Dinner
Author's Notes
((NOTE: What follows is unedited manuscript from back when I wrote this in high school. Please don’t make too much fun of it.))
Mr. Chien was putting on a jacket as he headed toward the door.
“Um. Mr. Chien? Where are you going…?”
Mr. Chien froze and turned to see Harry staring at him.
“I’m just going out. I can’t quite stay still in this house.” He turned to face the living room and made a quick gesture using his hand. “And Marco’s taking a nap, so I don’t suppose he’d mind me taking the car.”
Harry turned to face the living room as well. Marco was slouched over on the couch asleep. Harry turned his attention back to Mr. Chien. “Can you drive his car?”
Mr. Chien took some keys out of his pocket and jangled them. “Well. You want go out with me then?”
Harry went with Mr. Chien to keep an eye on him. However, it wasn’t as if he was going anywhere questionable.
But they ended up at some supermarket. As they walked around towards the back of the market, there were tanks with live fish and lobsters. There was also a shallow tank of blue river crabs and, of course, being an 8 year old boy, Harry picked them up and tortured them by poking them.
“Leave them alone, Harry.”
Harry glanced up at Mr. Chien while still holding the crab in the pair of metal tongs. He begrudgingly put them down and followed briskly behind him. “What are you buying?”
“A few things. I’m trying to think about what to make though.”
“I swear we just walked around the whole store and we haven’t even bought anything.” He quickly got out of the way of a shopping cart and resumed glaring at Mr. Chien. “What’s the point?”
Mr. Chien shrugged. “Just seeing what’s on sale.” He quickly counted something on his fingers and began to walk off.
“Hey! W-wait!” Harry was cut off by a maze of shopping carts as he dashed after him. Mr. Chien disappeared behind an aisle and Harry began to panic. Darting between displays, aisles, and shopping carts, he turned down the aisle where Mr. Chien disappeared off to, but saw it empty. “What the hell?!”
“Watch your language.”
Harry turned to see Mr. Chien standing next to him, nonchalantly adjusting his glasses to read the overhead sign. Harry became extremely frustrated. Was he just messing with him?
After going through the market once more, this time actually picking things up, they went to the check out. By this point, Harry learned how to tell good and bad bell peppers apart, whether something on sale was actually a good deal or not, and various other things.
While waiting, Harry picked up a small tin of fruit candies and inspected it. It was suddenly pulled out of his hands and he looked up.
Mr. Chien looked at it briefly. “Harry, do you want to buy this?”
“No. Not really. I was just looking at it.”
Mr. Chien smiled and placed it on the conveyor belt.
After all the items were scanned, Mr. Chien pulled out a wallet to pay.
“W-wait! Isn’t that Marco's—?”
Mr. Chien gave a knowing wink. “Shhhhh. As long as he doesn’t know, it will be fine.”
Harry’s sour expression softened as he laughed.
Marco was still asleep on the couch when they came back. Both of them quickly stole their way into the kitchen, and unpacked their groceries.
Mr. Chien had scrutinized the kitchen beforehand, and found it rather unsuitable for Chinese cooking. But he did plan something, and found all the utensils he needed.
Harry looked on with mild interest as Mr. Chien set things up and washed the vegetables. Then Mr. Chien turned on him with a knife in hand. “Want to help me by chopping some vegetables?”
Harry raised an eyebrow. “You’re giving an 8 year old boy a knife.”
Mr. Chien’s eyes twinkled. “Yes? Is there a problem?”
Harry smiled and took the knife. “Alright. Let’s do this.”
Marco woke up to the smell of cooking food. Of course, being extremely hungry, he walked over to the kitchen.
And of course, he didn’t expect his brother and Mr. Chien to be clad in aprons cooking food.
“What the hell is going on here?”
Harry beamed. “We’re making food!” He pointed excitedly at a plate of noodles. “I fried the noodles! And now I’m helping make pot stickers!”
Marco stood there with his mouth open. He never saw Harry this excited about anything before.
“Well, it’s nice for you to finally grace us with your presence.” Mr. Chien grabbed the dumplings from the pan with some wooden chopsticks and placed them on a plate.
Marco sat down at the table and watched. They had a small system going. Harry would take the wrapper and Mr. Chien would place a small helping of the meat filling onto it. Harry would then crimp it closed and place it on the pan, which Mr. Chien monitored.
Marco stood up. “Mind if I helped out too…?”
All three were eating the food. A few of the pot stickers Marco made were a little sloppy, but otherwise it was a picturesque meal.
Marco paused. “Pfft. Well. This is exactly how I imagined this would be like when I’m married.”
Mr. Chien looked up. “Pardon?”
“You know, having nice meals cooked for me. And also having somebody around that Harry likes.”
Harry gave a small displeased look.
Mr. Chien frowned. “Are you saying I’m your wife or something?” He smiled. “Sorry, but I’m already married.”
Harry broke into uncontrollable laughter. Mr. Chien and Marco glanced at each other and began to laugh too.
“We’re like a family now, huh?”