Don't Cry Over Phở

Chapter 21: Potlucks

The weekend zoomed by faster than I thought because in a blink of an eye, it was already the day of the potluck. I watched my parents make the phở in a huge steaming metal pot at the restaurant and I wondered if it would be enough for all of the students.

Most people tended to bring small types of dishes to potlucks, but I didn't mind bringing something as big as phở as long as it meant saving the restaurant. Watching my parents make the broth, they let me stir some on my own and add some of the vegetables and spices. I kept forgetting which spice was which though and I knew that if Luca was there, his eyes would have definitely drilled holes into my back like the perfectionist chef he was.

I wonder if he would like the phở we made. Oh well, it didn't matter how much he liked it. What really mattered is if other people will like it. The morning was so stressful for me, I looked terribly haggard walking out of my house with a heavy pot of phở. Making sure not to spill it, I practically moved like a snail on the way to the car and school.

"Have fun! Make sure people like the phở!" called my dad from the car, waving at me.

"Yeah, yeah I'm sure they will," I replied, waving him off. I couldn't help, but chuckle a little at his statement. Make sure they like the phở?! How could I possibly do that when everyone had their own opinions?!

Lugging the heavy pot into school, I felt like my back was going to break from all the weight I was carrying. Even though there were plenty of kids I saw that were also carrying a plate of food, I still got a couple of stares on my way to the school office. I mean I was carrying a giant metal pot so I guess I couldn't really blame them.

Entering the school office, I poked my head out of the corner to see any sign of people. Noticing me, one of the office ladies stopped typing on her computer to peer at me over her glasses.

"Hello dear, do you need something?" she inquired.

"Yeah, do you have a place where I can keep this until lunch time?" I asked, holding up the pot as best as I could, the weight starting to tire my arms.

Noticing the pot, understanding washed over her face. "Oh of course! Just put it on the table next to the door over there," she said, pointing at a gray table with various items on it already.

"Thanks," I smiled at her, walking over and placing it on the table. There were a couple of lunch boxes and bags there too, assuming that this must be where people dropped off items. About to leave, the door next to the table opened as a girl came in.

We both looked up in surprise at the unexpected encounter. She awkwardly smiled at me, "Oh didn't expect anyone to be here. What's that on the table?" She gestured her head towards the pot.

For a second, I froze remembering the days of elementary school when classmates used to question the food I brought. The look of judgement on their face was something I buried deep down in my memories, hoping to forget. For a second, I wanted to lie. I wanted to say "oh just noodles" or "this is for someone else". Anything to avoid being associated with my culture.

However, her voice didn't seem judgmental as she stared at me. She just seemed curious so I thought maybe I didn't have anything to worry about.

I hesitated before replying, "Uh, it's phở. It's for the ASU Club potluck today."

"Ohh I see. Sounds delicious," she smiled at me before taking something off the table and leaving.

I smiled a little to myself, thinking about the potluck. It was a great opportunity for a bunch of people to try the phở and I hoped they would like it enough to increase our business. After I left, I felt antsy the whole morning in my classes. Whenever I thought about the potluck, my leg would involuntary jiggle out of anxiety and I'm pretty sure it drove my desk mates nuts as most of them would shoot me an annoyed look.