Sage Heart
"Do you know how to cook rice?"
"Measure the rice, and then the water. The water should reach the same point as the rice. Wash it three times, and make sure no rice will fall out."
Jae nods at my explanation. He watches in silence as I follow my instructions. A few minutes later, I cover the boiling pot with its transparent lid.
"While we're waiting for the rice to finish, let's try basic breakfast meals," he says, to which I quietly place a couple of fresh eggs on the counter. Next is a can of ham and two opaque packets of hotdogs and sausages.
Finally, I put down a box of pancake mix beside two plain bowls.
My eyes meet Jae's. "Should I tap the eggs with a fork or crack it against the rim of the bowl?"
"The latter." He reaches for two more eggs from the carton and expertly cracks them open by tapping them on the rim of the bowl in front of him.
It takes twenty minutes for me to cook various forms of egg dishes: Whole, hard-boiled, sunny-side up, and scrambled.
"What are you doing?" I ask Jae while I'm using a lid to shield myself from the popping of the hotdogs and sausages frying on the silver pan.
Jae gives me a sheepish grin. "Sorry. I'm making fried eggs. I got a bit hungry, smelling all that food."
"Oh." I feel my cheeks burn with embarrassment. "I should have asked if you wanted to eat something. Would you like to have a snack break after this?"
His eyes find mine. "Sounds good."
The rice still needs a few more minutes. Jae sits down across me at the two-chair table, which is decorated with all the breakfast meals that I've cooked: Eggs, hams, hotdogs, sausages, and pancakes.
"I'm not sure we can finish all this," he says, examining the bountiful feast laid out before us.
"We don't need to," I assure him, pouring cold water into his glass then mine.
Confused black eyes peer up at me. "What do you mean?"
I flash a cryptic smile in his direction. "You'll see."
At the drop of six thirty pm, the rice is ready and we've moved on to more complex recipes. Jae is very patient in teaching me how to cook healthy lunch and dinner meals. I tried to speed up, but when I steal a glimpse of the clock on the wall, my shoulders slump at the time: Eight fifty.
"No-no-no-no-no," I chant in rising panic.
Hastily, I move around the kitchen, collecting everything we used to cook and dumping them into the silver sink with a loud THUMP.
I'm rushing to transfer most of the food we made into rectangular containers when I feel a pair of hands grab my shoulders. Firm but gentle.
"Heart." I look at Jae's amused smile. "It's alright. There's no need to hurry. My grandparents know I'm nearby and they extended my curfew to ten o' clock. So you can relax."
I give a sigh of relief at his reassuring words. "...Okay. But it will probably be best for you to go on ahead. I can handle this on my own," I say, gesturing my hand along the pile of dirty dishes.
"You don't know how I was raised." Ignoring my protests, Jae picks up a pair of extra gloves from the bottom cabinet and dons them before grabbing a sponge and stained plate. I put on my own pair of gloves and join him in the tedious chore.
Everything is spotless after thirty minutes or so.
"Ham, I'm serious. You should get home. It's really dark now."
