She settled down to enjoy a good cup of soya bean curd milk when she heard a rap at the door.
It was Leah, her foreign neighbour. Leah had been living in the house next door along with four other girls, all from Down Under. They were in the Hell Hole for two months.
"Nihao, Mrs. Wong," she said in her Aussie twang.
"Hawoe, Reah."
"I was wondering if you'd seen Lucky at all?"
"Rucky?"
"My dog. The little black whore who prances around for all the other neighbourhood dogs, doing unmentionable acts with them."
"Oh, Rucky! The bitch who seduced my son's rittle dog and persuaded him to leave home and rive a life of rime on the treacherous streets of Lungtan, yes?"
"Yes. Have you seen her?"
"Ro."
"Damn, I was hoping you had. I've looked everywhere. I've spoken to everyone. No one has seen her. She's gone. You were my last hope," a tear built in Leah's eye. This was of course Lucky, Leah's pride and joy. The little dog she squished under her car, the little dog she sacrifices her lunch at work for, the little dog that's devoid of any sense, the little dog that should be thrown into the middle of a huge lake (preferably in a bag weighted down with rocks). Lucky. Leah's Lucky!
"She was so cute I could eat her," Leah sobbed.
Mrs. Wong, sensing Leah's deep heartache, invited her in. She seated Leah in the living room, in front of the ancestral altar. She popped into the kitchen bringing out a refreshing cup of steaming soya bean curd milk.
They spoke of Lucky. Leah recalled the good times she had with Lucky. The times Lucky would yelp at the front gate; the time the neighbours beat the shit out of Noel, Lucky's good-for-nothing boyfriend; the times that Lucky got into the house and shat on the floor; the time Lucky chewed up everyone's expensive new shoes. Leah revealed that she was even going to give little Lucky a bath and let the dog share her bed on cold nights, despite Lucky's weak bladder.
B*I*N*G!
The oven timer went off. The freshly steamed steam buns had just been steamed and had to be removed from the steam oven. They came out steaming.
"Reah. You have dericious steam bun. New recipe."
Leah took a bite.
"Ooh, this is good!" She took another bite. The flavoursome meat filling poured into her mouth. Tiny bits of minced meat were crushed and ground between her molars. A piece of sinew got stuck between her teeth, sure to drive her nuts for the following two hours. Leah gulped down the rest of the delicious bun. It was fantastic!
"You have 'nother." Mrs. Wong was clearly pleased with the visual compliment to her culinary dexterity.
Leah polished off another two. She was now in a far better humour.
"You take for udder girrs," Mrs. Wong insisted.
"Oh, thank you. Thank you very much!" Leah exclaimed as she left.
Mrs. Wong watched her go. Soon as Leah was inside her own house Mrs. Wong made her way to the kitchen. She cleaned up the mincer and the chopping board, dumping the wasted bits of meat in a huge plastic bag, along with the rest of Lucky's carcus.
Possibly titles: Chinese Lucky Steam Buns
Lucky: steamed
Steamed Lucky
Lucky's Leah and the Chinese Lucky steam buns
