Soup 1

Bao loved soup. Any time of the year, whether stress or worry ate away at Bao, a warm bowl of soup always seemed to fill Bao back up. That’s why, as soon as winter approached, Bao decided the best thing to do was to make a big pot of chunky stew. What better than warm and chunky stew on a cold, cold day? A hearty meal like this should never be eaten alone, everyone knows that food tastes better with friends. That is why Bao decided to invite Bearlock Holmes. Right as Bao was finishing up the final touches to the stew, Bao heard a knock at the door. Bao set down the ladle and turned down the stove before heading to the door to greet Bearlock. 

Before Bao had made it to the door, Bearlock had already let himself into Bao’s humble abode. He was ranting and raving about a mystery that he was stuck on, and didn’t stop until he caught a whiff of what Bao had been working on all day. “Oh! That smells heavenly. I’ll take a bowl whenever it’s ready, if you don’t mind.”

Bao smiled and nodded, “It’s ready now!”

Bao rushed around serving the two friends. Setting the table ahead of time would have been appropriate, but then again, that would have taken time away from the soup. No, the table was fine to wait. Bearlock was helping Bao put the table together, napkins and silverware and bowls for each of them. When the table was set, they lined up by the pot and began filling up their bowls. The heat of the stew quickly warmed their hands a bit too much, so Bao distributed each of them a bowl holder to keep their hands from hurting when they brought their stew to the table. 

“This smells heavenly…” Bearlock Holmes repeated his prior statement, making Bao smile. 

They sat their bowls down and began getting settled in for the meal. They placed napkins on their laps and quickly grabbed their spoons, not wanting to lose another second of time without the soup of their dreams in their tummies. They looked at each other and nodded, beginning to eat. While it was very hot at first, making them have to blow on the chunks before eating it and therefore making a ha-sha-sha-sha sound while chewing, after a while of eating like this, they were able to eat normally.

“This tastes heavenly, too!” Bearlock Holmes exclaimed once he was about halfway through his soup. Bao smiled and continued eating. Comfortable silence between two friends was always a pleasant thing. When they got to the bottom of their bowls, they sighed and took their napkin off their lap and wiped their mouths and paws with it. Soup was always better with friends, even if you said nothing the entire time, just having someone to share the experience with is always joyful.

Bao got up and started cleaning the kitchen. Bao brought their dishes to the sink and washed them, putting the stew in the fridge and making sure not to spill a drop. When Bao returned to the dining table, Bearlock Holmes was fast asleep in his chair. Resting after a warm meal is always important, Bao thought. Bao decided to hunt down a fuzzy blanket and wrap it around Bearlock Holmes, continuing to put the napkins they used in the kitchen laundry pile. When everything was said and done, although it took an entire day’s work for one meal, as long as it is shared with a friend, it is worth it, according to Bao.