“Now what are we doing for food today?”

When DaeRi came home the day of the holiday party after doing some Christmas shopping with Harriette and Tamarai she was shocked to see a fully decorated tree in the corner of their living room.
AeGuk was sitting on the couch halfway reading and halfway staring at the tree.
“Oh, hey,” He said when he noticed DaeRi.
“What’s up with the tree?” DaeRi asked.
“Someone f-from umma’s work g-g-gave it to us,” he said. Umma was Korean for mom.
“Oh,” DaeRi said, “Well then.”
It’s not like they never had a tree before, but they usually just used the tiny fake one they had for years. They usually just set it on the coffee table, out of everyone’s way. Now there was a gigantic tree, that looked pretty real, in their livingroom.
“It’s nice,” DaeRi said, and it was. Really, DaeRi might be bitter about the party but she was always a sucker for Christmas. She admired how the brown family always went so big and now they had a tree too. A tree that was obviously a pity present, but a tree nonetheless.
Their mom came into the room and said something in Korean that DaeRi struggled to translate to “do you like the tree?”
“I love it,” AeGuk said in Korean also.
“It’s cute,” DaeRi said, not in Korean. She had once been fluent but it’s hard now because she hangs out with her american friends so much that she doesn’t need it. And really she hadn’t been that fluent since she had only been four when they moved.
“It was a present,” their mom said, in English this time. But DaeRi could still hardly understand her because her accent was so thick. How she planned to talk to people at this holiday party with her terrible English? DaeRi had no idea.
“Umma?” DaeRi said, “Maybe you should practice your English more? Before the party.”
“I have,” she said.
“Oh,” DaeRi said, “But maybe you should use it around the house to get used to it.”
Her mom looked confused for a second, “Oh. Okay.”
“Yeah,” DaeRi said. “Now what are we doing for food today?”
DaeRi figured she might as well try to save this party a little bit. So why not take charge a bit.
Her mom said something in Korean that DaeRi did not understand. She looked to AeGuk for help.
“She’s making rice and p-pork with snacks,” AeGuk said.
“Oh,” DaeRi said, pondering that. Doesn’t sound too bad.
Her mom said something in Korean again, this time DaeRi could make out the word Kimchi so she assumed that she just told them she would also be serving kimchi.
“Kimchi? At a holiday party?” DaeRi said.
Her mom nodded, “why not?”
That was said in English.
“Because, American people don’t eat kimchi,” DaeRi said. “Pork and rice sound good. we should also have some chips and dip, and some cracker and cheese. And vegetables with dip.”
Her mom looked confused until AeGuk said something in Korean that DaeRi assumed was just a translation of what she said.
“I don’t have of that?” Her mom said.
“I’ll go get some,” DaeRi said.
“You have money for it?” she asked.
DaeRi shrugged, she had planned to run over to Harriette’s house and ask for advice. She assumed that Harriette would buy anything she needed.
Her mom sighed. “Just go. I have to start rice.”
“Okay,” DaeRi said. “See you later, I’ll be back with everything we need.”
-
She arrived at Harriette’s house twenty minutes later. Harriette’s mom let her in and told her that Harriette was up in her room.
“I need you help,” DaeRi said walking into Harriette’s room.
“Help?” Harriette said, putting down the homework she was doing.
“The party is today and my mom has no idea how to throw American parties,” DaeRi said, “she was gonna serve kimchi.”
“What’s kimchi?” Harriette asked.
“It’s pickled cabbage,” DaeRi explained.
“Ew,” Harriette said. “I see why you need help. What can I do?”
“Help me pick out some snack foods,” DaeRi said.
“And buy it?” Harriette said.
“Yeah,” DaeRi said.
“Sure I can help,” Harriette said, “Let’s go.”
So in another thirty minute they were in the grocery store looking at the cracker choices.
“See Ritz are the classic choice,” Harriette said. “But you can go a little more upscale and buy the those.”
DaeRi looked where Harriette was pointing. It was box of assorted party crackers.
“Yes, that’s good,” DaeRi said, grabbing a box. “we won’t need much.”
“Great, time for some chips.” Harriette said. “Just go simple and get the plain rippled ones with some fancy dips. Not just plain old french onion.”
“Okay,” DaeRi said, taking a bag of plain chips and putting it in the basket that she was holding.
They headed over to the dips, choosing three different flavors then they went over to the cheeses.
“Brie,” Harriette said, “Nobody can hate someone who has brie at their party. It’s just too fancy. And then some cheddar because Brie isn't for everyone. Get some pepper jack too, for the adventurous ones. Okay, that’s good.”
