IKA AND FRIED CHICKEN

Little Ika smiled happy. She brought gifts for Mom a piece of paper from her teacher at Al Falah Mosque. "Mom, here it is!" she said proudly as she handed the sheet. "What is this Ika?" Mom asked, smiling receiving the sheet. "Teacher says it is for you Mom", she said, clinging spoiled while explain it briefly to Mom. She was not yet good at reading. Ika was satisfied that she had conveyed the sheet as her teacher asked. Mom was reading the contents of the paper seriously and saved it.

***

"Mom, please buy chicken meat!" Ika asked reminded her mother. "Yes," Mom replied curtly. Ika wanted to eat fried chicken made by Mom tonight. She cannot resist to pictured it. Mom was the only person who could make the best fried chicken. Ika's tongue move slowly. Her saliva was ready assembled to accompany the warmly fried chicken.

This afternoon Ika would go shopping. "Come Ika! Are you ready?" asked Mom to make sure. Usually they were always together. "Daddy, also wanted to buy something," said Daddy. "Oh, Daddy also wants to go to the shop, let's go!" Mom cried. Ika overjoyed that she could go with Daddy and Mom. "May be Mom are going to these store; Penny, Lidl, Aldi or Netto," thought Ika. The shops were stores that generally exists in Berlin. "Where are we shopping, Ma?" Ika asked curiously. "We have to go to Penny first, there are Turkey's shop nearby, Euro Gida," said Mom decided.



***

Many of groceries that have been taken from the store shelves which are neatly arranged. Ika notice, no chicken meat yet. Usually Mom bought chicken meat in the Turkey's shop. "Mom, the chicken meat, please," said Ika warned. "Yeah, we'll ...," replied the mother interrupted. Mom looked at chicken meat landed on the shopping cart. "Here is chicken meat," said Dad lightly. "No, Dad! Not that one!" Ika said. "Why? That's chicken meat, isn't it?" Daddy asked. "Chicken meat halal is only bought at Turkey's store!" Ika said plain, did not agree. "That chicken meat are not halal," said Ika. "Aah .., the same thing, the name of chicken are halal," said Daddy while pushed the shopping cart. Mom let that chicken meat in the shopping cart, saying, "Then let Daddy eat the fried chicken later!"

***

Go to the Turkiy's shop was cancelled. Mom also used to buy Gummibärchen there. Ika knew she could eat halal Gummibärchen, her teacher said so. It is in the sheet given to his mother days ago. Ika was so disappointed not to go to the store.

***

Ika sat on a chair watching the kentucky fried chicken which looks like calling her. Mom fried it to perfection. It tasted of course very good, she knew it. With it's brown color. The smell was filling all over the dining room. Crispy flour coated the meat which surely tender. It's sound 'Kriuk-Kriuk' when colliding with her tiny teeth. Her stomach reacted hungry.

Ika looked at Daddy's face. Daddy had taken his first fried chicken. His lips moved to enjoy the chicken in his mouth. Dad's tongue was also sometimes a little out to greet crumbs flour stuck on his lips.

Ika's hand moved above the table. She took rice, spinach her favorite vegetables, fish, fried tempeh, and potato cakes. Sometimes she asked her mother to get help if its distance from the seat. Then she ate with relish. "Hmm ... delicious ..!" she said. Ika had forgotten any fried chicken that since the day she had dreamed and that they were in front of her now.

"Come Ika, eat fried chicken," said Daddy. "No Dad, Ika just eat fish," she said, chewing her food. "But, you asked for fried chicken!" Daddy said surprised. "Ika, want to eat halal fried chicken," Ika said while continuing to eat. "That's not the chicken meat bought in Turkey's halal shop. Ika do not want," she said innocently.

Daddy was speechloss. Daddy locked eyes with Mom, but Mom did not say anything. No comments on her lips, she also looked fun to continue eating. There were the same food on Mom's plate and on her doughter's plate. Daddy looked at Ika whose continuing to chew her food. Fried chicken, the girl's lovely food, row neatly on a platter.

***

Short story by Munaya Fauziah, January 8, 2010

Gummibärchen (a type of candy)