Page 11 - Giv'er Miramichi Magazine - Christmas Issue 2022

Corned Beef Hash

by Doug Dolan

This story is from a collection of vignettes and essays, Stories of Christmas on the River, by Doug Dolan.

"The stories are loosely based on my family and our small village of Nelson. I have chosen not to use actual
names but the reader who knows us will recognize each behind their name. The events presented for the most
part occur at or near the season of Christmas. I hope you as the reader will enjoy the stories and they may help you
better understand that love manifests itself in many forms"- Doug

Christmas as memory is a warming frying pan. Immediately
mixture of what was, what could the aromas put him at ease. He
have been and what is still possible. tosses and flips the mixture to cook
In the man’s recollection, Christmas evenly while adding the corned beef
Eve mostly seems to break into a with some pepper.
clear sky, cold and full of Father looks down the hall to see
anticipation. his son George who has smelled the
Father is up as usual before the aroma of the meager feast and has
family to rekindle the warmth of the come to join him. George has
furnace. The dog feels the willingly inherited his father’s quiet
difference in his step and ponders it nature where neither is given to idle
for a moment to determine if he chatter. He pulls a chair over to the
needs to hold back. Sensing no cupboard climbs up and reaches for
danger he continues astride the man two plates together with ketchup, a
who fills the strange breathing thing necessary condiment for both.
that both frightens the animal and Father stirs the mixture a few more
brings him warmth. times and determines it is ready.
For the man and his dog this day George spots Lucky looking in
is different than others. He lets the from outside and goes out to the
dog out and watches as he shakes the night off and sniffs porch to let him in. They have been fast friends since
the cold air for possible adventure, the man goes to the the young collie pup was given to them by a neighbor
kitchen. He is found here most often as a recipient of farmer. The dog, sensing an ally, scoots under the table
his wife’s good cooking. Today he quietly seeks out awaiting his share he knows will come from the boy.
items and utensils he needs. Potatoes and onions kept The three eat in a comfortable silence.
under the sink where they won’t freeze. The corned beef
tin is hidden away in the back of the cupboard beside
the fridge. He pulls out the foot stool his wife regularly
uses to accommodate her 5-foot 5 inch height. Even
with his 6-foot frame he struggles to find the tin.
He turns the electric stove element on and quickly
it glows orange. He throws in a dab of butter (he refuses
to use that new margarine stuff). The man deftly peels
a few potatoes and an onion and tosses them into the

Giv’er Miramichi is published by MCG Media 11