“Vegetables.” Harriette said next, leading DaeRi to the produce section. “Carrots, red peppers and not broccoli because I almost died eating broccoli before. Just carrots and red peppers.”
“Drinks?” DaeRi asked. She wasn’t sure if her mom had gotten some already.
“Just get some pepsi, regular and diet.” Harriett said.  “No one hates pepsi.”
So they got that and checked out. Then they took a bus back to DaeRi’s house. When they arrived DaeRi’s mom was tasting the pork while AeGuk watched her nervously.
“You’re b-b-back,” AeGuk said. He looked at Harriette, “Oh.”
“She helped me,” DaeRi explained. “I got the snacks.”
“Hey, what about sweets?” Harriette said.
“Sweets?” DaeRi said.
“Yeah, like Christmas cookies,” Harriette said, “My mom always bakes some for parties.”
“You want me to bake?” DaeRi asked.
“No,” Harriette said. “Just get some cookies and cake from the bakery. They’ll never know you didn’t make them.”
“Oh,” DaeRi said, relieved. She didn’t think anyone in this house even knew how to work a oven.
“But I can’t do that because I have to set up the snacks,” Harriette said.
“DaeRi,” DaeRi’s mom called from the kitchen. “Are you back?”
“Yes,” DaeRi called back. “AeGuk, can you go get some sweets?”
It would be easier that way since AeGuk had a car and could just drive there.
AeGuk shrugged, “Fine. B-but, keep an eye eye o-on umma.”
“Why?” DaeRi asked.
“Sh-she has n-n-no idea w-what she’s d-doing,” AeGuk said.
“Okay,” DaeRi said.
“Umma?” Harriette asked when AeGuk had left.
“Mom,” DaeRi explained.
“Oh,” Harriette said. “Okay, let’s get these set up. Do you have a platter and a bowl?”
“Maybe?” DaeRi said. She had no idea what they had. “I’ll go ask my mom.”
“Okay,” Harriette said.
DaeRi went into the kitchen. Her mom was was finishing up the pork and it actually smelled really good.
“Oh, yum,” DaeRi said.
“Do you like it?” her mom asked.
“It smells good,” DaeRi said. “Do we have a platter and a bowl?”
“Platter?” her mom asked.
“A big plate?” DaeRi asked.
“Big plate...” her mom said, looking around. “Somewhere.”
DaeRi sighed, now she had to look in all the cupboards. After searching through all of them she found a bowl that they hadn’t used since they got it as a homecoming gift from Harriette's mom all those ten years ago. And a platter that they got from her for Christmas a few years ago.
She took them both out to Harriette.
“Hey, didn’t my mom give you those?” Harriette asked.
“Yeah,” DaeRi said.
Harriette took the platter and the bowl from DaeRi and looked around the living room for a place to set them. DaeRi looked around to, noticing just how small their living room was.
“Hm,” Harriette said. “How about we take the table and put it up against the wall, push back the couch a bit so there's more walking room and find all the chairs in the house and put them in here so people can sit down.”
“Okay,” DaeRi said. So they did that. DaeRi Helped Harriette move the table and the couch and then went to search the house for extra chairs while Harriette’s set up the snacks. After only finding one chair, AeGuk’s desk chair, DaeRi went back to living room where both Harriette and DaeRi’s mom were cutting some cheese.
“Good,” Harriette said, seeing the chair that DaeRi was struggling to drag into the room.
“Only one,” DaeRi said.
“Every chair counts,” Harriette said. “We now have five chairs and the couch. Good enough.”
DaeRi set the chair next to the couch just as AeGuk arrived with a box that DaeRi assumed was filled with cookies.
AeGuk sit them on the table and looked around, “H-hey, it it’s a-actually kind o-of better a-a-already.”
“Thanks,” Harriette said, “I have knack for party throwing, it comes from my mom.”
“O-okay,” AeGuk said. “I I g-got the c-c-cookies like you a-asked.”
“Thanks,” Harriette said, setting aside her already cut cheese and opening the box. “Ooo, Christmas cookies. Just take them into the kitchen.”
“O-okay,” AeGuk said, taking the box.
“You are nice like your mom,” DaeRi’s mom said to Harriette.
“Thanks.” Harriette said. “I try.”
DaeRi rolled her eyes, even her own mom liked Harriette. DaeRi was a little jealous of Harriette actually, she was so pretty and popular and everyone just saw DaeRi as one of her flunkys. DaeRi didn’t want to spend her whole high school years as a flunky. But she couldn’t fix that right now. Right now she needed to focus on the party that, admittedly, Harriette saved.
At about seven o’clock people started coming. Harriette had left about thirty minutes ago to change into her actual party outfit so it was only DaeRi and her family greeting the guests.
