Nyla Belshe

“Come help me in the kitchen?” Halmeoni yells from the bottom of the stairwell. The stench of fish serves as a warning of what the rest of my night will look like. Heading downstairs, I begrudgingly listen to my grandmother’s instructions. Chop the green onion, and place it in the bowl like always. I grab a knife and cutting board, assessing the stalky green vegetable shoved into my hands. Beginning my task, I twitch at the squeaky crunch of the initial cut. As the rhythmic chopping ensues, I drift into an automatic flow. The outside noises stop. Sizzling meat, metal scraping metal, oil bubbling and hopping off the pan with a sharp crack. It all disappears except for the crunching chop caused by my own swift motions. My heartbeat syncs with the knife’s cut, the tool an extension of myself. The same air I breathe every day suddenly seems cleaner, crisper. The nasty pollutants of my day that once lingered around have been purified by my achievement. I blink out of my comfortable rhythm. The onions are cut. The bowl is filled.

halmeoni: Korean word meaning grandmother

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Nyla Belshe is a 16 year old Korean-American girl. She spends her time painting, reading, and listening to any genre of music. Her writing usually explores the challenges Asian Americans face in a world where their culture is not known or accepted. This specific work is a short story depicting the feelings of being surrounded by one’s cultural food. There are also themes of confused cultural identity, dealing with anxiety, and finding ways to cope with the ever changing events around her.