Anecdote #5,714: An Evening Visitor

It's 7:30pm. There's a storm in the distance.  Visitor traffic is light at this point in the evening.  If someone comes over at this hour, it's because they want something.  Something can be broken down into three categories 100% of the time: pain killers, candles, and/or food. In this case it's food.

"Oti, my mom is sick."
"What are her symptoms?"

(pause)

"Oti, she's hungry.  She wants something so that she can make soup."
"I don't really have anything for soup."

(2 minute pause with thunder in distance)

"My little brother was crying this morning from hunger."

(Oti gets onion from room, gives to Marcelo)

 (Marcelo takes onion, gives no thanks. Remains on porch)

 (Oti thinks about how the onion was obviously insufficient)

"I'm hungry. All I had to eat today was holjadre (fried dough) and coffee. We went to our finca and there were no bananas.
"Do you have pifa?"
"No."
"Yucca?"
"No."
"Dasheen?"
"They're too small."
"Let's go get some yucca from my yard."
"We don't like yucca..."
"But you're hungry. Are you sure?"

(Oti puts machete away. 3-minute pause. Lightning flashes)

"What can I cook with this onion?"
"Anything."
"But we don't have anything."

(Oti pauses, sighs. Only a few more days he thinks)

(Oti grabs pound of rice. Hands to Marcelo)

"Thanks Oti! See you tomorrow."

(Marcelo gleefully bounds down stairs and is gone in an instant)

(Quiet thunder in distance)