Read Online The Obituary Society by Jessica L. Randall - Free Book Online

bad way to spend an afternoon, it did not qualify as fulfilling.  Her grandpa had left her a responsibility, and she knew she wouldn't have any peace until she took care of the house. 
    Lila had ordered a couple of books and perused several online articles.  She'd taken several days to clean the old house from top to bottom, but she hadn't begun any serious work yet.
    The thought of renovating an entire house was overwhelming.  She'd read enough to know that money would be a concern, but it was more than that.  She was afraid she would become attached to it, and she wasn't ready to commit to settling in Auburn, Nebraska, at the ripe age of twenty-four.  People her age were continuing their education, beginning life-long careers.  They were not hanging out with old ladies, clipping obituaries from the newspaper, and drinking herbal tea.
    But then again, Grandpa Issac used to talk about that house like it was an old friend he'd left behind.  He didn't want her to just fix it up and sell it.  And nothing could have prepared Lila for the moment she stood on her grandpa's porch with the key in her hand.  It was as if he had offered her her heritage, and the chance to call a place home.  She didn't know what her future held, but she knew it was time to start repairs on the house. 
    Suddenly the silence was broken by the crashing and clanging of metal pans downstairs, followed by a stream of exasperated remarks from Ada.  Lila dropped her makeup and hurried down to the kitchen.  Flour, sugar, and all the usual ingredients were scattered across the kitchen as she had seen them many times during her stay, and a hint of vanilla hung in the air.  But a partially-cooked cake sat on the counter, and the oven racks and various pots and pans lay on the floor.  All Lila could see of Ada was her polyester backside sticking out of the open oven door. 
    “Of all days, why did it have to go out on the fourth of July?”  The question echoed around inside the oven.
    “ What happened?”  Lila asked. 
    Ada grunted as she pulled herself out of the oven and stretched herself up to her full five-foot-two height.  Her hair stuck out in every direction, and she was adorned with flour and smudges of black.  She reminded Lila of the fairy tales where some simpleton tampers with the treasure of a fearsome dragon.
    “My oven,” she said.  “I put my prize-winning cake in the oven and when I checked on it, it was still gooey.  This oven has worked like a charm for twenty-five years.  Now it’s suddenly gone ka-put!”
    “ Well, I doubt you’ll find the answer in there.”  Lila was afraid to smile.  “I’m sure there’s something we can do.  Maybe we could use one of the other ladies’ ovens?”
“The cake’s already ruined.  I can’t save it now.  Most of The Society will have their ovens full already.  Besides, I won’t do it.  They’ve been telling me to replace this thing for years because all the knobs broke and the handle keeps falling off.  But it was a good oven.  I've had it so long I knew exactly how to time things.  Anyway, look at me.”  She spread her soft arms wide, then flopped them to her sides.  “I won’t have time to fix myself up and make another dessert fit for the Society’s bake sale, even if I had a working oven.”  She started pulling at frizzy patches of her hair. 
    “ When’s the party?”  Lila asked.
    “ Well, the flag-raising is at seven.  The breakfast starts at seven-thirty.  The boy scouts are in charge of that.  They have help, of course, and it’s real good.  They have pancakes and eggs and bacon.  I guess we could skip it this year.  But I always supervise, and make sure the tables are covered and the condiments ready.”  She looked around the kitchen, her eyes dull and hopeless.
    Lila took Ada’s hands and looked at her steadily.  “I may not know much about good home-cooking.  But one thing I have learned as a latchkey kid and taking care of