Foods to Get You Through the Day

Dish Two - Botram Boys

"I really want to have a lunchbox ."

My wife turned her head to give me a long curious stare when I said that. "Uda, you work from home. You've virtually never left home at all, up to the point you're two steps away from being a shut-in. Why would you need a lunchbox to begin with?"

"But you always have a lunchbox, and I've never had any, ever. It's not like I particularly need it, but I want to have one too."

Smiling, my wife sighed, quietly reminding herself to be patient. A habit she exercised every time she had to keep up with my antics.

"But that's because, unlike you, I have to work in an office. If I could work from home like you do, I won't have any lunchbox, will I? Sincerely, I'd rather have my lunch at home, with you. It's much cozier, and no one would give me any strange look over my portion." Albeit saying the words patiently, she was moving fast. Locking her lunchbox, she stuffed it into the heat retainer bag, and zipped it tight. All were done in one fluid motion.

"I know that. But that's because you've been eating lunchboxes for, what, ten years already? I've never had any lunchbox even in kindergarten."

My wife shifted her focus to me, her amused expression was deeply pronounced, but it lasted only an instant. Suddenly she smirked, "Fine, I'll prepare you a lunchbox tomorrow, with one condition. Leave the house, get out to the world. Work somewhere else. I don't care even if you wouldn't be working, perhaps I'd like it better if you could stop working sometimes."

"Where should I go? I'm not really the type to hang out when I'm not with you. All my friends would be busy at work too. And it's not like I could bring any lunchbox to a coffee shop."

My wife rolled her eyes, her voice turned to a soft growl, "I don't know. Go to a library, or a park, anywhere. Look for a place on the net. You're working on that computer almost twelve hours a day, you'd figure out something."

"Yeah, but why? I could work at home. It's not like my clients really care where I work, as long as I deliver the product."

My wife snatched her car key from the dining table and rushed to put on her shoes, checking on her suits and her hijab on the washstand mirror without stopping. "Because you need sunlight, my husband. We're young, but we're not that young anymore. Staying indoors like this forever, you might get ill again. I don't want that. Promise me you'll go out, and I'll prepare you your lunchbox."

I knew, on that point, any resistance was futile. Unless I comply, I'd never get my lunchbox.

"Well, okay." I tried not to sound too petulant.

"What a good husband. I'm leaving now. See you at night. Take care." Somehow my wife sounded very happy.

***

It wasn't an exaggeration when I said that I've never had a lunchbox before. Starting from kindergarten years, up to my graduation from middle school, I was always enrolled into those private schools where lunches were provided by the school kitchen. Conceded, I've got my share of packing chocolate bars, cakes, or cookies to school, but never once I had a lunchbox.

Later, due to my father's desperate attempt to get me more physically active, I spent my high school years in some military academy type boarding school, where barrack-style meals, three times a day, were part of the curriculum. Once again, no lunchbox.

When I finally got into college, it was just too fun to roam around with my friends, looking for the cheapest yet the most delicious food around the campus. And it was also like that when I've gotten into my short three years office experiences. Thus, no lunchbox there either.