“I have nothing to do,” yelled my little sister as she ran into the room and dived into my bed. It had been only thirty minutes since our parents had left for work and the eight-year-old was troubling me again. “Help me,” she said in a small whining voice from under the pillow above her head. Listening to her made me close my textbook. I raised my eyebrows with a faint smile, wondering what the matter was.
As if lost in thought she said, “I think I’m hungry.” I was glad she had made my work easier.
Now a new problem arose- I had to decide what I should make for her. As if making lactose free food wasn’t hard enough, I didn’t even have anyone to help me. I suddenly recalled the recipe for a perfect vanilla mug cake. If I used almond butter and soy milk, I felt it would make a delicious snack. Although it seemed like a great idea to me, my sister didn’t like it.
My thoughts then raced as I tried to remember the recipe for something salty. I wondered if she would like some tofu. I knew that we had the tofu and all the spices required. I was affirmative that I could do a pretty good sauté. My mouth watered as I thought of tofu on the stove. I immediately asked if she wanted some. She scrunched up her face and in a bored tone swatted the idea away.
Considering that she may not be wanting something salty, I began thinking out of the box. A smile lit up my face when I looked back on the last time I had made jelly. I had let it cool for a little longer, making it taste much richer than usual. Using small bits of apple as the topping had made it a hit. Disappointment struck me like an arrow when the eight-year-old rejected my idea.
Slowly, I felt anger building up, turning my face into an ugly scowl. With bitterness, I said to my sister, “I can’t understand what you want! I have suggested mug cake, sautéed tofu and my amazing jelly. All these dishes are perfect!”
Barely surprised to see my anger, the small girl in front of me replied with a yawn, “I think I’ll just have some toast.”
A master chef ready to introduce the world to new recipes was stumped, by a simpleton.
Amazing!