Chapter 7

We're home and we've just unloaded our bags. I'm standing in front of the counter, checking the ingredients spread out before me.

"Um, is there anything I can do?" Chen asks from beside me.

I turn to him. "Can you cut an onion?"

"...yes."

"Here." I hand one to him, then I start steaming the rice. After I do so, I turn to check on Chen, he's struggling to get the knife through the onion without it rolling off the cutting board. He tries to shove the knife into it, causing the onion to slide off. In his haste, he nearly chops his own finger off.

"Oi, oi, oi! Hold it like this", I reposition his hands. "I thought you said you could cut an onion?"

"I didn't know it'd be this hard!" He's blushing. Man, he blushes easily. I laugh. "Hold it like this and cut thin slices horizontally..." After instructing Chen, I start cutting the carrots. After a while, I suddenly turn back to him. "Hey, sorry I forgot to warn you-" Ah, too late. His eyes are red rimmed and a singular droplet makes its way down his left cheek. "-onions make you cry."

After a while, the vegetables are cut. I sauté them, add spices and water, and when the rice is ready, I combine the two.

"Okay, so this is sambar rice." I place the bowl of steaming brown rice in the middle of the table. "It's basically rice doused in a lentil and vegetable stew." I hand Chen a bowl and a spoon. He immediately picks up a spoonful and lifts it to his lips. "But be careful because-" he shovels the spoonful into his mouth, freezes, then rushes to the sink"-it's hot and spicy." I finish.

Holding back a chuckle, I get up and show him where the glasses are. He immediately grabs one, fills it up, and starts glugging it down. After four cups his eyes are misty and his already semi full lips are now puffy and red. I stop him from getting a fifth, "drink anymore and you'll lose your appetite for dinner." He turns to look at the remaining sambar rice and his face blanches.

"Do I have to finish that?"

"Come on, it's not good to waste food. Try it with something sweet first. That usually works. If you really can't, I'll have it tomorrow" I pull out a mango yogurt and hand it to him. His mouth is still open, panting. I notice his small pink tongue flicking against his bright red lips, I clear my throat and glance away. Wow the sambar rice is hot today.

"Sorry, I usually use four or five chilis for the sambar but this time I reduced it to three since you're not used to spicy food. I guess that was still too much."

Chen, currently in the midst of stuffing his mouth with yogurt, spares a moment to look up at me and fervently nod. He's still misty eyed. Cute. I freeze.

Glug, glug, glug.

I come back to myself in time to see Chen balancing between a bite of the rice, a mouthful of the yogurt, and a gulp of his water.

"If you really can't then you don't have to."

"No," pant, "I hardly", gulp gulp, "get to eat", chomp chomp, "homemade", pant, "food!"

I stare at him for a second, then burst into laughter.

"What the heck was that sentence?" He glares at me with his misty gaze while his mouth continues chomping away. I start laughing even harder. Then I pause when a thought hits me.

"How come you hardly get to eat homemade food? Do your parents not make it for you?"

I take a spoonful of the rice, waiting for his answer. However, after several seconds I look up, then freeze.

"Chen...are you crying?"

"I'm" hiccup "not."

"But you're..."

"It's the onions!"

"But they're cooked?"

"Then it's the spice! It's your fault, if you hadn't made it this spicy...!"

I watch him open mouthed. Damn, I've never had younger siblings. How am I supposed to know what to do here? Then a flash of inspiration hits me, I remember my dad coaxing my mom.

"Chen, Chen listen to me." I rush over to him. "It's all my fault okay? It's all my fault. Hush." I pat his back. "It's okay, let it all out. It's my fault."

Ten minutes later his sobs finally weaken, I'm still half crouching next to him, patting his back, and I realize what an awkward position we're in. Ram, you're an idiot. Why would you coax him?

I clear my throat. "Feeling better now?"

"Yeah."

"Um...want to talk about it?" Chen doesn't react. His head is bowed, eyes downcast, and he's completely still. Just as I'm debating what to do, Chen speaks.

"I have no home."

"Well, yeah, your apartment did just burn dow-"

"No. Not that."

"What?" He doesn't respond. My eyes widen. "Oh wow, I'm so sorry, I didn't know-" He interrupts me with a bitter laugh.

"No, my parents are alive and well, well enough to wish they didn't have a son like me." I peer at his eyes, they're shadowed and downcast.

"...Uh..." I stand there, stiff as a board. Chen doesn't speak for several minutes and I feel as if I'm on pins and needles. Then he looks up.

"Just kidding! I'm stuffed, I don't think I can manage another bite!"

I hesitate whether to add something further, then decide to just keep my mouth shut. I pick up his plate and the other utensils to clear the table. I consider asking him to help with the dishes, then a push the thought away. The guy seems to be going through a lot. However, just as I pick up the sponge I hear a "wait!" I turn around.

"Let me help with the dishes."

"You sure?"

"Yes, you cooked didn't you? I'll do the dishes."

"Alright, then I'll leave you to it." After making sure he knows how to do it, I walk over to the TV.

"Hey Chen!" I turn on the TV.

"Yeah?"

"Want to watch a movie?"

"Sure!" I open Amazon Prime.

"Is Marvel okay?" I call.

"Sure!" I go to the search bar and type in "Endgame".