Mr. Papayoo has everything-a loving family, the best friend anyone could ask for, and a job he cherishes. His restaurant, famous for its carbon burgers, thrives until a devastating tragedy hits the Lava World. The nutrient they need to survive-carbo...
"What should I help you out with, Dad?" Jay asked as they finally arrived at the restaurant. His father was oddly silent, so Jay hoped that by striking up a little bit of conversation and helping out with work, he would get his father to forgive him quickly.
"Mr. Miner is delivering the carbon today, so we'll need to prepare everything to start cooking. The menus and recipes are right over there," Mr. Papayoo said as he gestured across the kitchen. His kitchen wasn't big, nor did it have the fanciest equipment, but the tribe adored his restaurant, which was enough for him. His secret ingredients were high-quality carbon that he got delivered every other day, his expertise, and a lot of love that he poured into every meal. That was what made his restaurant so special.
"Gotcha," Jay nodded, dashing across the kitchen to grab the recipes. His eyebrows raised as he read through them. Some were old, and others were newer. His father was good at what he did, but the only thing that Jay didn't like was that the menu was usually more or less the same.
An idea sparked in his mind then.
One that would bring more customers but also help him impress his father.
He'd change up the recipes a little bit.
He spent enough time in the kitchen alongside his father to know all the little tricks that could make a difference. Honestly, he was a little surprised that his father never used them, but maybe it was because Mr. Papayoo was used to doing things a certain way. A little change couldn't hurt, could it?
Excitement pumped through Jay as he grabbed a pen and began scribbling his ideas on the pre-existing recipes. A little less carbon here and a little more there, an extra ingredient here, and taking something out in another one. Jay was feeling victorious.
There was no way his father wasn't going to like this.
"You can start preparing carbon for some of the meals," Mr. Papayoo instructed him from across the kitchen. "We have some left-over, so that will have to do until Mr. Miner brings his delivery."
Jay was smiling from ear to ear. "Of course, Dad!"
He was more than thrilled to get started on the recipes—the new, improved ones—that would blow his father's mind away. He wanted to keep it a surprise, so it all worked out great. He headed to the graphite room, where they kept their carbon supplies. It came from a nearby mine in the form of graphite, and it needed to be processed before it could be used for food. The room was small and dark, colder than what you would expect in Papayooland.
Jay filled his bucket with the leftover graphite, quickly heading back to get started on the meals. Even if it was just punishment, he was glad he got to work on something else rather than just helping clean and pick up after their customers.
Just as he was about to call out for Mr. Papayoo, he spotted a stern look on his face as he read through the recipes.
"What is this?" he asked, his voice showing he was clearly unimpressed. Jay frowned.
"I was trying to help out. All of our recipes have been the same for as long as I can remember, Dad and I just—"
"They are the same for a reason. Our tribe loves them that way, and it works. They love carbon. I just asked for your help...not for you to change all my hard work."
Jay's face fell as he scolded him. That wasn't something he expected would happen, but he could see his dad's point. "You know what.... Just sit in the restaurant. I'll do it all myself."
"But Dad..."
"Just go," he interrupted him, keeping his stern stance. "Mr. Miner is about to bring the delivery, and I don't have the time for this right now."
* * *
The bad news continued to pile up for Mr. Papayoo.
That much was obvious from when he saw Mr. Miner and his empty cart, usually full of carbon. Mr. Miner was a fuller Papayoo, with black dust from the mines always covering his body, and he always wore a big smile on his face.
Right now, that smile was lacking on his face.
"Mr. Miner," Mr. Papayoo said, visibly confused. "You were meant to deliver me some carbon today, were you not?"
"That's the thing, my friend... Our carbon is gone."
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