You are awake early on Saturday morning, in the middle of your usual three-day weekend. The first rays of sunlight are filtering through your windows. As you walk down your street towards College Avenue, shopkeepers are sweeping their sidewalks, and cafe servers are putting out tables and chairs. Your destination this morning is the farmers’ market across the river.
You are moving briskly through town, but when you reach the bridge over the river, you stop to enjoy the scene. The brick and limestone buildings of downtown Jubilee Station are glowing in the morning sun. Above you, the hills are full of proud oaks and maples. A cool breeze flows across the bridge from the river below, carrying the scent of the coffee that is brewing in the cafe by the train station. As you listen to the water rushing beneath your feet, you take a rich and full breath.
The farmers’ market happens every Saturday, year round, in all weather. The vendor stalls trace the shape of the large plaza where College Avenue comes to an end. A sign by the entrance announces that the market is organized by the Jubilee Station Land Trust.
“Good morning, You!” someone calls out, and you turn to see Joshua from the Festival Committee.
“Oh, good morning,” you say. “Nice to see you again.”
Joshua asks, “Do you like to cook?”
You say, “Yes, and everyone has been telling me I need to get here.”
Joshua says, “You’re in the right place for sure. Come with me – I’ll show you my favorite spots.”
At the first vendor you visit together, there are heaps of heirloom tomatoes and yellow bell peppers for sale, alongside a variety of lettuces and greens. The vendor says, “All of this was grown right here,” pointing to the greenhouses that loom overhead on top of every building.
As you walk through the market with Joshua, you gather a plump loaf of sandwich bread, fragrant soft cheese, and an armload of those tomatoes. Seeing your choices, Joshua says, “If you don’t make the best grilled cheese ever for lunch today, I will be supremely disappointed.”
You say, “I won’t let you down, chef.”
Joshua says, “Good, good. But in the meantime, are you hungry right now?”
You say, “Yes, I could eat.”
Joshua says, “Right this way.” He leads you to the edge of the vendors, where a small cafe is sitting behind an herb garden brimming with mint and cumin. There is a sign in the garden that says, “Take all you need.” Black-Eyed Susans, just beginning to bloom, are bursting out of planters between the small tables arranged outside.
“This is Yuubiil,” Joshua tells you, “and we are getting North African breakfast tacos. Have a seat.” He disappears into the shop, and you sit down at a table next to the garden, taking a small piece of mint from the nearest plant. You crush it between your fingers, savoring the bright and crisp scent that the plant releases, and you breathe deeply.
Joshua returns a minute later with two small plates, each with two tacos. A server follows him outside, carrying a small teapot and two ornate glasses. The server says, “Mint tea for the table. We are grateful for your visit.”
You say, “Shukran,” and the server smiles warmly at you as she pours the tea.
Before you take your first bite, Joshua leans toward you. “I need your help,” he says. “You’re around next weekend, right?” You nod at him as you take your first bite. The taco is filled with shakshuka, an egg and tomato dish. The tomatoes have retained their sweetness, and there is a sharp tang of feta cheese in the mix. You set the taco down, falling back in your chair and closing your eyes as you marvel at the taste.
Joshua says, “These tacos will change your life,” and you can only say, “They already have.”
He continues, “Like I was saying, I need your help. Alumni Weekend starts this Thursday, and it’s for the whole town, not just the college. You saw the schedule from Festival Committee – we have like a hundred events happening. I had someone lined up to spend the day Saturday with the featured speaker, but that guy’s sister just had her first baby, so he’s going back to where he grew up to help them for a while. Like, wonderful for them? But so inconvenient for me.”
You say, “Hmm,” and take another bite of your taco.
Joshua says, “It’s not about me, it’s not about me. Okay, so. Would you be up for doing that? Could you spend the day with this visitor? You just need to meet them at the hotel in the morning and show them around town, make sure they get to the right places at the right times.”
You say, “Yes, I can definitely do that.”
Joshua puts his hands on his head and sighs in relief. “Thank you so much,” he says. “I just want it all to run smoothly, you know? You and I haven’t known each other for very long, but I feel like I can trust you.”
In the afternoon, once you have made your epic grilled cheese, you prepare some shakshuka of your own, to bring to this evening’s baked potato buffet as a topping. You add the greenhouse tomatoes, some ground cumin that you purchased at Yuubiil, and fresh eggs from your neighbors’ chicken coop down the street. As the dish simmers on your stove, you take in the rich aroma with a deep and satisfied breath.
At the buffet, even the kids in the crowd come over to compliment you on your cooking. Grace’s daughter Emily, baby Claire’s mother, stops by and says, “She keeps looking over at you, so I think y’all should hang out for a bit.” Emily hands Claire to you, and you walk around the backyard with the baby, enjoying the company of neighbors who are fast becoming family.