Ai, Love Me
Eps 43, Memory of the past

“peel the onions and prepare water. Then in the fried onion container, there are several types of fried bahnag and peanuts. You try to eat one by one and conclude from the three containers, which is the most suitable for soup later” said Johan ruled Emilia.

At that time, Johan was just sitting casually in front of the table while looking at Emilia who was cooking from orders and instructions from Johan.

Everything Johan commanded was perfectly executed by Emilia. This made Johan so surprised at Emilia's cooking ability. Basically, Johan can cook because he always cooks with his grandmother in the village first. And since then Johan can also remember his memories while cooking together with his grandmother.

“i really miss Grandma's cooking. I remember that my grandparents and I caught fish together at the lake and the three of us cooked it together.” Johan thought to himself.

Suddenly, as Johan was daydreaming about his memories of the grandmother's cooking, Johan heard Emilia's voice in a bit of pain. Hearing that, Johan spontaneously realized and then saw the condition of Emilia.

She is so shocked when Johan finds Emilia accidentally scraping her own finger with a kitchen knife. Because the knife has just been used to cut onions, therefore the fiber and oil in the onion are still attached to the knife. It contained the wound of Emilia so sore because the oil from the onion was directly touched by the wound on Emilia's finger.

“a-what are you doing? Do not daydream if you are cooking” said Johan immediately approached Emilia at the cooking table.

“ma-sorry, I'm just a little-“ said Emilia.

“give me” Johan said as he pulled a knife from Emilia's hand.

Johan immediately washed the knife using running water from the kitchen sink and then put it in the knife container. Afterwards, so ambushed, Johan held onto Emilia's right hand and looked at the wound on Emilia's index finger. Johan immediately inserted Emilia's index finger into her mouth to lick Emilia's wound.

“a-what are you doing?” emilia asked in surprise.

“saliva is the most potent antibacterial in wounds” replied Johan.

“iya I know, but why did you even lick it? I can know for myself!” emilia Sahut.

“you have eaten fried beans and onions, fear later your wound even more infected and more sore. You better sit in my place earlier and watch me cook” Johan said as he closed Emilia's wound using plaster.

“ba-well, thanks a lot” obviously Emilia blushed shyly.

At that time Emilia also sat in Johan's chair and saw Johan who was cooking. So cleverly, Johan cut some garlic cloves, onions, onions, chilies, and others. Everything was done so quickly and perfectly without any accidents.

It made Emilia so fascinated by Johan's cooking skills are so expert.

“because we still do not know the material, therefore we must prepare the kalduah first and then enter the material later” said Johan while putting coconut milk in the pot.

“i-iya” replied Emilia.

“pour the coconut milk in the pot and then put the seasoning that has been pureed in the blender earlier into the coconut milk. Do not forget to use a super duper small fire so that the sauce is not so evaporated. What is important is that the sauce and seasoning are slightly mixed. Now we just wait for the material to be put into this sauce” said Johan.

“where can you cook so expertly like this?” ask Emilia.

“emm, I'm not cooking school. I was taught by my grandmother and grandfather in the village. I often cook with the two of them in a fireplace that still uses firewood” said Johan while removing his apron and hanging it where he was.

“then, is this your grandmother's recipe?” ask Emilia.

“iya, usually this is used for freshwater fish. But in my opinion, I will reduce the viscous content of the gravy to make it more suitable for mushrooms and tofu that has a softer structure. This is a recipe that I changed myself where previously this was used in making freshwater fish soup that is so fishy if cooked together with vegetables”, Johan said while sitting next to Emilia.

“so you could say this is a recipe of your own creation?” ask Emilia.

“definitely your mama's cuisine is also delicious like the cuisine of your grandmother and grandfather, right?” ask Emilia.

“sorry, I don't want to discuss it now. Hehehe” Johan said with a forced smile to Emilia.

“ma-sorry, I'm sorry” shouted Emilia so guiltily bowing her head.

“why should you even apologize? I should be the one apologizing. Shrimp” head base said Johan while knocking on the head of Emilia who was looking down.

“aww, sick” saut Emilia instantaneously when her head is knocked.

“but have you ever eaten your mama's cooking?” ask Emilia.

“evern” replied Johan.

“how does it feel?” emilia asked curiously.

“ is really delicious, I was really surprised how can be as good as that. like using mejig”, said Johan.

“if compared, better your cooking, your grandmother's cooking, or your mom's cooking?” ask Emilia.

“I think these three are delicious, but I like my own mama cuisine the most. Not my current mother, but my late biological mother. Once I fell off my bike and my knee was bleeding. I also cried there and then my biological mother held me and encouraged me so that I would not give up on learning to carry a paddle bike. Before I trained to ride my paddle bike again, he made a regular vegetable soup that even contained only carrots, potatoes, and sausages. But I really did not end up thinking why my mama's cooking is really very good. The warmth of my mamah cuisine still remembered clearly and so comfortably. I don't know why, but I think I will forever never be able to match the cuisine of my biological mother” said Johan with a genuine smile.

“maybe I won't be able to cook food as great as your biological mother's” said Emilia.

“that's not true, your hand is also similar to my mama when my mama's hand was slashed by a knife while cooking. I did the same thing as before. When your mom was cutting vegetables, I accidentally scratched her own finger. I immediately touched my mama's finger and then licked the wound from my mama's finger. Therefore, when your finger was scratched, I immediately saw my mamah figure inside your body. I did the same thing by cooking for my mama and letting my mama see me cooking. I think you remind me of my biological mother who died 3 months ago. And it makes me a little happy even though it is also tight in the chest” said Johan.

“it is not wrong” said Emilia.

“hmm, I just miss the fullness of my family before. Where can I eat at a dining table with my mother, my father, my grandmother and my grandfather. It's true that it's very fun where I'll have a birthday soon and I hope on my birthday that I can eat together with them” Johan said as he rubbed his eyes.

“I also hope you can be so” Emilia said.

“ma-sorry, I have to go to the bathroom briefly” said Johan walking by wiping his eyes.

Seeing that, Emilia was really sensitive to the situation. Emilia saw that Johan had shed tears while telling her all about it. Johan goes to the bathroom only to hide his sad face.

“i really don't know how you feel right now. I have a complete family with grandmother, grandfather, papah and mamah and sister in the same house. And from that, then, I really don't know what it's like to live in the middle of a family that even all the pillars of that family have disappeared” thought Emilia in heart while staring clearly at the back of Johan who was walking towards bathrooms.

Shortly after, Emilia also found that all her friends had returned home with a bag of crackles containing mushrooms, milk tofu, eggs, and mustard vegetables.

“we rumah” shouted Jehian as he walked into the house.

“we go home” shouted Nyoman, Kahfi, and Farel together.

“quickly bring the material here” said Emilia slightly shouting from the kitchen.

“siap” said Jehian from the living room.