Cherry Peppers & Anchovies

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I was wandering through the produce section looking for jalapenos when I stumbled upon a bin of perfect little red, round cherry peppers.

I instantly thought:

Anchovies!

I headed over to the canned good area and found two little containers of the rolled anchovies.

Perfect!

It wasn't until I returned home and started coring the pepper to place the anchovy inside did it hit me:

Dad!

Death sucks because of the wave of sadness that grips you at those moments. I instantly thought of the last Father's Day that Dad was here.

We had the kids in the car and we were ready to leave.

"Papa wants you to hang on!" Matt was saying from the backseat.

"What is he doing?" I asked.

"He didn't say. He just told me to tell you not to leave."

I glanced at Kathy. She just shrugged. Jake and Sam were calling for us to go.

But we waited.

Finally!

Dad headed to my open driver's side window.

He extended two cans of rolled anchovies to me.

"Happy Father's Day, Pal," He said. "I knew I saved them for you. We're the only two guys who really love these."

"Why are you giving them to me?" I asked.

I was thinking that he should save them for himself. I was also thinking that I can find the anchovy aisle.

"It's for Father's Day. You're a good Dad."

"You're a great Dad," I answered, accepting the present.

I stuffed the cherry peppers with the rolled anchovies all these years later and I considered Dad's gifts to me.

So many gifts!

It was only 9 in the morning when I stuffed every last pepper and placed them on a plate to eat later.

There was no danger of slipping the entire plate into the 'fridge. I don't have a child who would eat anchovies.

But before covering the plate, I took a single stuffed pepper.

"Thanks, Dad," I said to the empty kitchen.

Damn!

It was great.

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