Wilbur, Babe, or a small boy's birthday!

Wilbur, Babe, or a small boy's birthday!!

It was Meesha Benjamin's 2nd birthday. So his Dad Yuri killed the fatted piglet. Meesha was nowhere to be seen, but Gaven and I, Micah, Danny and Magdala were all there to witness it.

Yuri drove a screwdriver into the pig's heart and then proceeded to tell us that during the forced famine of the 1930's families would suffocate a pig so no one would hear and the government come and take the meat from the needy families.

After the pig was dead, the hair was burned with an oxy torch and then scraped with a knife, then cut and gutted, with some of the choice pieces sent home to be cooked for the party.

The ear is cut off and sliced into pieces and we dip it in salt and eat it raw. I think the cat got most of Gaven's piece (and a bit of mine too).
That afternoon we all sit around the table and enjoy good fellowship and beautiful freshly killed, freshly cooked pig. Potatoes and bread - Ukrainian staple food - and some preserved vegetables make the extras, with some cakes for dessert.

Suddenly - I look at my watch - nearly 6pm
How fast one day can go!

Now my stomach and insides are telling me maybe I should have eaten a little less of the pig.

Another version and photos can be found on Danny's site

Jono Miller