CAMARADERIE TROUBLES

Florence hugged her children so tight, she wanted to infuse them into herself. She wanted their distinct childlike scent to wash away her fears, wash away the awful news she got today. It was very dark when they arrived home and nothing gave her more joy than seeing her children, alive and well. She put a strained smile on her face for the sake of the children. They shouldn't see her sad, they shouldn't know that something was gravely wrong - especially IK. He couldn't know; Florence couldn't bear the thought of telling him he had cancer.

IK sat with them now, beside bimbo in the sitting room as Selena hopped beside him, wearing a suspiciously wide grin as she talked endlessly to IK. IK smiled and answered Selena's numerous questions. Florence squatted before her children, inspecting them much more than she usually did. She couldn't help it. "How are you? Did you enjoy yourselves at Aunty Naomi's place today?"

Amanda and Solomon bobbed their heads. "Yes mummy, we ate spaghetti and fish" Amanda said.

Florence smiled. She didn't think she would be able to thank Naomi enough for taking care of her children in her absence. "Did you now? It was sweet, right?" They nodded.

Amanda turned suddenly with a big smile. "Selena cooked rice and beans"

"What?" bimbo and Florence echoed as their eyes flashed to Selena.

"You didn't" IK muttered, his eyes wide.

"I did" Selena grinned at him.

"When did she start cooking?" bimbo asked Florence, looking astounded.

Selena looked at the priceless expression on IK's face and grinned so widely, her mouth engulfed her entire face. She gave him the 'I-told-you-l-w

ould-do-it' look.

"You cooked rice and beans" he echoed, looking bewildered.

"Yes, I made dinner" Selena had never been more proud in her life.

Florence sat on the edge of her seat. "Would you stop smiling, young lady? Who asked you to cook anything? Did you tell Aunty Naomi before doing this?" "Yes, and she let me"

For the first time since they arrived, bimbo was smiling mischievously. Selena surely took that trait from him. Florence couldn't see what bimbo was smiling about. What if Selena had hurt herself with her little cooking experiment? God knew she couldn't stand any more source of worry. "Tell me, lady chef, how did you cook it?" bimbo asked.

Selena looked uncertain now, as her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. "I put the rice on fire. When the rice was soft, I put beans. I put salt, oil, pepper, crayfish and Maggi. I did not know how many Maggi I should put but I put four" she stared at their faces, trying to justify herself. "The food is very sweet ooo..." she pointed out and blinked, looking at her fingers as her shoulders fell, "...but, the beans is not very soft".

The was a brief silence, then everyone busted into laughter. Selena didn't like that one bit that they were making jest of her 'hard work' but she never felt happier. IK and her parents was laughing so hard. It had been such a long time since she saw that.

"Of course, the beans can't be soft." Florence muttered laughing. "You should have cooked the beans first"

It was the same thing Aunty Naomi had said. Selena sighed in defeat. "I thought, since it is 'rice and beans', I would cook the rice first." she explained.

bimbo shook his head with a smile. "You are something else" he muttered with a grin. He adjusted on his seat. "Oh well, I am very hungry now. Why don't you serve us this delicacy, Selena"

Selena smiled widely, flashing her tiny white teeth as she stared at IK with a victorious look on her face. IK shook his head, unable to stop himself from smiling as Selena marched into the kitchen with her shoulders high.00