some of his favorite dishes. He couldn’t remember the last time that he had eaten Tandoor chicken, but it had been a while.
“I had to look up all the recipes,” Mrs. Benton told him. “I hope you don’t mind.”
“Not at all,” he admitted. “You’ve done a wonderful job.”
“We got you some marzipan candy as well as some Indian sweets from a local market,” Midori added. “I didn’t know what kind of sweets you liked so we got one of everything.”
He laughed. “You guys shouldn’t have!”
“Well, we rarely get guests in this house and we wanted you to feel like you were at home,” Mr. Benton said. “Rukia said that you love Indian food so we brought you Indian food.”
“You are very kind. No one’s ever treated me like this,” he admitted. “I tell my parents that I wish I could have known more about India. My father comes from there yet I know very little. I just know a little bit about the history and culture before it split up and became new lands. The same thing goes for Puerto Rico. It’s just an archipelago now. If only I got a chance to see it while it was an island…” He trailed off, looking down at his food. It hurt his heart to see that he came from worlds that didn’t exist anymore.
“See if it’s anything like the food you’re used to,” Mrs. Benton broke up the tension in the room. “If I’ve done something wrong, let me know.”
He took a bite of the noodles and found them to be well-cooked. They weren’t clumpy like pasta could be. “You’ve done a fantastic job, Mrs. Benton. I’m amazed that you took the time to pull recipes and make this for me.”
“The girls are also very fond of Indian food too, but I’ve never had a chance to make them until now. I’m glad to see that it’s got your seal of approval.”
“You’ve made the chicken so moist instead of dry like most people do,” he took another bite and then went to the pulao. That also tasted fantastic. “Well done, Mrs. Benton. If my father was here, I know he would approve of this too.”
“It’s settled! I can make Indian food!” Mrs. Benton waved her hands around in show of victory. “Sadly, I didn’t make the desserts. I was looking for a good curry recipe as well but I couldn’t find one. I just did what I could with what I could find.”
“It’s okay. You’ve done more than enough,” he said. “Rukia must have told you that I love curry, huh?”
“Well, she hasn’t told us a lot about you but it’s enough to know to what you like.” Mr. Benton said. “Next time, we’ll have some curry for you.”
“That sounds good. I love curry with naan bread as well,” he said. “Garlic naan bread is my favorite thing to eat curry with.”
“Duly noted for the next time,” Mrs. Benton said. “So Kian, tell us a little bit about yourself.”
“About myself?” Kian took a bite of his food before continuing. “Well, I’m half-Indian and half-Puerto Rican as you can see. I’ve never been to those countries before they were split up, but I’ve heard lots about them. I’m the only child. I come from Dardrel, which is just outside of the Velt.” He had to lie about his hometown because he didn’t know how the Benton’s would take this. They wouldn’t mind someone living outside of the Velt but within it was another story. “I have finished school and I help my father out with his business.”
“Oh, what kind of business does he have?”
“He runs a hotel. It’s a medium-sized hotel and we get quite a few visitors.”
This much was partially true as Mr. Shah did have his own business, but it wasn’t a hotel. Kian didn’t want to admit that their business was really a 32 room motel that was on the outskirts of the Velt. It brought them a nice amount of money, but it wasn’t the best job they could have. His mother helped clean the rooms sometime with all the housekeepers. Kian himself
“I had to look up all the recipes,” Mrs. Benton told him. “I hope you don’t mind.”
“Not at all,” he admitted. “You’ve done a wonderful job.”
“We got you some marzipan candy as well as some Indian sweets from a local market,” Midori added. “I didn’t know what kind of sweets you liked so we got one of everything.”
He laughed. “You guys shouldn’t have!”
“Well, we rarely get guests in this house and we wanted you to feel like you were at home,” Mr. Benton said. “Rukia said that you love Indian food so we brought you Indian food.”
“You are very kind. No one’s ever treated me like this,” he admitted. “I tell my parents that I wish I could have known more about India. My father comes from there yet I know very little. I just know a little bit about the history and culture before it split up and became new lands. The same thing goes for Puerto Rico. It’s just an archipelago now. If only I got a chance to see it while it was an island…” He trailed off, looking down at his food. It hurt his heart to see that he came from worlds that didn’t exist anymore.
“See if it’s anything like the food you’re used to,” Mrs. Benton broke up the tension in the room. “If I’ve done something wrong, let me know.”
He took a bite of the noodles and found them to be well-cooked. They weren’t clumpy like pasta could be. “You’ve done a fantastic job, Mrs. Benton. I’m amazed that you took the time to pull recipes and make this for me.”
“The girls are also very fond of Indian food too, but I’ve never had a chance to make them until now. I’m glad to see that it’s got your seal of approval.”
“You’ve made the chicken so moist instead of dry like most people do,” he took another bite and then went to the pulao. That also tasted fantastic. “Well done, Mrs. Benton. If my father was here, I know he would approve of this too.”
“It’s settled! I can make Indian food!” Mrs. Benton waved her hands around in show of victory. “Sadly, I didn’t make the desserts. I was looking for a good curry recipe as well but I couldn’t find one. I just did what I could with what I could find.”
“It’s okay. You’ve done more than enough,” he said. “Rukia must have told you that I love curry, huh?”
“Well, she hasn’t told us a lot about you but it’s enough to know to what you like.” Mr. Benton said. “Next time, we’ll have some curry for you.”
“That sounds good. I love curry with naan bread as well,” he said. “Garlic naan bread is my favorite thing to eat curry with.”
“Duly noted for the next time,” Mrs. Benton said. “So Kian, tell us a little bit about yourself.”
“About myself?” Kian took a bite of his food before continuing. “Well, I’m half-Indian and half-Puerto Rican as you can see. I’ve never been to those countries before they were split up, but I’ve heard lots about them. I’m the only child. I come from Dardrel, which is just outside of the Velt.” He had to lie about his hometown because he didn’t know how the Benton’s would take this. They wouldn’t mind someone living outside of the Velt but within it was another story. “I have finished school and I help my father out with his business.”
“Oh, what kind of business does he have?”
“He runs a hotel. It’s a medium-sized hotel and we get quite a few visitors.”
This much was partially true as Mr. Shah did have his own business, but it wasn’t a hotel. Kian didn’t want to admit that their business was really a 32 room motel that was on the outskirts of the Velt. It brought them a nice amount of money, but it wasn’t the best job they could have. His mother helped clean the rooms sometime with all the housekeepers. Kian himself
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