A Venture Up North

By Frederick Kazar Evans

The sun shinning bright between the clouds for a moment. Still the cold breeze in the air whips the few remaining particles of water racing to the ground from the passing clouds. An hour and forty minutes from home by flight to the emerald city. The ground sparkles, reflecting the few rays of light that stream through the break in the clouds off of the freshly fallen hail on the drive way to the in-laws house.

We unpacked the rental car and muscle the luggage up to the front door and ring the bell. A whirlwind of arms encompasses the wife and I. We get wrapped in hugs, kisses and firm hand shakes. The smell of Indonesian food attacks my senses and warms the heart of my wife as we take off our shoes. After taking the luggage up stairs the father in-law of only nine months enlists my abilities to solve minor problems yet again just like the fist time I ventured up north with my fiancee. Luckily this time it's not mid February with a ton of snow blocking the drive way. That day I had earned the soon to be father in-laws respect by offering to shovel the drive way for the man who was in his sixties and who also had a bum knee.

On this trip it was something much less physically intensive chore. Father-in-law had just got an iPhone and asked me to set up email on it for him, a simple task, not so much for him or his other son-in-law. I completed my task and showed the father-in-law how to access it; he thanked me and patted me on the back. The door bell rang and my wife's sister and her husband came in with their newborn baby who would be turning one year old the next day, Sunday. The reason for the trip.

Dinner at the in-laws home is always a hit or miss for me, either my stomach will accept or not accept the input of new types of food and I would dread the out put of said food. Indonesian food is like Chinese food except with a lot more punch and exotic ingredients. Similar smells of ginger, garlic, onions in a braise for chicken and pork with the wafting aroma of steamed rice in the air. It takes some getting used to. Tabasco is mildly hot, Chili and Rooster (Siracha) sauce is super hot! When you try it for the first time it's not that bad but as the meal progresses one notices that their tongue begins to sweat. Eyes begin to water and the interior of the tracked housing begins to shimmer in your tears and the texture of the food become like that of hot sand scrapping on the roof of your mouth. Since this being the fourth time that I have visited the in-laws in the suburbs I now know what to eat and what sauce is safe to dip into.

After dinner we all sat in the living room talking, the wife  having to translate Indonesian and Chinese for me so that I could take part in the conversation; Grandmother doesn't speak English. Though I was just fine with playing with the soon to be one year old nephew in-law. Because it allowed me to be as silly as I want around adults, when playing with infants you're allowed to be silly to entertain an infant.