The Offerings

                                    

                                          

On Thursday Phu's friends are quieter than normal. Part of the reason could be that Achi has taken the afternoon off, he has been chasing after a cute first year boy and appears to have finally caught him. He had sent a message to the group chat after lunch saying he was taking the afternoon off and will probably be out tomorrow as well.
The main reason though is because of the approaching date. Last year Phukan had been so depressed he had missed an entire week of school and had refused to answer his phone or any texts. When he returned his friends had cornered him to demand to know what was wrong. Finally, Phu had told them it was the anniversary of his father's death. This year they seem to be keeping a close eye on him to make sure there isn't a repeat of last year.
"Are you taking tomorrow off?" Nalin asks.
"I'm going to get the things I need for the offerings," Phu confirms.
"Are you going alone?" Tee asks, "Do you want us to go with you?"
Phu smiles and shakes his head. "My aunt Lee is going to cook, and P'Cir said he would take me to get the other things."
"Call us if you need us," Nalin tells him, and Phu promises that he will.
P'Cir is waiting for him outside the faculty as usual. He even gives Phu's friends a curt nod when they greet him. Just as they reach the apartment Phu's phone rings. Phu frowns when he sees the number.
"Aunt Lee, is something wrong?" He asks. It's not that his aunt never calls him, but they had just spoken last weekend when they talked about the things his aunt would cook. Receiving two phone calls in one week from her is unusual.
"I'm sorry, dear, I have the flu, and I won't be able to cook the food offerings this year," she says hoarsely. She is interrupted by a coughing fit and Phu feels a wave of alarm. This aunt is the oldest of his dad's siblings and much older than her brother and sister. At her age the flu is no joke.
"Aunt Lee don't worry about the cooking; I can take care of everything myself. Are you alright, have you been to the doctor?" Phu says, worry tinting his tone.
"I went this morning. He gave me some medicine and told me to get plenty of fluids and rest. Laya is going to come take care of me." Laya is Phu's other aunt.
"Okay, I hope you feel better soon. Don't worry about anything, I can handle it." Phu says.
"You're a good boy, Phu." His aunt says then hangs up.
"Is something wrong?" P'Cir asks when he ends the call.
"My aunt has the flu and can't come to help me with the offerings for my dad. I can do everything else myself, but I don't know about the food offerings. Aunt Lee usually cooks those, and I can't cook." Phu frowns, wondering if it's too late to get one of the local food shops to make those. Some would be easily obtainable in Chinatown but some harder to come by.
"Make me a list and we'll go grocery shopping tomorrow. I can cook them Saturday." P'Cir tells him.
Phu looks at him with wide eyes, "Will you Phi?"
"Of course. I will be glad to help, it's for Phu's dad after all. I respect Phu's father like I respect my own father." P'Cir pauses then continues, "No more than I do my own father, because he is the father of my special person. So please allow me to cook the offerings for Phu's father."
Phu goes over and hugs him around the waist. "Thank you, Phi, I don't know what I would have done otherwise. I will go make a list now."
Phu makes a list of his dad's favorite foods and P'Cir finds the recipes for them. The most important one in Phu's opinion is the steamed carrot cake that his dad wanted to eat even when he was sick. Phu and his mom had found a shop near the hospital and would bring it to him whenever they could.