First came a woman, younger than DaeRi’s mom, with a baby. DaeRi didn't know people would bring babies. They all did the necessary cooing over the baby. Then the next guest came, this time it was a older couple. DaeRi greeted them and took their coats.
DaeRi looked on pleased when she saw the people going straight to the snacks. Her mom was telling them what they were and was struggling.
“This is...” she said, pointing to the brie.
“Brie,” the man from the older couple said.
“Oh, I love brie,” the younger girl said.
“Good,” DaeRi’s mom said.
It was paining DaeRi to watch her mom struggle with English but she couldn’t help because there was another knock on the door.
Finally Harriette and Tamarai were there.
“Finally,” DaeRi said, “I don’t know if I can stand this much longer.”
“Ooo, snacks,” Tamarai said, going straight to the table.
Harriette rolled her eyes, “It’s like the older she gets the more she eats. She’s gonna blow up into a big balloon if she keeps this up.”
DaeRi just shrugged as the doorbell rung again. This time Harriette answered it and took their coats. This time it was a older woman with a toddler.
Harriette played with the toddler as the mom went to go talk to DaeRi’s mom. DaeRi figured she should probably go check on how her mom was doing.
DaeRi’s mom was standing with all the girl talking about something. DaeRi listened in, they were talking about pork recipes. Her mom probably told them what she had made for the real food.
“I always follow Alton Brown’s recipe,” the girl from the old couple said. “I roast it all night. It comes out perfect.”
“I can never put together real meals with this baby,” the younger girl said, patting the baby she was holding on her hip.
“What recipe are you using?” The girl who had just arrived asked.
“My halmeoni’s recipe,” DaeRi’s mom said. DaeRi cringed, nobody knew what halmeoni meant.
The group of girl looked confused, but DaeRI’s mom didn’t notice it. DaeRi sighed and spoke up, “Her grandmother.”
The group of girl looked over to her, confused.
“Halmeoni means Grandmother in Korean,” DaeRi explained.
“Ahh,” the group of girl said.
“So it’s a Korean recipe?” the younger girl asked.
“Yes,” DaeRi’s mom said.
“Interesting,” the girl from the old couple said.
Harriette came to sit down next to DaeRi after she passed the toddler off to AeGuk, who was sitting on the couch looking bored.
“How’s it going?” Harriette asked, glancing towards the group of people.
“Not too bad,” DaeRi said, “They got confused when my mom said halmeoni but I smoothed that one over.”
“Halmuh-what?” Harriette asked.
“Grandmother in Korean,” DaeRi explained.
“Oh,” Harriette said. “That’s so cool, you guys speaking Korean. Why don’t you speak it?”
“Don’t want to,” DaeRi shrugged “I don’t want to go around having people ask what everything I say means.”
Harriette nodded.
“This dip is delicious,” Tamarai said sitting down next to them.
“Thanks,” Harriette and DaeRi said at the same time.
“This party isn’t as bad as you said it would be,” Tamarai said.
“Well Harriette helped a lot,” DaeRi said.
“Harriette’s amazing,” Tamarai said.
“Thanks,” Harriette said.
DaeRi watched as her mom excused herself to go bring out the rest of the food. DaeRi hoped that it tasted good, pork was one of the only things her mom could make because that’s all her parents made when she was growing up. And they have a rice cooker so they don’t really even need to make that.
Meanwhile the group of girl chattered some more. Thankfully they weren’t saying anything rude behind DaeRi’s mom’s back like she has expected would happen. They seem to actually be having a good time.
Amazing.
--
The night went on the same, after the pork, which was a hit, DaeRI, Harriette and Tamarai escaped to DaeRi’s room with a plate of crackers and cheese. AeGuk had already escaped to his room a while ago.
Tamarai yawned and leaned back on DaeRi’s bed, “I’m tired.
“My mom’s gonna pick us up at ten,” Harriette said, checking the clock. It was nine thirty.
“Thanks for all your help,” DaeRi said. “This would have bombed without you, my mom didn’t even have snacks.”
“Well I’m always willing to help a friend,” Harriette said.
That’s what was so great about Harriette, one of the reason’s she deserved to be popular. She was genuinely nice. She might do some rude things to keep her status, but with her friends she was always nice. And DaeRi kind of admired her for that.
Harriette’s mom came soon after that, a little early, but that didn’t matter. DaeRi said good bye and then helped her mom clean up as the other guests left one by one.
“Thank you,” DaeRi’s mom said in Korean, “I don’t know what I would do without you.”
“Anytime, umma.” DaeRi said, kissing her on the cheek. “ Good night!”
OKay, so the party wasn’t that much of a disaster. But hopefully her mom didn't think that meant they should throw some more.