The Kettle White

Mother provides me with hot meals. The Aunts do, too, but they usually just bring water up from the house, already warm for cooking.

Mother uses her little electric kettle.

I used to really dislike the kettle. Mother used it to warm water for face cleaning in that first winter (and spring and summer) while battling the hole.

The worst thing about the kettle, though, is that it screams and hisses most oddly. It doesn't start out doing that... so I stare at it suspiciously until it does. Then I let Mother know it bothers me.

Mother has learned to prepare the kettle when I am not around. And since it makes my dinner all perfectly cooked and yummy, I guess I don't mind it as much.

Until it screams.