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Yes Steven

Finalist Melbourne Food & Wine Festival Young Writer Competition
Alissa Lever Year 7 Hillcrest Christian College
"The Best (and most romatic) Meal I Ever Had"

We're going on another date tonight, Steven and I. You know I never thought about it, but we've been together a long time. I remember when we first met. It was in the library. We were both studying and I just happened to bump into him in one of the aisles and knock him over. I helped him pick up his books and when I looked up into his hazel brown eyes I knew we were meant for each other. He's so cute, his short brown hair and pale smooth face. I don't know why he's so interested in me. I'm blonde, have green eyes and am major clumsy. Steven will be picking me up at 7:00 and we're going to an Italian Restaurant.

We're at the restaurant and are looking at the menus. The waiter comes.
"Have you chosen your meals yet?" he asked.
"Yes, I'll have the Fettuchini Carbonara please," I reply.
“Make that two," says Steven. The waiter walks off into the kitchen.
"You look beautiful, Sarah," he says to me.
"Thank you. You look quite charming yourself."

I reach over to get some bread from the middle of the table and in the process knock over Stevens red wine right on to him.
"Oh no! Steven I'm so sorry," I cried. I grabbed a serviette and tried to dry it up.
"It's okay Sarah I can manage."

Did I mention I was clumsy? He went off to the bathroom to clean it up. How could I have been so clumsy? The waiter returned with our spaghetti while Steven was still in the bathroom. He came back soon after, and he had done a good job with the wine stain.
We stared to eat our spaghetti in silence.
"I'm so sorry Steven..."
"I understand and you don't have to worry about it. It doesn't matter."
So that was pretty much the end of that.

For dessert we had ice cream with a cherry on top. I always eat the ice-cream first and the cherry last. I ate the ice cream then popped the cherry into my mouth. This was probably the date where the least amount of accidents had happened.

In my excitement, I forgot to chew and swallowed the cherry whole. The cherry got stuck in my throat and I begun to choke. Steven noticed this and asked.
"What's wrong?"
I pointed to my throat to get him to understand I was choking on the cherry. He realized and stood up coming behind and started to do the Heimlich maneuver. The cherry bounced off a candle stick and hit the man sitting on the table next to us, the cherry splattering all over his forehead.
"I'm so sorry," I said as he glared at me

He wiped off the cherry then turned around to continue eating his meal. Steven sat back down looking nervous.
"What's wrong? You seem nervous," I asked.
"Well you see, I've been meaning to ask you something," he paused.
"Go on," I say.
"Well we've been going out for a long time and we've always been loving and caring despite each others bad qualities. Ever since that day we met in the library, I mean I don't know about you but I don't think we met by chance. I think we were meant for each other. I think we should take our relationships one step further."

At this point he knelt down on one knee onto the floor reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a lovely little red velvet case. Then he said the five most fabulous words in the English dictionary.
"Sarah, will you marry me!"
Of course I couldn't say no. After all, all that he said was true.
So I said "Yes," with tears streaming down my cheeks.

So even though the night had been disastrous, it turned out to be the best meal I ever had.

What the Judges said:
Look, there had to be a love story and this is it. I liked Alissa’s sense of humour and use of dialogue. By the way I want to marry Steven as well.
Reminded me of teenage dating. But mine never turned out so happily ever after! Sometimes it's just not about the food!
Too much romance (is there such a thing?), not enough food.
Sweet and simple, humour, personality and character by the spade load. Food and romance go hand in hand. What more could you ask for?

growing up / cooking food / knowing how / feeling good