RocketJim's

The Day the Husband Came Home Sick

On wednesday, Loverboy came home and declared himself ill. He said, "May sama, saya sakit (Bahasa Indonesia: ill)"

My eyes immediately lit up. I was excited.

This is so going to sound weird to you but I am still the huge nerd from my teenage years. I am totally Drew Barrymore in 'Never Been Kissed". Before I go on, I have to summarize RocketJim's dating history.....which is unfortunately, very short. I had my first date when I was 14 I think. A boy from my class had the longest crush on me (which makes him VERY unshallow) and finally asked me out for a dinner. I think we landed at Pizzahut. But I didn't want to go 'steady'. I had a few more dates when I went to the University.........all of you know, one of them being the very infamous Steven, who had a crush of me for about 7 years hahahahahahaha. Then there was another fella called Alex who fell in love with me at first sight. Beats me why and how too. But I didn't go steady with them either. Then when I was working in the airport, I met a very handsome and romantic gentleman who wrote me love letters everyday. He was sweet and sooooo gorgeous and the day he made me a very very very sweet and romantic Powerpoint presentation, I said 'no' and still kept myself pretty much single.

Tons of dates came knocking on my door after I started flying...sometimes I wonder if it was the uniform or my kind, maternal face. *wink* I had some boyfriends but they never last long enough for me to celebrate our birthdays or occasions like Christmas or Valentines'. Either that, I just wasn't there. SO it left me pining because in my head, I had a checklist I need to complete. Thanks (or rather, no thanks) to all the romance stories I was fed with, I had a list which included,

1. Buying my first perfume for my boyfriend.
2. Buying my first necktie for my boyfriend.
3. Buying my first pair of cufflinks for my boyfriend.
4. Buying my first wallet for my boyfriend.
5. Going on my first romantic getaway with my boyfriend.
.
.
.
etc.

The list of course, includes, cooking my first congee for my boyfriend when he falls sick. Awwwwww~

Now do you understand what I am getting at?

I fulfilled the cufflinks and wallet and porridge for Loverboy!!! *laughs* It seems silly but every girl has her own fantasies. I even baked cookies with him.

So when he came home and told me he was sick, my mind went into a whirl of thoughts. I thought about what ingredients I had in my fridge and what kind of congee should I cook? I was terribly excited but it didn't show on my face. My next checklist was about to be struck off! Mwahahaha. By the next morning, Loverboy was down with a fullblown fever. However, his wife beside him couldn't stop grinning. :D

After a trip to the clinic and a quick errand to the supermarket (for my masterplan), Loverboy was back in bed. He said he couldn't take the antibiotics until after meals. So what was I supposed to do?? I HAD TO COOK MY CONGEE!! He was expecting me to make ochatsuke (green tea poured over rice) but no, his wife was in a frenzy lol. In the kitchen, I was very focused stirring the rice grains in the boiling water to make the perfect, fluffy congee. I added minced chicken and dried scallops to taste. When it was done, I garnished my bowl of congee with scallions, pepper and sesame oil. IT WAS DONE.

Arghhh I wish I took some pics because it was my very first bowl of congee I'd ever cooked in my life and it was DAMN GORGEOUS. I brought it to Loverboy and when he set eyes on it, he was surprised. "May sama!!!! Oishisou~" The bowl of congee disappeared in 5 minutes. He said it was very good and I became all warm inside. Loverboy said I was a genius too. (^.^)v I spend half my life in Jakarta between The Asian Food Channel and TLC, of course I can cook.

I nursed him so well, he is up and running in the office again today. Then again, perhaps it's the Japanese Samurai spirit.

6. Cooking my first congee for my boyfriend when he is sick.