Looking For Hope

Chapter 11: Cooking Lessons, Managing Differences, and Ideas for the Play

Author's note: N, I know you are reading this. Thank you for your discussions with me on what is safe and what is not safe in a relationship, the one you have with him is definitely something good, so keep on loving him and demand that he respects you with all his heart.

This chapter is light-hearted but there would be some mature dialogues about the nature of interracial and inter-abilities relationships. Also, I have been asked where I got inspirations for my story. Well, there was this anime called Gakuen Alice and the academy's student body population is what I base most of my characters on. Moira is definitely like that anime's protagonist, but our heroine in this book still needs to come out of her shell more. Check out the anime's opening and ending song, "Pika Pika no Taiyo" (Sunshine) and "Shiwase no Niji" (Rainbow of Happiness). Also, Count on Me by Bruno Mars has the same feelings.

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Nardho ended up buying a lot of ingredients from the farmer's market for dinner. He said he would treat Moira and Tony to a special Papua New Guinean feast since the dining hall foods were getting too boring for their tastes. Moira helped Nardho stored the ingredients in the huge fridge—there were banana leaves, yams, half a pig, green beans, rice, and more. Meanwhile, Tony heated up the oven like Nardho instructed and the chef washed his hands. They were in the same large dormitory kitchen they used to bake cupcakes to welcome Rain the other week or so.

"So, you guys know I have Indonesian blood but I also have the genes of its neighboring country, right? My ancestors on the PNG side came from a province called Oro. It was very remote and it had birds of paradise, the same one tattooed on my neck. Oh, you want to know why Johan does not have one. Well, in Oro culture actually only girls got tattooed when they came of age, but I couldn't let Nardhia did it alone, so I did it with her." Nardho narrated.

"Interesting! I'm boring, I'm just Irish and Welsh. By the way, the oven's ready," said Tony.

"Nah, there's nothing boring about having ancestors from the Great Britain. At least you can track down who your great-great-great grandparents were. I never knew mine. All I know is that at some point my ancestors were Black Americans from Cincinnati, Ohio." Moira admitted.

"Okay, now I need help cutting the pork into several different parts. Tony, you do that. Moira, you can help me boil the green beans while I buttered the yams and prepare the rice." Nardho commanded. Moira hated veggies, but she would eat anything for Nardho. 

The girl watched wordlessly as her boyfriend skillfully chopped the sweet potatoes into chunks of evenly shaped cubes. She wanted to help but she was not sure how to handle the knife as effortlessly as he did.

"How did you get so good at cutting vegetables?" She rested her elbows on the kitchen counter as Nardho set the sweet potatoes aside to wash the green beans.

"My mom made sure that my siblings and I know how to cook," he replied while turning on the faucet. "I'm still learning myself, so thanks for the compliment. Do you think you can help me measure the seasonings?"

Moira nodded and was about to go find a measuring spoon when she realized she had no idea what kind of spices she needed to use.

"Hey honey, what should I use to season the sweet potatoes?"

"O-oh, right!" Nardho stammered and then asked her to check if there were some sea salt and dried rosemary or parsley in the overhead cabinet.

The bottles of herbs were on the furthest corner of the top shelf and Moira had to tiptoe to reach them. She managed to grab the bottles but she tripped on the kitchen mat.

"Careful!" Nardho caught her before she could land on her back. Their faces were just inches away from each other and they sheepishly smiled before pulling away.

"This mat should be put elsewhere. I don't think it even needs to be here." Moira pretended to look at it disdainfully. Nardho did not understand the pretense and was about to take the mat away when the girl couldn't contain her amusement and snorted.

"What's so funny?"

"You are! It's just a mat, it can stay. I should've been more aware of my surroundings, I'm so clumsy."

"Did you fall on purpose?" There was a tone of slight annoyance in his voice but the way his lips twitched into a grin betrayed him. Moira shook her head vehemently.

"That wasn't planned. I swear!"

"Really? Because it seems to me you were trying to get my attention."

"If anyone needs attention, it's me!" Tony called out from beside the oven. "You guys act as if I'm invisible."

The couple exchanged a glance before bursting out into uncertain laughters. Tony raised an eyebrow but said nothing else.

"Sorry, buddy, we didn't mean to forget our favorite sous chef!" Nardho gave him a pat on the shoulder before thanking Moira for her help seasoning the sweet potatoes.