Ob Peb Lub (My short story about sharing)

Here's a short story about sharing based on my childhood! Enjoy! 

Ying’s children surrounded an oversized bowl of cheese balls on the floor and Ying visits with some unexpected guests. The guests were two women, a mother and her daughter-n-law, and the daughter-n-law’s young son. They came to visit Ying’s mother-n-law but she was still at the hospital, where Ying’s husband spends most of his time now. Since the guests showed up unexpectedly and Ying had already welcomed them into her home, there’s no time to have her children relocate their feast of cheese balls, hence, the children munched on in front of the guests.

      The guests sat on the couch with Ying, diligently having conversations about Ying’s mother-n-law’s condition and then shifted onto their observations of the house as Ying didn’t know too much of her mother-n-law’s condition. A moment later Ying stepped away and came back and offered the guests some water. The young son looked with wide eyes at Ying’s children. It was obvious that he too, wanted to join the cheese ball feast or at least, have some.

      “Fwm, muab rau nws noj thiab mas (Fue, give him some too),” Ying advised her eldest son, an eight year old.

        “Muab puas tsawg lub rau nws mas(How much should I give him)?” Fue questioned. I don’t want to give him too much, I don’t even know him.

      “Muab ob peb lub rau nws (Give him a few),” Ying smiled a bit nervously. How can I explain this term to him? He only understands an exact amount. I can’t tell him exactly how much to share. How will it make me look in front to these guests? I don’t want them to think I’m greedy.

      “Ob peb lub yog puas tsawg mas (how much is that)?" Fue is now confused with the term “ob peb lub”. Two, three, that doesn’t make any sense. Do I give him two? Three? Two plus three is five, five cheese balls for a complete stranger? That is too much.

      “Ob peb lub ces yog ob peb lub xwb (a few means a few),” Ying giggled. Hopefully, he’ll figure it out. Her two guests giggled with the entertainment of the confused but adorable Fue.

      “Tabsis, qhia kuv sev ob peb lub yog puas tawg mas (but tell me how much is a few).” Do I give him a handful? No, that’s too much. Two cheese balls is not enough either. How much should I give him? Fue looked at his mother but she was already saying something to the guests. He looked to his siblings for an answer. They all just munched on without a care about Fue’s dilemma. “Muab ob peb rau nws noj mas,” Fue’s sister mocked what was being told to Fue. But how much is that? Fue thought for a moment. He ran to the kitchen and grabbed a small empty bowl and placed it next to the oversized bowl of cheese balls upon his return. I’ll just do this and hopefully I’m right. Ob. Fue squatted and grabbed a handful of cheese balls but with his kid size hand, he was only able to grab three cheese ball. Peb. Fue grabbed at the cheese balls again, this time gripping four balls. Lub. Another handful went into the smaller bowl. There, that’s more than five; and it’s more than enough, hopefully everyone will be happy. Fue got up and handed the bowl of cheese balls to the daughter-n-law’s young son and smiled, “Noj os (eat).” The young son looked at Fue with his wide eyes and took the bowl with his mother’s encouragement.

      “Aws, li kov mas; ob peb lub cev yog li kov mas (yes, do that, a few is that)," Ying applaud Fue. The guests also applauded Fue for being clever and figuring out what out the meaning of “ob peb lub”. Ying is proud of her son. He didn’t showcase any greed. One day, he’ll do well for the family. She smiled at Fue. Fue turned his focus to eating the cheese ball, over stuffing his mouth as if to make up for time loss.