The Book of Lost Stories

Missing Cookie Dough and Smiling Orphans

   I am awakened by Cookie Monster singing about how good cookies are at 7 a.m. I get up and smile, because it's my favorite day of the year. National Cookie Day! It's my favorite time to bake my favorite treat! I also share some with the orphanage that's a town over. 

     I do my regular routine. Shower, brush my teeth, all that good stuff. When I'm finally ready to start my day of baking, I skip down the stairs; with a grin the could have the Cheshire cat to shame. I had already made the dough the night before. Do you know how hard it is to make dough and bake five hundred cookies? 

     Because I make cookie for a nearby orphanage every year, my headmaster counted it towards my volunteer hours and allows me to miss school. I walk into the kitchen to start loading the containers of cookie dough into the car. My mom's best friend owns a very popular bakery. She's allowing my to use the ovens there. Sadly, she wont being helping me because her son is in the hospital.

      She always opens her shop at 2 pm. It gives her more time to spend with her kids. Which allows me to have access to all of the ovens.  My mom allows me to have my own fridge in the corner of the kitchen. It's specifically for National Cookie Day. The only problem is that my idiotic brother always tries to sneak into it and eat the cookie dough. This year I bought a lock for the fridge.  When I turn towards the fridge, I scream. 

"Jeremiah! Get your butt down here now!"

     Jeremiah comes bounding down the stairs. He's not usually a morning person, so I'm already confirming my suspicions. He looks from me to the fridge of cookie dough. His eye's go wide and he comes to a halt seven feet away. I give him a death glare. Who seriously breaks a lock just to get to some cookie dough for orphans!

"Anisette! What in the world did you do to the lock?" He asks.

"What do you mean what did I do? Didn't you sneak in here last night and break it to get to the cookie dough?" I exclaim.

"What? No! I swear Anisette! You know I've been trying to act more mature lately. I'm up right now because I knew you would be heading to the bakery! I want to help."

     I look at him doubt fully. My eyes become slits as I look at him. "Liar!" As soon as I accuse him of telling a lie he busts into tears. He may be a fifteen year old but he has the heart of a five your old. My gaze softened. Now I know he didn't take them. 

"Come're scamp." I say holding my arms out.

     He hesitantly steps forward. I smile at him and nod my head. He fast walks into my arms. His head nestles into my neck. Even though he's two years younger than me, he's a good two inches taller. Hot tears trickle down my neck. I rub his back continuously trying to ease his mind. 

"I'm sorry, Jeremy. I know you not lying."

"But, you said I lied." He sniffles

"I know, and I'm sorry. If you swear you didn't touch them, then I believe you."

"Okay!" he exclaims smiling brightly.

    As the sun break over the horizon. The two of us work together and begin filling the car with container after container of cookie dough. It take us about twenty minutes to get everything in the car. We can use the pans in the bakery as long as we bring our own dish soap to wash them.

    When we get to the bakery, I grab the spare key to the shop on my key ring and unlock the door. Jeremiah opens the trunk and begins unloading everything. The whole we are baking cookies, my brother is nothing but helpful. He even made another batch of dough to replace the one missing. Which is really nice of him considering he didn't take it.

    Once we finish baking all of the cookies, We start on the 30 minute journey to the orphanage. We kept the cookies in heat retain able containers. The whole time we sing random lines of  Harris J songs. When we get there the older children are already standing in the doorway waiting. I grin as smiles lit their faces. They came over to the car. The girl's came to me and gave me group hug. While Jeremy did the bro shake with the boys. The boys greet me by nodding their head to me and giving their salams (Arabic greeting).

    Almost all of the kids at the orphanage are Muslim. Mostly because they came here at a young age and were taught Islam. Some of the older kids aren't but they still respect us for who we are. They never associate or define us with anything in the news.  I love them all like my family. 

    We take all of the cookies to the kitchen so that the kids get them for lunch. Light just seems to light up the room as each child came to collect their lunch. Whether they were toddlers or teens, each one had a smile on their face as they collected their two cookies. Each one thanking me before walking towards their table. Despite this being an orphanage I had my father make sure they they got the best food. 

     After lunch was over I chatted with some of the girls and also played with the younger ones. Telling them of the great Muslim women in history. They always loved it when I did that. I also told of the prophets for the sake of the younger boys. Jeremiah hung out with the boys his age and they playing video games in the screening room. Overall we both had a pretty fun time. 

   We want to get home before the after work rush hour, so we have to leave a bit after four o'clock. After we pray Asr (evening prayer) with the everyone, we head home. My I Pod is once again put on blast, this time producing the voices of Native Deen. 

    As we walk through the door we hear Maher Zain's voice coming from the kitchen. Dad must be home. I slide my shoes into the closet before taking off my two piece over garment (covering the Muslims wear. As both me and Jeremiah walk into the kitchen, we freeze. Standing before for us is out father guiltily holding half a giant cookie in his mouth, while the other seems to be in his cheeks. 

"Er...As Salamu Alaykum?" (Peace be unto you, Muslim greeting) He speaks in a questioning tone. 

"DAD!" We both yell in union.