Never Bored With My Nephew And Niece IV

I bought three packets of atta flour at a reduced price a few years back without even knowing what it was normally used for. Only after that I found out it was the main ingredient for a chapati. Since, I started to make my own chapati with a recipe and my whole family loved this healthy Indian bread.

When I was alone in Melaka, the flour was always stored and untouched in my fridge. When my nephew and niece came to my place, they were almost sure that one of the activities would be having homemade chapati for breakfast or dinner. And they looked forward to it.

On Monday morning, I woke up early to stir the flour with salt and water. I kneaded the dough and left it in a covered pot. Then I called upon my excited assistants to assign them tasks, one of which was to beat eggs. The problem was that whatever the brother was doing, the sister was also eager to have a hand in. So I gave both a chance to participate. When it was Zer Ning's turn to beat eggs,

I passed a rolling pin to Zer Yih.

Zer Nin very soon wanted to join her brother. I explained to her that since rolling the dough into thin round pancakes required lot of force,

Zer Yih would be a more suitable person. I suggested that she cut designs out of a pancake with a round-edged knife.

She happily accepted the offer.

I also heat a frying pan to cook baked beans, eggs and chapatis one after another. When I went off to prepare dishes, Zer Yih would take my shift to keep a look on the bread.

Their mathematician father must be relieved that the children had inherited good genes from him.

I was busy cooking and turning the chapatis until they puffed up when Zer Nin said to me, "Big Aunt, this cross is for you because you're a believer of Jesus."

"Thanks, but how about you? Do you believe in Jesus?"

"We don't."

"Why? Don't you go to Sunday school? Don't you believe what your teachers tell you about Jesus?"

"Every time my teacher tells me that Jesus did a magic on five loaves and two fishes to feed five hundred people." She was refering to one of the miracles that the Lord had performed (Matthew 14:13-21).

"Five thousand men," I corrected her, wondering if three or four digits made any difference to a seven-year-old girl like her. "Do you believe that?"

"Yes!" She gave me a convinced smile.

"Then you believe in Jesus."

Next, I asked ten-year-old Zer Yih, "Do you remember what you did once when your dad's car was stuck in the flood? You prayed to Jesus and your dad could start the engine again. He told me the story."

"There was another experience. I lost something but couldn't find it. After I prayed to Jesus, I got it back very fast."

"So you also believe in Jesus."

When their mother also came to help with the rolling, Zer Yih carved on a pancake as a momento of his trip here.

Of course, the souvenir was later sent into his mouth.

My chapati did not have to multiply by miracle that morning, for they were just enough to feed five ladies and a boy!