Rice文章 mary loh chieu kwuan.docx

Rice文章 mary loh chieu kwuan.docx

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Rice文章marylohchieukwuan

Rice

1Fluffy®whiteflakesinaporcelainbowl.Steamrisesandwithit,theparticularfragrance.Likeakindofincense,itwafts®andweavessomany,manymemories.

2“Riceisserved...Comeandeat,”Macallstonooneinparticular.Withtheregularityofclockwork,dinneratourhouseisalwaysservedat7:

30p.m.,andwearegatheredatthetablefordinner.Themealiseateninreverent®silence,slowlyandwithmeaningfulsilence.Theplatesareemptiedandquietlywecollectthedishesforwashing.Thisgraduallychanged,bitbybitaseachofusgrewbusywithworkthatkeptusbackattheoffice.ButthisIlongrememberofafamilyritual：

wehavealwayshadricefordinner.RicewasservedevenwhenwehadturkeyatChristmas.Pawouldalwayshavehisubiquitous®bowlofriceandMawouldalwaysserveit.

3Mataughtmehowtocookriceattheageoften.

4“Okay,onemilktinfullforfourpeople.Emptythetinofriceintothispot.Now,pickoutallthesandandunhusked⑤riceandifyouseeanylittleblackcrawlingweevils®，pickthemoutandsqueezethemtokillthem.

5“Nowfillthepotwithwater.Youputbothhandsinthepotandrubthegrainsofricegentlybetweenyourhands.Nowpouroutthewaterandbecarefulthatnotasinglegrainofricespillswiththewater.Riceisprecious,rememberthat.

6“Fillyourpotonceagainandrinsethericeonemoretime.Thistimethewatershouldbe:

almostclear.

7Putyourhandthere,flatonthetopoftherice—nowfillthewateruptotheleveloftheknuckleofyourfinger.Toomuchwaterandyou’llbeeatingporridge.Toolittle,you’llbeeatinguncookedgrainswhichtastelikesand.

8“Letthericeboilforfiveminutes.Stirandlowertheflame.

9“Stirtomakesurethatthericedoesnotsticktothebottomofthepot.Coverandletitcookoveraslowflameuntilthewaterdriesup.Turnoffthefire.Thericeisnowreadytobeserved...”

10Thereaftertwiceaweek,untilIwenttouniversity,Ihadthedutyofcookingriceforthefamily.

11“Ma,pleasecomehome…”

12“Ic...can’t.Id..don’twantto...”

13Thecarsroaredpastusandbeforeus,theirheadlightsblindingus.Therehadbeenabigfightathome,overwhatIforgetnow,butPahadsaidsomething,somethingaboutdutyandresponsibility.Maansweredback.Paraisedhisvoice.Soontherewasshoutingandmoreshouting.Aplatewasthrown,thecrashingresoundingthroughthehouse.Morecrashingsounds,moreshouting.Wecoveredourears,tryinginvaintoblockoutthenoiseandconfusion.Eventhen,IheardPasay,“Go.SeeifIcare—theclothesyouwear,theroofoveryourheadandthefoodyoueat,everythingyouhaveyouowetomeandyoubloodywelldaretoanswerback..."

14Suddenly,therewasasilence.

15Maranoutofthehouseintotherainynight.

16“Comehome,please,Ma…please,Ma.”

17“Gohome,yougohome.YourMawantstodiehere.”

18“Please,Ma，Idon’twantyoutodie.”

19“Gohome.Theothershavetoeat.GohomeandserveyourPahisrice.”

20“No,Ma，Iwon’tgohome...Iwon’tgohomewithoutyou…”

21“Gohome,Itellyou,gohomeandserveyourPahisrice.”

22Westoodthereforthelongesttime,thecarshootingustowarnusfromstandingtooclosetotheedgeofthepavementIdidnotdaretoletgoofherhand.Myhandshurtfromholdingherhandsotightly.Slowly,bitbybit,Icouldfeeltheslack,thetensioneasing.Bothofussobbedinsilence.Ma'sshouldersdroopedandslowlyIwasallowedtoleadherhome.Weleftthemainroadandslowlymadeourwaythroughthequietsuburbanlanes,thewindingalleysandfinallyreachedhome.

23Pasatstone-facedbeforethetelevision,hisfacegrim,hislipssetinastraightline.Herefusedtosayaword.IledMaintoherbedroom,closedthedoorandwentintothekitchen.Liftingupthecoverofthepot,IspoonedthethickwhiteflakesintoPa'sbowlandsetthebowlonthetable.

24“Pa,timetoeat.”

25Silence.

26“Pa,eatrice.”

27“Don’twanttoeat”

28Thebowlofricesatontheendofthetable,gettingcolderandcolder.

29Afterthat,withoutfail,dayafterday,forasmanydaysastherewereinayear,MawouldplaceasteaminghotbowlofricebeforePa.Evenifshehadtogooutforhermahjonggamesintheafternoon,shewouldreturnintimetoservethebowlofrice.Ifshewasgoingoutintheevening,shewouldwaittillPahadfinishedhisbowlofriceandhadlaidasidehischopsticks.Onlythenwouldshepickupherbagandleaveonheroccasionaloutings.

