This Doesn't Look Right | Teen Ink

This Doesn't Look Right

March 10, 2015
By MJ_Styles SILVER, Phoenix, Arizona
MJ_Styles SILVER, Phoenix, Arizona
7 articles 0 photos 1 comment

"I don’t think this looks right" I spoke, looking at the concoction of god knows what.


It was a mixture of spices I have never seen or have heard of and I couldn't recall all their names.
"Well I put everything it told me to" my co-chef, Kiara, informed as I stirred whatever-it-was that she created.  It just didn't look right.  It was... how do you say it... too... bulky.  It wasn't mixing right.  The spices just sank to the bottom whenever one we stirred it.


"It still don't think you made this right" I uttered, inspecting it as if it could come alive at any minute.
"Maybe we should ask the lady if it's supposed to look like this." Kiara suggested.
It was quite awkward speaking to the lady, we don't know how to approach her considering that we didn't know her name.  Kiara was the one who happen to ask her.  I just swayed from one foot to the other with the bowl in my hands.  A she took the clear bowl from my hands, she too inspected the bowl as I had done a few minutes prior.  She eyed it like it had grown a head or two, my eyes grew in size as she dipped her finger into the goo.  As she rose her finger to her mouth, the goo like substance slid down her finger at a slow pace.  Tasting it, her face formed one of antipathy.


"That is too strong" She spoke the look not leaving her face.  "Did you add everything correctly?" she questioned us.
"We added everything like it told us on the paper" Kiara spoke.
"Someone must have mis-measured it... 15 minutes before serving time apply it to the broccoli and bake for those 15 minutes, it should be better then" She suggest towards us.  We nodded our heads in understanding before heading to our station once again.
We kept contemplating the bowl.  It just didn’t look right.  We set it aside as we waited for the time to pass.  Aieh, one of my friends that decided to come along to St. Vinney’s, had just finished baking her trays of cupcakes and was ready to begin to decorate them.
“What happened to these?” I spoke, looking at the last tray brought out.  They looked contorted.  Aieh’s cupcakes had come out smooth, while Ruby’s, Aieh’s assistant cook, had come out lopsided and the crust was broken at the top.  The sound of laughter could be heard.  That’s how you always found us.  Laughing.  So all in all, with the decorating of the cupcakes with a cream white, sugary substance and the sprinkles the color of Christmas, Kiara and I had to put our dish to bake.


Drizzling the mixture onto the broccoli, I picked the tray up and walked it over to the oven.  Grabbing the handle and pulling on it, both doors opened simultaneously, a wind of hot air hitting us square in the face, causing us to cringe at the heat.  Quickly stuffing the oven with the tray, we set it to bake for fifteen minutes.  Those fifteen minutes flew by because before we knew it, it was time to take it out and start serving.


The bread was first.  Then came the tuna casserole.  Followed by the broccoli. And lastly the cupcakes.  It wasn’t a big meal, but it was enough.  The teens started to show up.  They looked no older than us.  I knew that.
They were all different.  Some were friendly.  Others didn’t speak, but just nodded.  And some… well they weren’t exactly not friendly, neutral shall me say.


But it all just made me speculate. What happened to them?  I’ve seen a video of this once in class, but who knows what these teens sitting here eating the food me and my friends made, have gone through.


I’ve begun to imagine life without a home to go to.  Parents to welcome me home.  Without my younger brother and sisters making so much noise.  It feels awful just thinking about it.  These girls and boys probably have it worse.


I had expected tears to come from me, considering I’m a sentimental person, but all that happened was that I went into deep thought.  I just grew saddened.  People at such a young age shouldn’t have to worry when their next meal is coming.  I wanted to come back again.  As we were ready to leave, putting everything back where it came from, we heard a chorus of clapping from the dining area.  They liked our food.  I was getting pretty worried they weren’t, but then again I couldn’t exactly make out the words they were mumbling amongst themselves, what with the 5 seconds of summer song Kiara was blasting out loud enough for us to hear.


At the end of the day, along with taking home cupcakes, I brought home the idea that a family and a home is all I really need.  I felt that like before I had gone to St. Vinney’s, that I didn’t give much thought on my family and my home, and that I just took everything for granted.  Sure I was grateful, I had them, I just didn’t show it too often.  It also brought guilt into me for all the food at home I don’t eat.  There are people who are starving of hunger and here I am being picky on what I eat.  And it feels horrible knowing that.



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