How To Bake A Proper Pie

Chapter One

It was a cold and early morning, just like spring mornings usually are. Karl Apple could feel sun rays hurting his eyelids as the sun rose. He gently turned around and opened his hazel eyes. He knew he needed to get up, after all, his pie shop wouldn't take care of itself, but because he was at least partially human, he stayed in bed. He took a deep breath, and the feeling of fresh air filled him with determination. When he decided it was time to leave his cozy bed, he went directly to the kitchen. He knew he'd eat breakfast in his shop, as he always did. He didn't enter this room because he was hungry.

He bought a gramophone a few months back and chose to place it on his kitchen desk. He took out a record he hadn't heard in a while and gently placed it on the gramophone before turning it on. The music filled his house, and he began to prepare. As he tried to tie his shoes, his semi-long blond hair got in the way. He didn't bother brushing it, because it was naturally messy. He carefully opened the door, letting the sun in like an enemy.

As he headed to his car, he took one final glance at his small house. He lived fairly far from a city, yet that didn't worry him in the least. He was currently residing on a little property that his grandfather had purchased for him. He didn't know why he did it because he knew he was a city boy, but he didn't protest.

He got into his car and carefully started it. He switched on his radio, not expecting to hear anything good. He was correct. For whatever reason, the radio never played tunes that he would like. He switched it off and began singing his favorite tunes instead.

More automobiles began to come on his route after a time. The charming city he adored was only a short distance away. The sounds surrounding him got increasingly loud, and he couldn't wait to open his shop and see his regular customers. He took a couple of turns to the left and then one to the right when he arrived at a location he was familiar with. He slowed down and parked in his usual place. As he stepped out of his car, he noticed Miss Smith standing in front of the shop. "How many times do I have to tell you that I don't open at this hour?" He chuckled as he drew closer to her. "I don't know darling," Miss Smith responded, not bothering to continue her sentence. She was an older lady with a reduced schedule. Karl liked this woman since she played the position of a mother figure in his life. She was quite kind and polite, as most elderly people are, and Karl had never seen her face other than in a smile.

Karl entered his small shop and held the door open for Miss Smith. "I don't have anything to offer you," he expressed concern. "That's unimportant, sweetie; I'm not here for the food. I want to speak with ya, so hurry up and tell me what's new." Karl appreciated how she constantly wanted to know what was on his mind, and he never missed an opportunity to tell her everything. Miss Smith took a seat, and Karl went to the back to change his clothes. He had a job uniform that Miss Smith had helped him in designing. It was a bright orange blouse with dark brown and white striped pants. Once he was changed he put on an apron that still had spots from yesterday's shift. He grinned as he remembered the disaster he produced that day while attempting to develop a new pie recipe.

Miss Smith was on her feet when he returned, rearranging the chairs that were all squeezed into one corner. "You don't have to help me, Miss Smith," Karl murmured, feeling awful after witnessing the old lady move the heavy chairs. "Oh, I didn't realize you wanted to do everything yourself. So, good luck, Pie boy, you only have one hour." She chuckled and sat down once again. "What? But I just arrived? Has it been an hour already?" "It hasn't, sweetie; you came in late today, and I believed you were dead for a few minutes, but then you turned up, so I guess you're alive." Karl panicked, knowing he wouldn't be able to bake all of the pies he desired. He recalls stopping to pet a stray cat and hating himself for it since now he'll have to rush and the pies won't be as good as he'd hoped. He had so many things to do and so little time to do them. The first thing he did was offer Miss Smith a coffee since she was rearranging the chairs yet again.

The hour has gone by in a flash. Fortunately for Karl, he had made the dough and filling the day before, so all he had to do was form the pie and bake it. So far, he's made three pies: a pear, a blueberry, and a plum. He also cooked some other sweets and made some sandwiches with the supervision of Miss Smith. He was upset since he didn't have time to bake an apple pie, but he promised himself that he would bake it throughout the day. While the pies were baking, he sat down next to Miss Smith to enjoy his breakfast. He also offered Miss Smith a breakfast, but she rejected it. They spoke for a long time, but when the time came for the store to open, Miss Smith went, leaving Karl feeling lonely. He figured there wouldn't be any more visitors for at least another half hour, so he began to clean up and put out singhs of today's offering.