enjoyed spicy chicken

Amma's kitchen filled with cardamom smoke as I video-called from Singapore, showing her my screen. "Look, I earned enough today," I said, gesturing at my crypto portfolio. She laughed, shaking her head at her tech-savvy son. That evening, I ordered her spicy chicken from the neighborhood aunty—the same recipe Amma taught me years ago. As I ate my meal thousands of miles away, that familiar heat on my tongue connected me home. My earnings meant something different now: the ability to ensure she never cooked alone, to keep our traditions alive through small gestures. Digital currencies faded against this ancient warmth.