30Ihateeatingwhiterice.Whitericeisbland①andboring.Ithastobemademoreinteresting.Withavarietyofotherdishes.Onehardlyeatsriceonitsown,tosavoritsfull-bodiedflavor,simplybecauseithasnone.Itisastaple,astomachfiller,littleelse.[makeconcessionsforbrownrice,whichIcatsparingly,moreasahealthladratherthanasrealfood.Iam,myMasays,“western-educated,”andpreferhome-mosek.Pastaisadefinitefavorite,Allkindsofit,fromcapellinitoIettucinetolasagna,smotheredwiththickcreamysauces,andyes,Ilovecheese--theBleuswiththeircoloredbluegreenridgesandsharp-smellingBrieswhichtumMagreenwithdisgust.ParmesantoastshadmeturnedoutofthehousebecausenoonecouldbearthesmellofthecheeseIwaseating-whichisacontinualjoketomyneighborswhoseeroefittinginthegardenintheevenings,chewingonfoul-smellingtoastedbread.Ofcourse,Ilikebreads,French,Danish,Manoucherdeli-stylesandwicheswithpickles*andrelishes,sandwicheswhicharesolargethattwohandsarcrequiredtogripthebreadtogetherwhilelargemouthfulsarechewedvigorouslyandthenswallowed.Yes.don'tforgetsalads.Iamtheresidentrabbitintheoffice-pleasepassthegreensover.Healthycrunchylettuceswithloadsoflovelydressingsmakemyday.Butrice...Icannottakericetwomealsinarow.I'drathergohungry.

①bland:

nothighlyflavored,mild,tasteless.

31IrememberthatMawasveryparticularthatweneverwastedanyrice.Notasinglegrainwastobeleftontheplateorelse,everysinglegrainleftwouldappearmuglymarksonthefaceofoureventualintended.Certainlynotwantingtomarryanymanwithascarredormarredcomplexion,wefaithfullycleanedoutplatesandthroughourdatingyears,everycloseencounterwithmenwithchronicacneresultedinrealguiltthatperhaps,justperhaps,thismightberetributionforthatoneplateofricewehadnotfinished.//

32WhenIwenttoUniversityanddidPhilosophy,thelogicofthisunderwentsevereexamination.Didsome,say,scientistsinChina,gatheruptwoseparategroupsofwomenasatestcaseforthishypothesis?

Didtheyforceonegrouptofinishtheirplatesofriceclean?

Andtheother,not?

Didtheythenobserveandtracktheprogressofbothgroupsthroughlifetillmarriageanddeduceconclusively,baseduponempiricalfindings,thatgirlswhodidnotfinishtheirricewouldmarrypock-markedhusbands?

Whydidthisruleneverapplytomen?

Ordidit?

33Ihatethatbowlofrice.Ihatewhatthatbowlofricemeans.

34Iremembermygrandmother’sfavoriterice-bowl,theonefromwhicheachnoondayandeveningshewouldlifttoherfaceandshovelthewhitericeintoheropenmouth.ItwasItcreamywhitebowlwithaswirlofblueoutside.Itwasgrandmother’sspecialrice-bowl,onewithwhichsheassociatedfondmemories,memorieswhichshedidnotsharewithanyofus.Iremembergingerlyhandlingitwhenwehelditoverthebasinofsoapywater.Myoldersisterwouldcarefullyrinseit.wipeitdryandputitintothegreatwoodencupboard,onlytotakeitoutagain,atthenextmealtime,toscoopthesoftwhitegrainsgentlyintothebowl.

35Itwasanaccident!

Wedidn'tmeanforittobreak,Grandmother'spreciousbowl.Itwasanaccident,thebowlslipped!

Weclutcheddesperately,ourfingersbarelymissingtherimandfindingonlyemptyairThesilenceinthekitchenreverberatedwiththecrashasthebowlshatteredintoathousandpieces.Welookedshamefacedateachother,beforeGrandmothercameburstingin.

36Weleftthehousethatday.Pa,Ma,mysistersandmybrother.Insilence,wegatheredupourbelongingsandsteppedthroughtheoldgateofthefamilyhomewithoutabackwardglance.Irememberthelastwordmygrandmothersaid,awordwhichIhadheardhermutterunderbreathforsolong:

fan-thong.

37InCantonese,afan-thongorvesselforriceisusedasanepithet.Itimpliesthatapersonthanareceptacleofrice,thatallthericethathasbeenconsumediswastedandthereforesuchapersonisuseless.

38Weneversawmygrandmotherafterthat,notevenwhenshepassedaway.//

39SoImarriedBrianWorth,anEnglishmanwhoseideaofgreatcuisinewasbangersandbeansandwhosefacewasassmoothasababy'sbottom,thoughhesworehehadchronicacneduringhisteenageyears.Asidefromhiswit,hisloveforthesamekindofmusicandwritersdrewuscloser,makingusmorethangoodfriends.Whenheproposed,Ithought,whatarelief,Icanhandlebangersandbeansandtheoccasionalsteakandpotatoes.Heck,IcouldevendoaturkeyatChristmas,completewithcranberrysauceandpudding.Iwon'thavetoservehisriceeveryday,sevendaysaweek,everyweekoftheyear.

40Therewasricesprinkledatourwedding,insteadofconfetti.Aswerandowntheaisle,thericewasscatteredlikerain.Afterwards,likemonkeys,BrianandIpickedthericefromeachother'shair.Thesprinklingofricewassymbolicoffertility,justasinSingaporetheyhadforcedustodrivearoundwithapairofchickens,onemaleandonefemale.Intheheat,onepoorchickenexpired,leavingtheotheronealonetoweatherthestormsofmaritalpompandceremony.Th