Dreams Upon A Silver Pine Branch

Chapter 12: The Tales of Tsubaki Island

"I should check on how my mom is doing now." Akira let go of the group hug. "And maybe bring her some lunch if she hasn't had anything to eat. Kenta, Auntie Shiori is in charge of the finishing touch on your yakimeshi, right? Is there anything in it my mom can't eat?"

"I mostly use plant-based ingredients, except for the egg yolk. The egg isn't mixed in with the rice, though, so you can just serve the yakimeshi without the omelet." Kenta said. "I feel bad that Auntie Chiharu has a lot of foods she can't enjoy. I admire how she has never complained despite everything. If I were her, I don't think I can resist complaining every five minutes."

"I hope this question isn't too personal, Akira, but why can't your mom eat egg yolk?" Ezekiel asked while preventing Miyuki from biting Sebby's swishing tail. "Hey, Miyuki, leave him alone. Are you jealous of his bushy tail? Hm, maybe we ought to give you some fake tail."

"I don't know if cats can get jealous!" Akira giggled before picking Miyuki up and putting her on Kenta's lap, away from Sebby. "Oh, and about my mom's diet. Egg yolk contains high level of phosphorus, which in healthy people help build stronger bones together with calcium. In someone with kidney problem like my mom, however, extra phosphorus can build up since the kidney isn't capable of removing the excess anymore. Too much phosphorus can lead to complications like heart attack, stroke, and decreased lung functions. She does have a medicine called phosphate binder to control her phosphorus level, but still it's good to avoid egg yolk."

"Wow, Akira, I think you can become a dietician if you ever want to!" Ezekiel stared at his girlfriend in amazement. "That's a very thorough break down on the effects of egg yolk."

"Oh, I don't know about being a dietician, but I'll put that on the list of my possible future majors. Say, Ezie, aren't there chefs who specialize in making foods for sick people? Like, chefs who work in a hospital? Do you think you would ever be interested in training to be one?"

"Well, our future is not set in stone, so yeah, why not?" Ezekiel nodded. "Besides, I do believe that good chefs care about the health of those who eat their cooking and I wanna be a good chef."

"I wonder if there are chefs who cook foods for sick animals," Johan wondered aloud. "If us humans can be put on a diet to improve our health, surely the same principle applies to animals, am I right? I wouldn't mind working alongside that kind of chef, but as my siblings could attest my cooking skill is unfortunately inexistent. Mom is patiently helping me get better, though."

"Aw, I could give you some pointers, Johan." Kenta gave him a reassuring smile. "I don't know much about foods that aren't Japanese, but I think the basic of cooking is the same regardless of culture. There's frying, boiling, steaming, sautéing, baking, grilling, and I think that's all?"

"Pretty much." Ezekiel nodded. "Don't worry, Johan, cooking isn't that hard. You'll improve."

"What kind of foods do you like to cook?" Nardho suddenly jumped down from Kenta's bed and demanded a hug from Ezekiel. The older boy complied and Nardho snuggled up in his arms.

"I like cooking with tofu. People think tofu is tasteless but that's exactly why I like it. With a blank canvass like that, I can be creative and experiment with a lot of different seasonings and sauces. Hey kid, have you ever had Sacha tofu? It's very spicy but flavorful. The oil is infused with shallot and copious amount of chilies. Maybe I can make some for you someday."

"Ooh, tofu with spices!" Nardhia said, drooling. "I bet the tofu would be yummy with broccoli."

"You like broccoli?" Kenta asked with a hint of disbelief in his voice. "That's great, Dhia."

"Broccoli is good with lemon and butter!" the little girl's legs were now kicking the air as she rolled on her stomach and hugged one of Kenta's pillows. "I don't get why people dislike it."