7 - FOLKLORE: Coughs and Cauldrons in this Folklore

What lengths would you go to in order to save someone you love? Join us as we unravel the mystical and heartwarming saga of Dr. Apples, who embarks on an extraordinary culinary adventure to cure his ailing mother, Ms. BaRule. This episode transports you to a kitchen brimming with the tantalizing aromas of gumbo, where the tension between a son's secretive magic and a mother's enduring grace creates a captivating atmosphere. Dr. Apples discreetly incorporates beings from other realms into Ms. BaRule's gumbo, hoping to find a cure for her relentless cough.
 
Feel the vibrant pulse of their relationship, as every chop, stir, and whispered spell reflects Dr. Apples' unwavering dedication and heartfelt efforts. Together, we explore the bittersweet reality of watching a loved one struggle with illness while holding onto hope and love. Our storytelling paints an evocative picture of familial bonds, magical realism, and the lengths one will go to for those they cherish most. Don't miss this enchanting episode filled with warmth, culinary magic, and the poignant struggle of facing an uncertain future.

Transcript

7 - FOLKLORE: Coughs and Cauldrons in this Folklore

INTRO

Dr. Apples: 00:06

Hey. Welcome. The podcast version of the mystical fantasy folklore about me. Doctor Apples. That's right, me.

Lacie: 00:18

What are you doing?

Dr. Apples: 00:20

I'm podcasting.

Lacie: 00:22

No, you're not.

Dr. Apples: 00:23

Yes.

Lacie: 00:24

No, you're not.

Dr. Apples: 00:25

Yes.

Lacie: 00:27

No.

Dr. Apples: 00:28

Yes.

Lacie: 00:29

No.

Dr. Apples: 00:30

Yes.

Lacie: 00:31

No, you're not.

Dr. Apples: 00:32

Haha. Oh, yes, I am.

Lacie: 00:33

No, no. Give it.

Dr. Apples: 00:37

Give me.

Lacie: 00:38

Give it.

Dr. Apples: 00:41

Fine. You podcast then. I'll go check on my cold press juice.

Lacie: 00:48

Enjoy the show.

STORY

Miss BaRule: 00:54

Chop those onions right, pum. I don't have time to bite into a clear string of onion.

Dr. Apples: 01:00

Yes, mama. Do you need help with the roux?

Miss BaRule: 01:03

Oh, no. No one does the Hoo like me.

Lacie: 01:08

Miss BaRule grinned that beautiful grin. She grabbed the kitchen towel to wipe her hands. The humidity from the outside bathed the house. The steam from the gumbo in the pot was on the ceiling, creating beads of sweat but never dripped down. The smell of fresh seafood and vegetables encased the kitchen. Miss BaRule's dark, curly hair was in the loose ponytail. 

The skinny curls would frequently get into her face, but it didn't bother her. Doctor apple smiled when she passed him in the kitchen. He began chopping the celery and made sure to chop loudly near the pot. Gradually, he chopped using only his right hand. His left hand slowly entered into his pant pocket.

Miss BaRule: 02:03

I'm about to start the rupam. Is everything inside the pot?

Dr. Apples: 02:07

No, Mama. You may need to wait an hour or so for the potatoes to soften.

Lacie: 02:11

She rolled her eyes.

Miss BaRule: 02:13

Ugh. I suppose.

Lacie: 02:18

She focused her attention out the window and began to daydream. Doctor Apple slowly took the contents from his pocket, squeezed tightly in his fist, and hovered it over the pot. He chopped sloppily with his right hand and dropped the contents of his left hand in the pot. A gentle squeal followed by a hit in the gumbo caught Miss BaRule's attention.

Miss BaRule: 02:49

What was that?

Lacie: 02:52

She walked over, lifted the lid, and stirred the gumbo around.

Dr. Apples: 02:56

I'm not sure, Mama.

Miss BaRule: 02:59

That came from the pot.

Dr. Apples: 03:01

No, no, it didn't, Ma.

Miss BaRule: 03:05

What's this meaty thing then?

Lacie: 03:07

It was translucent and chunky. It began to take on the color of the stew.

Dr. Apples: 03:14

No, Mama, it's crab meat. I just put it in with the oysters, too.

Lacie: 03:18

He placed the lid on the pot. The gumbo's aroma delighted the room with pleasant green onions, garlic, seafood, and spices. The flavors danced together perfectly. No sign of foul play. His eyes widened and he maintained eye contact. She wanted to interrogate him more, but she couldn't remember if she had put the seafood in the pot. She released her death stare.

Miss BaRule: 03:53

You know, pum.

Lacie: 03:57

The strong cough caught caused her to jerk backwards. There was no time for her to cover her mouth.

Miss BaRule: 04:03

Never mind. I need to rest.

Lacie: 04:09

Often, while assisting making gumbo, doctor Apples would try to add his own special ingredients into the pot. That's right. Beings he would pull out of other realms while astral projecting were inserted into Miss BaRule's famous gumbo. He was looking for a remedy. He knew he would cure that cough in no time.

Dr. Apples: 04:34

Mama should never have to suffer.

Lacie: 04:36

On various occasions, he would get caught.

Dr. Apples: 04:40

Ow.

Lacie: 04:40

What seemed like the habits of a kid who needed his whooped were culinary experiments from the heart. His head would sink low, brows spaced apart, and let out a sigh from his heart. This was the common reaction after hearing his mother's cough. He wished it could give her his strength.

Dr. Apples: 05:04

Just take my strength.

Lacie: 05:08

His eyes couldn't look at her when that horrid cough appeared. There was no resolution, potion or juju to soothe her cough. You could sense that cough formulating. You could hear it form in the core of her lung. It felt like he lost a little part of her each time it voiced itself. She knew it. He knew it, but was rarely brought up in conversation. It's difficult to watch your best friend slowly die. Doctor Apples didn't accept this cosmic irony. With so much wealth of knowledge and power at his becking call, who was he not to figure out the solution to his mother's pain? 

With Miss BaRule's cough enhancing, the extra ingredients in the gumbo became intrusive. Miss BaRule assumed what he was up to when they were cooking gumbo, but could rarely prove it. So doctor Apples additions to the gumbo continued. One ingredient doctor Apples would seemingly get caught playing around with unsettled Miss BaRule, the most fairy. If you're thinking about the Tinkerbell cartoon characters, then you're sadly mistaken. I'm talking about the kind that makes the most powerful of witches shrill and fear those fairies. Well, that's another wild ride in the Doctor Apples universe.

OUTRO

Dr. Apples: 06:55

Don't forget to subscribe, or I'll turn your apples into pickles.

Lacie: 07:01

And visit drapples.com for more magical madness. See you next time.

Dr. Apples: 07:09

Bye. Or as we say in my dimension, apple a doodle doo.

Dr. Apples: 07:15

What?

Lacie: 07:16

With dimension?

Dr. Apples: 07:17

Shh. Just go with it.

Lacie: 07:19

Okay.