Sesame Seed Buns: The Story of Us

I sit across from my elder sister at our small, rectangular dining table. Her stubby little chin is inches away from its surface. I can’t reach the table top, so I sit perched on two sofa pillows. I pick off the sesame seeds from my burger bun, one by one, and nibble them slowly. Dinner ended thirty minutes ago, and I was still only halfway through my meal. The familiar sound of pots and pans clanging in the sink carried all the way to the silent dining room where we sat. I could tell Mum had almost finished with the dishes. Mum always washed the cooking utensils last.

My sister chewed on the same bite of her burger for the last five minutes. It’s not like her to take so long with dinner. I watched her dissect her burger and arrange the various layers into different corners of her Mickey Mouse plate. She did this meticulously and made sure none of the piles touched. She then cut them all into finer quarters and paused to admire her handiwork. She lifted her eyes to me and awaited my reaction. I had none. I never understood this bizarre ritual. But just because it made her stay with me after dinner, I wished we had burgers every night. She proceeded to eat her food in order. She started with a bit of bread, and then moved on to the lettuce, cheese, meat, onions, and finally the tomato. She despised tomatoes. She cringed as she moved it around her mouth and swallowed it loudly.

As always she finished before me. She cast one glance at my half burger and sat for a few seconds longer. I examined her face as her eyes darted around the room looking for something to do. It was almost as if she wanted to stay with me, but she knew I would take too long. We didn’t speak as I examined the half-burger on my plate. She didn’t click her tongue at me or shake her head in disapproval. She just blinked and stared. I wanted to offer her some of my burger, hoping that she would help me finish it faster, but my previous, unsuccessful attempts discouraged me. Then without a word, she lazily slid off her chair and shuffled to the kitchen. It’s just me and my half-burger now.