Standing before the refrigerator, he saw that all those disparate elements could somehow come together to form something magnificently concrete. The unreal into the real. The untruth into the truth...
He stared at all the different bottles with all their fantastic shapes, aromas, flavors, and colors. Each spice, sauce and condiment contained its own delicious zing of flavor and would leave a long awaited impression on the buds of his tongue. The prospect of so much pleasure was so enticing that he couldn't possibly wait another moment. He reached for a few of the more exotic looking bottles and arranged them on the smooth granite counter. He then opened the cupboard doors into an entirely different universe of baked heaven. The breads looked back with doughy goodness. He couldn't wait to sink his teeth into the crispiness of the crust and bask in the glory of the supple inside and the encompassing warmth. He gently placed the delicate pleasure into the confines of the scorching oven and proceeded to wait the painstaking few minutes until it was ready. His eyes never strayed from the oven. He didn't want a single thing to be wrong with his meal. Everything should be in order, he thought, no more mistakes, this sandwich will be beautiful perfection. He desperately needed one thing to be right in his life. He wasn't about to mess this up. His happiness depended on it.
When the bread was just about right, he let it sit in the heat for awhile and started to assemble the fresh ingredients. He grabbed the tomatoes and checked them, finding that they were perfectly firm but also just soft enough. He sliced and watched as the seeds and innards oozed out of the soft flesh of crimson. He then found the fresh leafy greens and crunched them in his masculine hands. The feeling and sound was incredibly satisfying. He just wanted to keep crunching and crunching, but alas, he could only eat so much. After chopping bell peppers and going through the assiduous process of dicing those accursed onions which made fresh hot tears stream down his face, getting caught in his beard, he threw them onto the prepared pan and watched as they sizzled in the garlicky olive oil. The scent of all the elements coming together was like a beautiful symphony harmonizing after the discord of a raucous tune up. Yes, it was a mellifluous chorus of rich and dulcet sound. The sputter and pop of oil against pan and the sound of steam rising contributed to the music. He then watched the mushrooms shrink and it reminded him of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. When everything was done and the smell was satisfying enough, he took the bread from the toaster and placed the two slices on a plate. He carefully assembled all the ingredients like an artist at work. The bread was his canvas and the paint was hummus and cream cheese. His knife moved along the porous pieces like a brush against canvas and the burst of color from the vegetables were reminiscent of a Jackson Pollock. He tenderly put the two pieces of delight together and carved it down the middle. This was it, the big moment. This was the instant that would change everything that day. His expectations were great and as he took the first bite and felt it all coalesce in his mouth, it did not disappoint. It was all worth it.
