Across his shoulder pole hung rice, eggs, condiments, and a stove. He’d stop beneath our student windows to sauté some garlic, to let its scent slip inside the rooms. We cursed his tricks, swore to resist; yet every time his wok hissed, we went down in shame, cash in hand.

Titi Kusumandari is a writer based in Brussels, Belgium. Their work has appeared or is forthcoming in Pr&ta Journal, Lost Balloon, Anodyne, Chestnut Review, among others.