We fed 108 homeless people today.We nearly didn´t, because there were not enough people preparing the vegetables and it took longer to prepare the meal than usual, and also because two of the men had an argument over how to cut the brocoli.
The first man had told me to cut it into fine pieces, and with the flower still on top. When the second local man arrived and saw me doing this, he he told me I needed to cut them bigger, and remove the flowers from the top. Words were exchanged when the first man heard this. Chests were puffed. Eventually, the head Sister was consulted.
It turned out that the head Nun agreed with how the first man had told me to cut the brocolli. If the second man´s pride was wounded, he did it well. - 'Todo la gente quiere estar jefe.' he shook his head ruefully when the head Nun was out of earshot. Everybody wants to be boss. I smiled, shrugged and continued cutting the brocolli into small pieces with the flower still on.
Brocolli cut, mugs of aguapanella poured and boiled eggs peeled, lunch was eventually served, a chick pea, vegetable and egg casserole on a bed of rice. It looked delicious though I say it myself. It tasted not bad either, I found out later, when I was offered a plateful after all the homeless had been fed and watered. Even if the brocolli did seems a little small, in my personal, humble opinion.
