It's Memorial Day, & 29-year old Richard McClendon, Jr. AKA "Ricky Mac", dreaded getting out of bed. He remembers the day his mother, Odalis, got that phone call that his father, Richard McClendon, Sr., died in the Iraq war. He visits his father's resting place every Memorial Day, every Veterans Day, every 9/11 anniversary, every Christmas, every wedding anniversary date, every birthday & every death anniversary date. Memorial Day shakes him up the most.
After visiting his father's gravesite alone, he rode his motorcycle back home. He went home to look in his refrigerator, only to find out that there was just an opened pack of cookies. Really, no other food in the house, except for cooking oil, tomato sauce & old, moldy bread that he needed to throw out.
He rode his motorcycle, just joyriding, to clear his mind. He needed to get gas, anyway. He passed by a park & saw many American flags & multiple people praying. He parked his motorcycle & stopped by to pay his respects to all of the fallen heroes who died in the line of duty. Everyone was given a chance to tell his/her story about loved ones who passed. Some were emotionally stronger than others.
After the assembly, a cookout was held. It sort of reminded everyone of a repast right after a funeral. All of the food was AMAZING & on point. Ricky Mac headed for the mac & cheese, as the first thing to eat, to represent both himself & his father. He never forgot the bond that they had. He savored the flavor of the moment. After that, he noticed that there were some wild meats being served, because the people hosting the party thought it was quite fitting for what it's like to fight in war. He ate BBQ rabbit meat burgers, turtle soup, alligator sausage hot dogs & confit duck. He also loved the potato salad, baked beans, green bean casserole, purple yam pie, red velvet brookies (brownie cookies), & lots of other exotic dishes. He ate like a hog without a care in the world. He wasn't sure if he would ever in life again get to be invited to eat something so unique & different.
Everyone ate up so much of the food that there was nothing left to take back home, but everyone was given a $50 Kroger gift card for groceries. Ricky Mac gladly spent the whole $50 right away! He caught some sales & saved a lot of money, with creative couponing strategies. A day to remember, that lifted him up.
THE END