An Unexpected Kindred ...

Kindred spirit - someone who feels and thinks the way you do. Popularised by Anne of Green Gables.

"The meal is so dry. I can't possibly finish my rice like this," she said.

The words sounded like music to my ears. In all my years of eating with friends, I have not come across many people who eat the way I do.

We both looked at our plates balefully. It was heaped with white rice, a few strands of vegetables and some portions from the yam basket. There was an acute lack of gravy. To us, it looked rather an impossible task to finish.

Then we started passionately exchanging stories of how we endured dry meal after dry meal with rice sans gravy. We were passionate because we discovered that it's a subject that's very close to our hearts.

"Some meals come with soup. But it's not the same as gravy, you know."

"I so know what you mean! I can't imagine soaking my rice in soup. Soup is soup and must only be consumed on it's own - in a bowl. Nothing like lots and lots of gravy swimming in your rice."

"And I feel so bad if I scoop all the gravy that are contained in certain dishes. Like I'm robbing the others from their share of gravy."

"I feel exactly the same! Long live dishes that come with oodles of gravy!"

"Yeah!!!"

Then we looked around our dinner table. The next dish had arrived. Gravy-laden, thankfully. My sister and I exchanged grins as we proceed to pour generous helpings of gravy onto our plates. Ah, now we can finally truly enjoy our meal.

Growing up, I used to think that we are so very different in many ways. In order not to get lost or mixed up with the other siblings, there was a constant and subconscious desire to individuate.

But now, I'm starting to realise that I do have a kindred spirit in her. And it's a strangely welcoming thought. For with it, comes the unique kind of comfort and the joy of familiarity that only siblings share. It just can't be helped. We were brought up by the same folks after all. I can only marvel that it took me so long to see it.

Wah.