Not Curry

‘Indian soup again?! Urgh!’ I said, as my mum prepared a weeknight meal of Indian-style tomato soup after a long day at work. I grabbed a scrunchie and bolted through the door in fear that my freshly washed hair would smell like curry at school the next day. I wondered why we couldn’t just be like everyone else and eat plain Heinz cream of tomato soup, with not a speck of masala in sight. No curry leaves or cumin, no ginger or asafoetida – just plain. What I was really asking for was the soup my English friends had for their supper. I wanted so badly to assimilate.