A Recipe for Disaster

we are family

When I came home, I felt like I was going to pull my hair out.

 I had had enough of that day. Somehow, one person drained all my patience and energy—if that was even a word. I just wanted to sleep, but I couldn't because of a stupid social quiz. But hey, it was just a quiz; it's not like it would have killed me, so I took a short nap—a short three-hour nap. 

That's when my little sister, Llina, woke me up—well, tackled me awake—just to say, "It's time for dinner." I wanted to strangle her, seriously, but I didn't do anything as I took the pillow and slammed it back into my face, wanting to go back to bed. However, the smell of fufu got me up and going as I jogged downstairs.

We rarely ever had fufu since Mom always had to work, and Dad couldn't cook anything other than steak. So, we usually got takeout from Jean'Orc, a small, cheap restaurant next to our house. It was easier for everyone, especially my parents, who had to work two jobs to keep up with the bills. None of us complained about it, except for Llina.

"Can I have Jean'Orc?" she begged Mom as she set the table, looking at her as if she held the key to the White House.

"No, you'll have fufu like the rest of the family."

"But we always have fufu!" she lied, throwing her hands up in exaggeration.

"Then you don't have to eat," Mom said simply as I sat at the dining table.

Llina groaned loudly as she took a seat next to me, crossing her arms and sliding down in her chair, grumbling about how unfair Mom was and how she wished she had another mom.

Mom ignored her as she finished putting the fufu, beans, and sauce on the table. She let out a small smile and sat down across from Llina. "Hey, bubbles, how was school?"

Mom called me "bubbles" because of my love for Bubble Guppies when I was younger—how I would walk around yelling the theme song. No matter how many times I told her to stop calling me that, she wouldn't listen. She always said, "I carried you for nine months; the least you can do is let me call you bubbles."

"Good," I replied simply, knowing what question she would ask next.

"Did you have any tests?"

"No, but I got my science test handed back."

She nodded. "So, how much did you get?"

"89%."

She nodded once more in acknowledgment. "That's good, but try to get 90% next time. It'll open more doors for you; you could even go to Harvard."

Mom had always been big on school. She wanted us to have huge careers; she wanted us to be rich and able to support our future families. I understood why since she came from Rwanda and didn't have the same opportunities we had now because of the wars and gangs that were everywhere. She wanted to give us the life she could never have, and I wished I had told her this before. I was so grateful for everything, and I was really sorry I ever took it for granted.

"I'm not eating," Llina grumbled as she got up and walked to her room.

"Get your butt back here," Mom said a warning in her voice as Llina lets out a loud groan and comes back. 

I couldn't help but let out a small chuckle as I saw Llina's face, "shut up," she grumbled. 

"No," I chuckled.

"I'm going to punch you," she threatened. 

"Punch me, and I'll punch you back," I whispered as Mom came to the table. 

Llina grumbled a few mean words as she glared at the fufu as if it was the reason of all her problems. She knew I meant those words, because the last time she punched me, I tackled her, I mean, if she hurts me, I'll hurt her back, in a sibling way of course!

"Where's dad?" I queried, as I placed tomato sauce and beans in my bowl. 

"He's about to be here," Mom said as she took a bite of her food. 

I nodded as Llina just sit there pouting, her arms crossed as she absolutely refused to eat the food. "I'm not eating," she said as if it was a threat. 

"You don't have to," Mom said as she continued to eat, "but you don't get dessert and no snacks whatsoever until the morning,"

Llina gasped and stood up in anger, "That's not fair! That's child abuse!"

Mom rolled her eyes as she said, "This is not child abuse, it's educating my children. And sit back down, wait for us to finish eating,"

Llina screamed as she sat back down. "Do not give that attitude," Mom practically hissed as Dad came through the front door. 

"I'm home!" Dad practically shouted as he entered the kitchen, Llina stayed at her seat on her chair, her arms crossed as she didn't say or do anything, usually hugging my dad when he came home from work. 

"Hey Dad!" I said as I continued to eat, too hungry and happy to say hi.

"Mom cooked today?" He asked as he set his backpack down, washing his hands, a habit we all got use to after Covid-19 that we don't ever stop. 

"How was your day?" I asked, my mouth half full as I asked.

"Good, how about yours?"

I nodded, "ok,"

Dad smiled as he looked at Llina, "How about you Llina?"

She shrugged, "It was whatever," she muttered.

"That's not an answer, was it good or bad?"

She didn't answer as she crossed her arms and looked down, so I answered for her, "Llina is mad because she can't get Jean 'Orc,"

Dad rolled his eyes as she looked at Llina, "You know, you should be grateful your mom even cooked for you, she is a very busy woman."

Llina rolled her eyes as she sat straighter, "I know, but I want to eat Jean 'Orc,"

"Well you're not gonna get any," Dad stated, as he went to the kitchen sink to wash his hands, a habit we formed ever since Covid-19.

Mom nodded at Dad, as she asked, "I did, are you going to eat with us?"

He shook his head, "No, I'm tired."

Dad was usually tired after his 12 hours shift, rarely ever eating dinner with us, but always trying to eat breakfast whenever he could.

As Dad went upstairs Llina reluctantly got up, "No," Mom said sharply

"Calm down, I"m going to wash my hands," Llina grumbled as my eyes widened, knowing what will happen next.

"Excuse you?"

"Nothing" she lied. 

"No, what did you say?" she repeated her voice getting louder.

"I said calm down," she muttered as she came back to her seat. 

"You can't say that to your mom," Mom said as she glared through Llina soul, giving her what I like to call, Death Glare.

"Sorry," she muttered as she took some fufu.

"No, you are not getting out of this one with a sorry, your grounded," Mom stated as she cleaned her plate.

"What?" Llina shouted.

"Sh!" I hissed, "Dad's sleeping!"

Llina ignored me as she stood up, "But I have that movie to watch!"

"Well, maybe think before you talk next time," mother said as she finished to clean her plate, her phone immediately ringing as she picked it up.

Llina was fuming with anger as she saw Mom picked up the food, 'you guys are the worst!" she screamed as she stormed upstairs, taking 2 steps at a time as she went to her room with a huge slam. 

We would have made an amazing reality TV shows.