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10. "Like Eating Glass" - Bloc Party

The windows are open, a breeze filling the cabin with freshness. I've been here almost a week, and today is the first day it hasn't rained. Aunt Lucy is outside in the garden, Tucker and Marlow laying lazily on the porch. The trees rustle while the birds sing. I'm in the kitchen making lunch. Aunt Lucy had asked me what I wanted for lunch meals while at the store, and I told her onigiri (rice balls). When she asked what the hell that was, I led her around the store, picking out the ingredients necessary.

"I learned how to make these when I took a couple Japanese classes in college. First, you cook uruchimai (white rice)," I placed the Nishiki brand rice in the basket. "I use an electric rice cooker. During that time, you prepare the fillings. Popular ones in Japan are umeboshi (pickled plums,) tuna mayo, and ebi no tenpura (shrimp tempura). Onigiri can be filled with anything, though: vegetables, chicken, or even eggs. Onigiri can also be left plain, and you will have a literal rice ball. I really enjoy tuna mayo and salmon with soy sauce."

"Let's do those fillings," she had said, a smile on her face. Her eyes were bright as I was explaining all of this to her as if I was Carl Sagan and she was my astronomy teacher from high school.

"After the rice is cooked and the fillings are prepared, leave the rice to cool - only enough so you can handle it with your hands. It's easiest to use plastic wrap though it's not necessary. Most people envelop their onigiri completely in nori (dried seaweed), which is the traditional way; others cut the nori in strips and wrap it." I placed the package of nori in the basket. "Either way, you wet your hands with warm salt water and take a scoop of the cooked uruchimai. Place it in the palm of your hand and create a divot for where the fillings will go. Once you put your filling in, mold the uruchimai around it, using your other hand in an L-shape to create the triangle shape. Wrap the nori to your liking and sprinkle some sesame seeds on top. If you wrap your onigiri in plastic wrap while they're warm, you can refrigerate them. If you don't wrap them in plastic wrap, you need to store them at room temperature. If you refrigerate them without the plastic wrap, they'll dry out in a day."

All of this information fascinated Aunt Lucy. The recipe isn't hard; in fact, Japan has onigiri prepared and wrapped to buy in stores or even vending machines. I think it surprised her most that I was using Japanese vocabulary since I also know Spanish. This morning while I was making coffee, Aunt Lucy came up to me and said with big eyes and her hands forming a triangle, "Can you make those triangle rice things today?" So here I am, making the "triangle rice things."

As I'm molding the rice with my hands, my mind wanders to one of the time I made these for my roommates. Aaron was coming over that day, so I was excited to have him try the onigiri. When he walked in, I held up a little onigiri and exclaimed about how cute it was. He had made a face at me then joined Jacob on the couch while Jacob played Battlefield 1. When we sat down to eat, I had said, "Itadakimasu!" which is said before a meal or even when receiving a gift in Japan. Aaron had looked over at me from the couch and shook his head, saying, "Would you cut your weeb shit out?" He laughed, but no one else did. Regardless, I ate my onigiri happily.

There's a knock at the door, and I rinse off my hands as I exclaim, "Coming!" Marlow comes through the open sliding door, barking as she runs to the front door, Tucker moseying along behind her. I go to the door and pick her up. When I open it, I see Elera and Luke. "Hello, Dakota!" Elera has a bright smile on her face, her arms full of brown bags.

"Hey, you guys. I didn't know you all were coming," I step aside and let them in.

"Lucy asked Luke to come help her catch up in the garden. Besides, we're closed today." They both wipe their shoes on the door mat before entering, and I set Marlow down once the door is closed. Elera sets the bags on the kitchen table before leaning down and petting an excited Marlow. "She's precious! Is this your dog, Dakota?"