject for the sauce. He regretted doing it afterward. They did make a unique pizza sauce with it after they diluted it some.

Alissa sat and watched Gregory. She notices which of their spices he was using and once the stew was done. He fills two bowls and grabs some spoons from the drawer.

“Here you go. Bon appetite.” Alissa takes a bite of it.

It tasted pretty good. She takes another spoonful.

“So, what do you think about the stew?” Gregory had watched Alissa’s face.

“I like it. We should offer it to the catering business or on the food truck.” Alissa knew during the winter or cool months people would love a nice stew.

“How about, we serve it off the food truck? That way people can have something other than burgers?” Gregory knew what Alissa wanted to
serve off the truck.

“Sounds good. I was going to call my uncle’s old partner tonight and ask him to teach me how my uncle uses to do his barbeque. I want to do a barbeque burger and maybe some barbeque ribs or something. The ones we do are good, but my uncles were the best. He won several first-place ribbons.”

“So, you figure if you can learn how your uncle did it. It might be good to add to the food truck?” Gregory knew how much Alissa admired her uncle.

“Yes, that’s what he uses to serve from the truck before he had his heart attack. I know what spices he used in his rub. I also know what type of wood he used in the smoker and cooker. What, I don’t know what else he did to the meat to make it so tender.” Alissa was hoping her uncle's partner might know.

“Okay, I understand. Who are you planning on taking with you to the event?” Gregory had a game to take part in.

“I was thinking about asking Bobby to come with me. Jessie said his cousin could use the work.” Alissa liked Bobby and wanted to know more about her.

“I take it, you like Bobby?” Gregory has always wonder which side Alissa fell.

“God, do all guys just think of sex all the time?” Alissa looks at him with a disgusting look on her face.

“I just want to know what her plans are. I wouldn’t mind having another female working for us. Right now, it’s just me. Besides, we can make more tips.” Alissa continues eating her stew.