Free Launched! by J A Mawter Page B

ancestors.’
    ‘What’s in them?’ asked Bryce, holding up the banana-leaf package tied with string and sniffing suspiciously.
    ‘Sticky rice, green bean paste, pork meat…’
    Clem and Darcy shot a look to each other. Pork was not allowed in their diet.
    ‘Sounds good,’ said Bryce.
    ‘…with skin and fat…’
    Mio kept a straight face but blanched inside.
    ‘…and banana leaf.’
    ‘B-banana leaves,’ said Bryce. ‘Um, yum. My favourite.’
    ‘Banana leaf turn rice green,’ said Tong with a note of triumph in his voice.
    Clem hoped her own face wasn’t green as Tong passed a parcel to each of his friends. Tong dived back into the bag and removed another small container which he prised open.
    ‘What’s that?’ asked Bryce.
    ‘Salted sour onion.’
    Bryce kept his face perfectly neutral as he said, ‘Sour onion. My favourite.’
    The kids sat around the TV staring at their packages, unsure what to do with them and reluctant to find out. ‘You said this is for Tet,’ said Darcy. ‘Clem and I have honey cake for Rosh Hashana, our Jewish New Year. The honey stands for a good and sweet year. Why do you have rice cakes?’
    Tong smiled. ‘Long story but I make it short. This king tell his son, many son, bring me food for Tet. Best food, you win, and be new king. Young son dream. Genie tell him to cook sticky rice for the earth and mung bean paste for the sun. Cook all day. Big sons go far away. Bring special food, different. King no like. King like rice best. Young son now king.’ Tong’s smile grew even wider. ‘Please, eat.’
    Darcy glanced at Clem and she shook her head, warning him to say nothing. Honouring Tong’s gift was more important than breaking one of their religious rules. The kids tentatively pulled on the string and opened their parcels. Bryce was the first to dip in. Using his fingers he picked up a morsel and plopped it in his mouth. The others watched with bated breath.
    Bryce swirled the green rice around, enjoying the growing anticipation on everyone’s faces.
    ‘Well?’ asked Clem.
    ‘Yummo!!!’ said Bryce, and he dug in again with gusto.
    Clem, Darcy and Mio followed suit.
    Tong looked around The Van. He was with friends, he was safe, and they were feasting and sharing. He was reminded of a wise Buddhist saying, Happiness never decreases by being shared, and knew it was right.
    Just when the kids felt they couldn’t eat another thing, Tong brought out a plate of sweets. ‘Deep-fried sesame date, sugar coconut, sugar lotus seed, sweet-sour Vietnamese tamarind,’ he said, pointing to each as he named them.
    ‘Don’t want to seem rude, so I’ll have to try them all,’ said Bryce and he dived in, licking his fingers between sweets. ‘That aunt of yours is a fantastic cook.’
    ‘We should keep some for Mr Lark,’ said Clem. ‘He’d love them.’
    ‘Sure would,’ agreed Darcy. ‘Why don’t we take some to him now? Then go practise.’
    Clem grabbed Darcy’s sleeve. Her eyes widened into pools of fear. ‘Practise where?’
    ‘The Peak, of course.’
    ‘After yesterday?’
    ‘Definitely.’
    ‘Are you crazy?’
    ‘No.’
    Clem slammed her hand on the TV shouting, ‘But it’s too dangerous!’ Her hand knocked Tong’s container, sending the rice cakes and sweets flying. She snatched at the container as it flew, but missed. Her eyes slammed shut, unable to witness the carnage to come, but then she crinkled one open to take a peek, and to her relief, the cakes had stayed bound in one piece. ‘Look what you made me do!’ Clem yelled at her brother.
    ‘Me? You’re the one playing windmills. This’s got nothing to do with me.’
    ‘But I don’t want to go back to The Peak.’
    ‘We have to go back. How are we going to win those trials if we don’t practise?’
    Mio listened to Clem and Darcy slug it out. Secretly she was on Clem’s side. Bryce would’ve preferred to be on Clem’s side but he had to agreewith Darcy. No good chickening out. Tong