Over the years, I’ve worked out my own ideas and my own tweaks. I’ve been doing all the cooking for myself and my roommates or housemates for the ...ast six years. At home, I got to cook sometimes, but my mom didn’t appreciate it, so I didn’t get to do it as often as I would have liked.”“I eat on-base most of the time and the best I can say is that it’s edible.”“You’re welcome here any time,” I said.“Thanks,” he said.When we finished dessert and coffee, everyone pitched in to clean up and put. Do you keep a club in the car to drive them back?’ ‘Actually, it’s a Louisville Slugger. Works every time.’ We ate slowly and talked about our lives as spoiled rich kids for almost an hour, though it seemed like only a few minutes. When I looked at my watch, I’d been thinking we had plenty of time to keep talking, and I was a bit shocked to see that the funeral home would open in less than twenty minutes. The quick burn of disappointment surprised me, both in its depth and in the fact that I’d. I’d ask Father Al, or one of the horde of church ladies about whom they knew of in town that needed assistance that week and once told, I’d attend to it. That’s pretty simply how things worked in Lovett, nearly everyone was poor and if someone had anything extra to share they did, without thought of payback or making a big scene or production out of their charity or generosity. Christmas 1984 was fairly memorable for us. As I still did not own a car, my parents drove down to spend the Holiday. My plan, brilliant in its simplicity, was to liquor him up and get him to blab. Confess, if I’m lucky.One hour and three drinks later -- mojitos, not vodka for him, red wine for me -- I had made scant progress. Zero would describe it pretty well.Since hearty, then sexy, had accomplished nothing, I tried on grave and judicious. A slightly better fit, but still prêt-à-porter, I’m afraid. We migrated from the bar to the restaurant and Sokolov switched to beer. Excused himself twice to redistribute.