An Unexpected Guest at Malcolm’s Birthday Dinner

Yesterday, 11 February, would have been Malcolm’s (Bob’s Dad’s) birthday. He’s been dead four years, but we continue to get together and remember him on his birthdays. The dinner was at Steve’s, who typically hosts family dinners. He’s a great host, and he lives in the family home we grew up in in Beaumaris, around the corner from Mum’s (Marj’s) place.

Malcolm loved desserts, especially pavlovas. I decided to bake one in his honour. As Mum usually brings desserts, I told her I had made a pav so she wouldn’t bring something else. I hadn’t mentioned it to Steve, the host, though. Running short on time, I ended up buying cream on the way to Beaumaris. Since Steve removed his old kitchen as part of a major renovation about four years ago, doing anything in Steve’s kitchen is difficult. He’s been kind of camping at home for years, using folding tables, and with much of his kitchen equipment still in storage. Not wanting to get in his way as he prepares for hosting a dinner (and not knowing if he has any beaters) we stopped at Mum’s place to whip the cream and put strawberries on the pav before going to Steve’s. Mum said the mixmaster in her kitchen was actually Steve’s.

When we arrived at Steve’s, he was a bit odd, asking us to wait in the front hall for 20 seconds or so before entering the kitchen. When we entered, the kitchen had changed. He had a new temporary kitchen, with becnches and shelves replacing the folding tables and cardboard boxes. That was a good surprise. And a bench facing the kitchen for guests to sit at while hanging out with him doing his finishing touches on dinner. What an improvement!

Steve’s girlfriend Lisa was there, making salads to complement Steve’s roast lamb and vegetables. It was lovely to see them together, easy and natural, like they’d been hosting dinners together for years, though it was actually the first time I’d been aware of them hosting a dinner together as a couple. Her two salads were scrumptious. I’d never had a kale salad before, only ever eating kale as a cooked vegetable.

We enjoyed sitting around and reflecting about Dad. Mum commented that when she and Malcolm had arrived in Australia off the boat in the early 60’s as a young couple (having married in USA), they had been welcomed at Dad’s parent’s place with a meal of roast lamb and vegetables followed by pavlova. Marj had found the pavlova simply divine. She learned from Dad’s mum how to bake them, and soon developed a reputation for making the bast pavlovas around. She proudly related having made pavs for 100 people for the 21st birthday party of our cousins, twins, Lucy and Micheal Strasser.

Shortly after we moved outside and sat around the table on Steve’s deck for this dinner to celebrate Dad, who died four years ago, somebody appeared from the lounge room, natural as ever, but totally unexpected. Jim strolled out to the table to join us. Jim lives in Seattle, USA, and had hoped to come to Australia this Summer, but had had to cancel his planned trip due to illness late last year. We understood that his recovery was going well, but had no idea that he’d booked again to come. Mum had chatted with him on the phone yesterday during one of his long walks around Seattle. What a lovely surprise!

After mains, I mentioned to Jim that there was a dessert in the esky beside the back door. He and Steve were surprised and impressed by my pav, which appeared to be enjoyed just as much as Mum’s typically are. Lisa related how her mother is thought of in her family as the Queen of Pavlovas, and makes them for every family birthday, just as Marj does in our family. Nice parallel. Lisa gave an informed and positive rating to my pav.

We sang Happy Birthday to Dad, and enjoyed a wonderful family evening together.