Chapter - 3 - Poisonous dining hall
Wine has an oval face with a little baby fat. His eyebrows are like a seagull's wings and he has fox eyes. His bow shape lips and straight nose made him nothing like a man, at most, he looked like a tomboy.
The most eye-catching thing on his face is a small black mole under the end of his left eye.
He cut his soft hair in a short wolf cut style. His left ear is adorned with two small earrings with black gems.
Won't he get scolded in tomorrow morning assembly? Anawar thought while staring at the white back….
Then, he saw the unbelievable sight. This guy is doing skin care taking out bottles and cans from the locker. He even rubbed lotion on his arms and body. Looking at the lips as red as cherry, he only wanted to ask "Are you sure your gender is male?".
Growing up in a family full of men, this is the first time for Anawar to see this kind of delicate flower like man …or… boy ???
Clang..clang..clang….
Sounds of the bell woke Anawar up from the dazed state. Htin Lin came in while shouting…
"Still not done yet? Hurry up, or else, you will only get water if you are late…"
Wine put on a yellow t-shirt and three quarter pants in a hurry.
"I am done, senior."
"Well then, watch me …"
Htin Lin opened his locker, took out his lunch box and a big plastic container, then he scooped two spoonfuls of fried chilli sauce with small shrimps from the container and put them into the lunch box skillfully. After that,he closed the lid of the lunch box and put the spoon and fork on it.
"That's it. The essential weapons for the dining hall…"
The two freshmen followed his steps and were ready in a minute. The three seniors also ran in, took the lunch box, spoon and fork and ran out in one go.
"Where are the other two freshmen?"
"Their families took them out for dinner. Come on.. let's go…"
Well…following the seniors is the right thing to do for freshmen, right ?
The three walked to the dining hall in unison. The dining hall and kitchen are right beside the first male's dorm and the college gate.
The female's dorms are at the other side of the road. The female's side had one two story teaching building, an Assembly hall,a small dining room and stalls selling dishes at the front side, and two dormitories at the back.
In fact,there are three female's dormitories because the upper part of the two stories building was used as a dormitory for female trainees.
There are also some small houses for teaching staff.
On the male's side, there is one teaching building, kitchen, a dining hall and four dormitories for male trainees.
"Why are the female trainees pouring into the male dining hall?"
Surprised by the female trainees coming in from the gate, Wine asked Htin Lin.
"The dining room at their side is very small. Get used to it. We can see the beauties up close …It's our profit.."
Htin Lin replied with a grin showing his white teeth.
Just by the entrance,there was a big table. On it, three stacks of steel military mess trays and two big steaming pots….
Following Htin Lin's lead, they each took a mess tray and lined up with the other trainees. Each got two scoops of rice and one spoonful of unknown vegetable soup.
Just one unknown dish… just a spoonful…done
When they sat at the table, Wine couldn't control his twitching facial muscles. The rice smells bad. And the soup, is it even edible?
"Senior, what kind of dish is this?"
Wine wanted to cry…
"Oh, it's water grass and roselle stew…"
"Is it always like this?"
"Oh, it's just in the evening.."
Phew…he was relieved..
"We will get diluted bean stew in the morning.."
"Diluted? Is it a new dish?"
"You'll see it tomorrow…"
Contrary to the two freshmen's despairing faces, Htin Lin ate in big mouthfuls.
Wine swallowed the question "Can it even be eaten?". Looking around,the seniors are fine but all the freshmen looked like they were being fed poisonous foods.
"I was just like you before. But, you will get used to it. The rice is not even mouldy because this is the end of the rainy season. It will only get worse in the rainy season…. Haha.."
"Why? Aren't we the flowers of the motherland? Why should we eat that kind of food?"
"That's what we get for the amount of cash we have to give. The fee for the dormitory and meal is only seven thousand a month…what do you expect from the college? The lowest monthly payment for meals in the restaurant is thirty thousand…."
The seniors explained the harsh truth to the juniors. The freshman's jaws dropped even further when they heard the sentence "It will only get worse later".
Htin Lin opened the lid of his lunch box..
"This is the role of this side dish… I tell you, when you get used to it, you will even try to hide the rice in the lunch box for a snack at midnight .."
Real or fake ??
Wine opened his own lunch box and tried to swallow the rice with the meat sauce. Anawar did the same.
The rice is hard and a little smelly. After eating half full, the swallowing became torturous. He wanted to put down the spoon but… what did he see?
The seniors are taking other servings. Htin Lin also picked up his mess tray to get another serving. Some seniors are hiding the rice in their lunch boxes while the kitchen staff are not looking.
Wine didn't know how the hell did they finish the tray full of rice and why did they go to such great lengths to steal that kind of rice.
He glanced at Anawar's tray. His face looked bad but he was trying hard to finish his part.
"Eat up. There is nothing to eat if you're hungry at night. This rice doesn't have much fat and carbs…means the digestion will be very fast.."
Anawar warned him in a small voice. Wine forced himself to eat another mouthful.
Looking at the two juniors, Htin Lin laughed happily.
"There are food stalls on the female's side. You can buy some dishes tomorrow. But I have to warn you, it's not cost effective…"