Boiled Eggs – When the Craving Hits

Part 1

If ever there was a time that I had a strong craving, it must be right now because the time seems to have stopped and break time feels way too far away for my liking. I sit watching the clock in old lady Cho’s classroom as she tries to throw some last minute lecture at us about attendance and its importance in our final year. I’ve taken my attentive stance to fool her into thinking that what she’s saying to us is important right now but I won’t even lie to myself; I don’t hear a word she’s saying until the words “Pack your bags” are uttered and it feels like I’ve been saved.

Saved, yes that’s the word to use but “from what?” you ask. My craving. When the bell finally rings I’m the first one out the door. My bag probably hits someone as it come flying behind me but honestly, that’s the least of my concerns right now. I don’t greet anybody, bow to anybody, smile at anybody as I zoom down the crowded corridors. My only mission today is to satisfy my indescribable hunger.
  I reach the tuck shop and stand waiting for the guy who usually serves us to appear. He seems to be late today; how freaking great! I gather my patience to wait and it pays off because just two minutes later he arrives and again, I’m saved! The little tuck shop window is pushed open and he stands behind it with enquiring eyes asking: “What do you want?”
  I waste no time but in my hurry to quench my craving I end up babbling something indecipherable which is followed by a tap on my shoulder from behind. I look back.

“Dude, just freaking order already and stop speaking alien!” It’s my brother Donghwa and he’s impatient. It’s not only him but also the line of my hungry school mates that I didn’t notice had grown so long behind me. I glance back for a second - which ends up being a big mistake because Donghwa pushes me aside and places his order before I have enough time to protest. Seeing as how I’ve already been defeated I let it slide but when Yesung tries his luck too I knock him out of the way with my pointy hip bone and defend my place. The tuck shop guy finishes fetching Donghwa’s order and it’s finally my turn again. This time I won’t mess it up!

“Four boiled eggs please, and three sachets of mayonnaise.” I shout out my order and grin; at last I’ll get what I’ve been craving since the early hours of the morning. At freaking last!
  “No boiled eggs today. What else?” the tuck shop man practically yells back. Its noisy behind me – the line being full of annoyed school kids waiting for a chance to buy something to eat before the break ends – I totally empathize with them, but it’s only been five minutes since break started and I think I just heard the tuck shop guy wrong because of all their noise.
  “What?” I ask, not sure if I’m having a nightmare.
“I said there’re no boiled eggs. Do you want anything else?” he repeats emphatically. NO! NO! NO! I DON’T want anything else! How dare he ask me such a stupid question! Urgh! Dammit! I look behind him to check if he’s really telling the truth and AHA! I spot a tray of eggs right next to the stove. What lies!
 “There are eggs right there!” I point out loudly.
“Those aren’t boiled.” He tells me matter-of-factly.
  “You’ve got a stove and some water don’t you?” I reason.
“I don’t have time, now are you going to order or not?” he loses patience. I glare at him. I honestly, officially hate this guy. Like really. I freaking hate him, but I have no choice, I’m not buying anything so I have to leave the line and it’s to a chorus of “thank god!” that I turn my back on the tuck shop man and head towards the table where my brother is seated. I’m totally defeated.

I take a seat next to Donghwa and sigh, trying to catch his attention. He notices my sullen mood and stops eating for second to ask “What’s wrong?” before chowing some toast he’d taken from home for lunch time. I wish I had done the same. I give him a long look and pout.
  “I’m hungry~” my voice comes out whiny and my pout only serves to emphasise my whininess all the more. My brother ignores me. I knew he’d do that, so I try again.
  “Donghwa~” I sing while poking him on the shoulder. I really need to eat something and getting back into the tuck shop line doesn’t appeal to me at in the least. Besides, I freaking hate the tuck shop guy anyway.
  “One slice of toast, and then you leave me alone!” Donghwa commands and I happily take a slice of toast and head off to my own table of friends. All through the forty-five minute break, I get forced-fed a bunch of things that I really have no appetite for and fifteen minutes before the bell rings for class time I’m on my feet again.

“Are you going to boil me some eggs now?” I ask in a demanding tone only to be faced with silence. The line has dissipated and I’m the only buyer left so the tuck shop guy seems just about ready to close his window in my face. He does just that and I’m left dumbfounded as to why the guy just doesn’t want to boil some freaking eggs for me. I take a deep breath and head in the only direction he can use as an exit. I won’t let him go so easily, no way. I confront him as he exits the tuck shop but just as I’m about to talk, he dodges me. I won’t stand for this so I decide to follow him until he’ll listen to what I have to say.

“Mister, I don’t know what your problem with me is,” I begin as I trail behind him, “but all I’m asking for is some boiled eggs. If you’d come earlier instead of showing up last minute then we wouldn’t have a problem. But you came late, didn’t have time to boil some eggs for today, and when I asked you to do a simple thing for me you just didn’t want to. What do you want me to say for you to boil some freaking eggs for second break?” I ask to no avail. He’s still ignoring me but I won’t give up. I spot that we’re approaching the staff room and try to grab his arm out of urgency but he’s quick to pull away from me. He gives me a final glare before entering the staff room and I lose all hope. I guess I won’t be getting my boiled eggs until I get home.

Three o’clock approaches and I’m barely hanging on. I have soccer practice until five but my energy levels are at an all-time low. I head out of class at the last bell and change into my soccer uniform. A bunch of people try to talk to me as I do so but my mind is blank and every word they say goes flying right past my face. All I can think about is food, and not just any food but boiled eggs. In the back of my mind I’m counting down the hours before Dad arrives and I can finally have some freaking boiled eggs. My only motivation to work hard during soccer practice is the thought of time flying past fast enough for me to momentarily forget my massive desire.

And it does, soccer practice is over before I know it and all I have to do now is just wait for dad to get here. It’s already five-fifteen by the time I’m done changing and I head towards the thatched shelter near the sports field by the school’s back entrance. Dad knows to pick me up here every Friday so I have no worries of him getting lost in mind.
  At the thatched I find Leeteuk still waiting there for his mom. He’s always the last to be picked up so I figure I’ll just sit there and chat with him a little until dad arrives. Its quarter to six when Leeteuk’s mom arrives to pick him up and just before they head off they offer me a ride home because it’s getting late and they don’t want to leave me on the school grounds all alone.
  “My dad should be on his way” I say and thank them for their kindness before waving them off. The lights come on in the thatched shelter and I’m starting to get worried. What if something happened at home to stop dad from coming to pick me up? Or maybe he got off late from work today and is just taking some time to get here because of peak hour traffic. But if that was the case, wouldn’t he tell mom and a