Ingredients

• 2L of water, preferably spring water, collected on your own.

• 2 cups of dried chickpea and red beans, soaked overnight, or you’ll spend the endless night in the bathroom

• 1KG lamb meat, the lamb should be sacrificed for the gods to grant the endless night *

• 2 cups of dried herbs, dried at the dawn of the summer while paying gratitude to the gods for the warmth of summer **

• 100 pieces of ruby to garnish***

• Salt & pepper to taste

  * Gods might not accept common meat, although demons might pay a visit

  ** If the sacrificed lamb is the heart of the Aush, the humbly dried herb is the soul; do not overlook it

  *** This is an old saying, a riddle if you may; don’t take it literally

Preparation

✦ Mama will be home soon. I need to finish the meal before we head for the grannies’ to celebrate—I’ll head get straight to the preparation. Let’s start with boiling the water.

✦ While waiting, I defrost some lamb meat. Mama always stores some store-bought packages in the freezer.

✦ Dang it, the recipe says to add the soaked legumes to the pot. It’s alright. It’ll cook for hours. I’m gonna add them dry.

✦ I quickly form the meatballs and add them to the pot. I don’t have time to fry them first; I’ll boil them in the water.

✦ Next, I need to add the herbs. Mama has plenty in the pantry. I look for the jar labeled “Aush Mixture” and empty it into the pot. I don’t know how much is needed, but Mama’s Aush always bursts with herbs. Some more herbs would cause no harm. I need to season it.

✦ It’s time to simmer. Huh, I feel chilly despite the flame’s warmth and constantly moving around. The wind has started blowing outside. I head over to the window, and is that...snow falling?

✦ Only one step remains: Serve the Aush and garnish it with 100 pieces of rubies. This doesn’t make sense. It’s garnish. I can skip it.

No, I need it to be perfect. Perhaps rubies will dissolve in the hot, simmering dish and become edible. Mama has a ruby ring. It’s only one piece, and she’ll never forgive me for it, but it is worth it. When Mama tastes my amazing Aush, she’ll forgive me.

✦ A few hours have passed. It’s dark now. Mama is not home yet. It’s time to finish up and garnish the Aush. I had a brilliant idea. I’m gonna smash the ruby into pieces with the beef hammer. Tiny ruby pieces will be dissolved in the hot liquid easier, won’t they? Looks like I’m getting the hang of cooking.

✦ The ruby fragments are all over the cupboard. I’ve poured the Aush in a large serving bowl. I try to pinch the rubies and sprinkle them all over the dish. Ouch...I cut my finger at the worst moment. A drop of blood dribbles right into the middle of the bowl. I quickly grab a spoon to skim it, but it was too late. The Aush devoured the blood. It’s strange how a drop of blood can change the color so much.

Mama’s Aush is never so murky. And is it smoke rising from the dish instead of steam? I must be wrong; I’m tired, and it’s getting dark. But I can’t throw it away after all the effort. I hope for the best; that no one will notice.

✦ The endless night is here. I’m cold and hungry. I can’t wait anymore. I pour myself a small bowl and dive in. It’s ethereal. But it got cold as if refrigerated for hours. I am cold, as if I sat under the falling snow, my sight dimming into the void. I’ll need to...warm up...before Mama is home.