They chose Mia’s apartment. It was a cosy one-bedroom-hall apartment with soft pink-coloured walls and a spacious kitchen – a place that she had dreamed of having but only recently could afford.
The preparations for the evening had begun one day prior, with Mia preparing hot chocolate by melting two rather large chocolate bars, which curdled up to make one of the richest and creamiest hot chocolate mixes. This was the only preparation to be made as all friends had suggested that they would all bring one dish for dinner.
One by one, all of the five friends arrived.
Lena, who was the most health-conscious one, was the first to show up. She had been so busy with her consulting job that the only healthy thing that she could think of was a quinoa and roasted vegetable salad with lemon-tahini dressing, which looked as if it belonged on the cover of a foods magazine. This time, she had added the lemon tahini dressing which had a tangy taste to it. Her contribution was always perfect perhaps a bit too perfect, like she was trying to show her friends that she had everything together when in fact that was not the case.
Next came Ethan, who was most often late but never without a good reason. He had recently started working as a freelance photographer, travelling all over the country and places that people could only dream of. He carried a large foiled baked dish. “Vegetable Lasagne,” he said with a grin as he placed it on the counter. “The secret is in the sauce, trust me.” Always simple, Ethan’s contributions somehow always carried a story behind them – like the lasagne had, a recipe passed down from his grandmother.
Then there was Olivia, the free-spirited girl who just couldn’t settle in one place for long. She had moved to a new city, found herself entangled in a new relationship and had even started practising yoga regularly. Tonight, she brought with her two dishes – pickled cucumber and yoghurt salad and tamarind rice. It was spicy and tangy all at once. “Just a little taste of the chaos that is my life”, she said with a wink as she placed it on the table.
Ben, the boisterous and loud one of the group, arrived next with a loaf of rustic bread, complete with a crusty top and soft inside. He had recently left his engineering job to pursue a career in finance. His contribution was always out of the box but useful. “It’s all about balance” he said, his eyes gleaming behind his glasses as he met his friends near the table and placed it next to Olivia’s coconut and yoghurt salad.
Craig, the quiet thinker of the group, arrived last. He had left his father’s business to pursue a job in digital media as a marketing head. Bringing along with him a rather large casserole of pasta, it carried a rather delicious smell to it. His contributions were always unexpected but always welcome. It was rich and creamy – the kind of dish that made everyone feel at home.
Finally, Mia who had prepared hot chocolate from two large milk chocolate bars watched as she sat beside Craig. She would bring her hot chocolate only after the meal ended. As they gathered around the table, the conversation automatically flowed as if it had been going on forever. There were questions about careers, relationships and the random chaos of life. They brought up adolescent memories, the things that had not changed and the things that had. They laughed about their past mistakes and current struggles.
As Mia looked around at the familiar faces, she noticed how they had all changed in their ways, but their bond was yet intact. The food, as good as it was seemed to be secondary to the warm feeling of being together again.
After dinner, they moved to the living room, each with a glass of soda or juice in their hands. Ethan pulled out his camera and they all spent the next hour clicking pictures with one another, capturing moments that would later turn into memories.
As the evening wore on, the conversation turned quieter and they began to slowly talk about some of their dreams that they had put on hold and the ones that they were currently chasing. No one was in a rush to leave.
Finally, after a long, hearty meal, Mia brought out the cups of hot chocolate that she had prepared for everyone. With smiles on their faces, everyone picked up a glass and held it up high in the air. They drank the hot chocolate down with joy.
Finally, Olivia broke the silence that ensued after the hot chocolate and said, “We should do this more often!”
Everyone unanimously agreed and although they didn’t know when they would be in the same room together again, they knew one thing for sure – and that was that their bond was something they would hold onto and their potlucks became a tradition that became more important than any busy schedule or life change.
It was not just the food and the hot chocolate that made their gathering so special but it was the sense of belongingness, shared memories with the people who knew you best. As the night came to an end they said their goodbyes with one promise in their hearts that they would do a potluck dinner again soon.
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