But I wasn’t upset. In fact, I was happy to have a life where I had honest people around me. True friends are priceless.
As Elijah and I stood in the oven section of McCloud’s, the only Robin Creek home-appliance store, my mind wandered to the ongoing remodel of my grandmother’s house. I knew that buying a new oven was an essential part of completing the project, but as I surveyed the various models on display, I realized there was more to it than I had thought. There were ovens with Wi-Fi connectivity, offering remote control via smartphone apps. Some boasted advanced convection technology for more even cooking, and others had preset cooking modes for everything from roasting a turkey to baking artisan bread. There were models with integrated temperature probes for precise cooking, self-cleaning features, and even steam-cooking options for healthier meals.
What in the world?
“Grandma, this one has voice command,” Elijah noted.
Are we cooking with robots now?
Feeling slightly overwhelmed by the array of high-tech features, most of which seemed more suited for a professional chefthan for my own needs, I decided to call Gabriella for help.
“Hey, Gabriella, you off work?”
“Clocking out now.”
“Would you mind joining Elijah and me at McCloud’s? I could use your advice on picking out a new oven.”
She responded with a chirp in her tone. “I’ll meet you there.”
When Gabriella arrived at the store, a wave of relief washed over me. Her cheerful presence was a welcome contrast to the sterile, fluorescent-lit showroom filled with stainless steel appliances. Together, we began to explore the various ovens on display, each one boasting more features than the last.
“Look at this one, Joyce,” Gabriella said excitedly, pointing to an oven with a built-in air fryer and a touchscreen display. “Can you imagine all the meals we could whip up in this beauty?”
The salesperson, Leonna, who wore a few service pins noting her accomplishments with the store, complimented Gabriella on her knowledge of cooking. “I don’t think you need me here at all!”
Finally, the last oven on the aisle left me, Gabriella, and Elijah in complete awe. The Celestia Gourmet Precision Elite was a marvel of modern kitchen technology. Its sleek stainless steel exterior gleamed under the store’s lights, and its large glass door promised a clear view of whatever culinary creations it would hold inside.
Leonna described its features to us. “This model boasts an intuitive touchscreen control panel…” I swear, the theme song fromRockystarted playing as she spoke. Celestia seemed to offer an endless array of cooking options, from a precision baking mode to a specialized roast function. It even had a unique feature that allowed for sous-vide cooking, a method usually reserved for kitchens in high-end restaurants. The oven boasted smart technology,capable of being controlled remotely through a smartphone app, and the app could suggest recipes based on ingredients you had on hand. Finally, the surface had been treated with a substance to resist fingerprints, scratches, and smudges.
“Grandma, that oven is a boss,” Elijah remarked, his eyes wide with admiration at the sight of this cutting-edge appliance. You know a stove is a bad mutha-shut-your-mouth when a ten-year-old looks like he’s about to cry just looking at it.
Gabriella was practically salivating, and my mind reeled at the list of features. I think the only thing itdidn’tdo was plate your food.
But when Leonna turned over that price tag, I thought somebody had written their phone number on it, there were so many digits.
Elijah gulped. “Whoa. I think you could buy a car for that much money.”
“Maybe,” I agreed.
“But look at it!” Gabriella straightened an arm and outlined the perimeter. “And listen!” She knocked on the stainless steel. “It’s solid. It will last for decades.”
“Lifetime warranty,” Leonna declared. “This brand is family owned. They stand by what they sell.”
“They have to, as much as they charge,” I said.
As the three of us stood there with mouths agape, Leonna offered, “And we match competitors’ prices, so you won’t find a better deal within fifty miles.”
“By the way,” Gabriella mentioned casually, “the next cooking competition is in August. I’d love to have a new oven before then to practice with.”
I gawked. “No pressure.”
“No pressure. I’m just sayin’,” Gabriella said.
I glanced at the price tag and winced. “Yeah, I’m not sure if that’s going to work, especially with the future plans to separate the house further.”
Elijah, who had been quietly observing our conversation, piped up with a question. “Why do you need to separate the house more, Grandma?”
Gabriella smiled at him and ruffled his hair. “Right. I don’t plan on moving anywhere anytime soon. Unless someone sweeps me off my feet, which isn’t going to happen in a year’s time.”
