Garlic Chicken Recipe

G eoff gazed at Kowalski's garlic selection and took enough bulbs to render the fifty cloves required for Gennifer's recipe. He laid the garlic next to the full sprigs of fresh parsley in his basket and rolled over to the meat counter, stalling occasionally to graze. Regardless of whether Kowalski's free samples tasted good or not, Geoff always took advantage. His past had been filled with destitute poverty and homelessness. Being a wheel-chair bound vet had not been easy.

At the meat counter, Geoff ordered eight legs and eight thighs of free range chicken. With an air of anticipation, he wheeled out of the grocery and over to the package store for the wine. Geoff's alcoholic mother and grandmother always said 'package store' out of shame. He rolled over to the white wine section, and put several bottles of Yalumba Chardonnay in his basket.

As his chair lifted onto the bus, he dreamed that he could live with his love for the rest of eternity. As the lift lowered him at Thirty-second and Garfield, Geoff thought of how much his hunger for Gennifer consumed him. She could bring him to the edge many times a night, never leaving him feeling spent, always leaving him hungering for more. Gennifer had complained that her boyfriend, Seth, bit too hard - rough hickies - and wouldn't stop until blood was drawn. Eager for the night's drama, he grasped the wheels with his powerful arms, and sped the two blocks to home.

Geoff was one of those guys you'd see in manual wheelchairs with fantastically huge tattooed covered biceps, massive forearms and pecs. One of the guys you would see, and think, Wow, I wonder if that dude's dick works? In Geoff's case, it did. He was almost priapic.

Carefully peeling fifty cloves of garlic took time, but he found it soothing, with each little reward of a pungent, bitter clove like a thrust of warm air. It buffered the starkness of his solitude that Saturday afternoon. His love would be visiting soon. Until then, Geoff browned the chicken pieces in a cast iron skillet, sealing in the juices.

Carefully, he layered the dish in the four quart Dutch oven. A layer of chicken; many cloves of garlic; a splash of chardonnay; a dusting of Allspice; and, a layer of chopped flat-leaf parsley; repeating the steps, slowly filling the crock, until full. Once baked, garlic loses its pungency and becomes very soft. Geoff would remove it from the dish before serving and blend it with herbed butter. They would then spread it on bits and pieces of the fresh Oulette's French bread.

While the dish was cooking, Geoff wheeled himself into his bedroom to pack his luggage. Gennifer had told him they would elope after dinner. The doorbell rang at 6:30 p.m., and Geoff ushered them into his well appointed living room for aperitifs. When he saw Gennifer, dressed in black lace with a large mysterious amulet around her neck, his urge to grab her, to hold her close, was overwhelming.

Seth was a handsome man, tall, slim, with dark hair and strong imposing features. He was like a sexy 40's movie star, despite his very pale skin. Gennifer was much shorter, with red hair and green eyes - a perfect size six. She was ample, but not fleshy. Seth seemed impatient to leave. Gennifer seemed impatient for dinner. The kitchen timer went off at 7:00 and Geoff excused himself to the dining room to prepare for serving, refusing assistance from Gennifer. He preferred to oversee the entire meal.

Beckoning his friends to the table with a mess sergeant's accomplished cry of "DINNER," Geoff took his place at the head of the table.

Gennifer, slinking into her chair, commented on how sweet he was for serving their dishes for them. "Just like Mom," she said.

"Well, I know you don't like too much spice, so I fixed yours in a separate dish, bland, just as you like it," said Geoff, reaching out to pour the wine.

As they ate in the candlelit room, Seth began to show subtle signs of nausea and eventually excused himself. Geoff and Gennifer heard the sound of uncontrollable retching and spewing onto the lawn outside. There was a heightened sense of urgency emanating from Gennifer. Her preternatural strength was greater than Geoff's, but no match for Seth. As they held each other's hands, Gennifer, as powerful as she was, trembled at the thought of Seth's potential for revenge.

Finally, Gennifer was sure she heard Seth's death gasp on the lawn outside. Gennifer and Geoff smiled at each other. Now that Seth was out of the way, they could go on with their life together.

They smiled and kissed and hugged. Slowly moving to Geoff's room, Gennifer walked backwards in front of him as he rolled toward the bed. She did a racy striptease for the man she loved. He watched as Gennifer tossed her fire red hair, undulating her hips in a dance that made the vulgar, beautiful. Geoff hadn't had Gennifer in several weeks, and she had him under her total control.

She reached behind her back, and unbuttoned her black lace corset. She leaned into Geoff as he hoisted himself out of his chair and into the bed. Gennifer stayed parallel to him during his move and fell with him, tearing his pants off and sliding herself onto him. Like mounting a steed, she began to ride him.

A nibble, then a love bite, turned to heaving, sucking hickies that soon drew blood, commingled blood. Gennifer was on Geoff, turning his life into otherness.

Seth was no more, and Geoff, wheelchair and all, would join the living dead. They would go off into the darkness together. Geoff would not need his luggage.

Later, as they walked out of the house hand in hand, Geoff said, "Do you hear something? Maybe a dying bird, or bat wings?"

Gennifer paused, then answered, "Hurry doll! Let's get out of here. "

Geoff said, "Hop on the back of my chair. Let's roll. I'll drive!"

© 2004 John Vick