Nugly by M. C. Ross

Author:M. C. Ross [C. Ross, M.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Published: 2023-05-29T00:00:00+00:00

Thwack-ack-ack!

“Three phở bò for the Võ family!”

“Coming up!”

Tangtangtang. Slapslapslap. Hisssssssss.

“Do you have—”

“I got it, Mom. Did you start on the—”

“The summer rolls, yes, just adding”—chop—“the shrimp”—chop—“now.”

Dingdingding!

“Great, thanks, Mom. I’ll go see who that is.”

“Okay!” Thwack-ack-ack-ack. “I love y—”

But before Ms. Trần could even finish her sentence, Emily had shouldered her way through the double doors that separated the kitchen from the dining room floor, carrying a big tray on which mother and daughter had perfectly balanced three piping-hot bowls of phở. For the briefest of seconds, Ms. Trần stopped to gaze at the spot where her daughter had just been, the doors still lightly thwack-ing back and forth from the force with which Emily had pushed them apart.

Then another ding from outside signaled new customers coming in, and Ms. Trần went right back to work. She threw two more bowls on the crowded counter—tangtang!—dropped bright red beef slices into each one—slapslap!—and poured golden, steaming, aromatic beef broth on top, each bowl lined up seamlessly so that not a drop slopped out. Each slice of beef magically turned just the perfect shade of pink as the boiling broth cooked the raw meat. Ms. Trần had just enough time to chop and add a sprinkling of sprouts and spices before Emily was back in the kitchen, breathlessly calling out:

“Mr. and Mrs. Doherty—”

“I know,” Ms. Trần said, turning and handing Emily the two bowls she had just prepared. “They always come this time on Tuesdays.” Emily just grabbed the bowls, nodded, and muttered this information back to herself as if to burn it into her memory while she went backward out the door, and the whole dance started all over again.

The Trầns were pros. They were nonstop. They were a sight to behold.

And the whole time?

They didn’t. Spill. Anything.

Nugget was torn between excruciation, admiration, and sheer sensory overload. He’d drooled his way through the entirety of the lunch rush, as Ms. Trần chopped, wrapped, scooped, stirred, and cut. He didn’t know what was more impressive—how incredibly good Ms. Trần was at cooking, or how incredibly good Nugget was at hiding. Having quietly followed Emily downstairs and along the hall, Nugget stopped just outside the industrial steel door, remembering the words of the baker he’d met on the street all those weeks ago: “My boss would not want you in here—total health code violation.” He didn’t want to get the Trầns in trouble, so he stayed hidden in the hallway. Thankfully, Emily had left the door ajar just a crack, so he was able to spy on the beautiful symphony of sounds and smells in the kitchen, all while perfectly hidden.

“You know I know you’re there, yes?” Ms. Trần asked.

Nugget looked around to see if Emily was there, but there was no one else. Weird. Ms. Trần must have been talking to herself.

“Well, fine. Let me show you something.” Ms. Trần crossed the kitchen to a vat so big that it had to be holding fifty gallons of broth, minimum. Nugget shimmied his position

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