Ginger

“Watch it!��? she warned with the knife in her hand.
She’d barely missed lopping off my fingers as they snatched a slice of ginger from the chopping block. She shoots me a concerned glance and looks down at the ginger she’s dicing, then immediately back up at me. “You’re not eating that raw?��?
I nod and grin and blow ginger breath at her. “It’s yummy,��? I crunch.
She shakes her head and pushes the diced ginger into the glass bowl with the garlic by the edge of the cutting board and sets it aside. I’m sitting on a tall stool, leaning on the kitchen island to watch her work. I love her hands. I’m instantly hypnotized by them performing any complicated or involved task. Her dark blonde hair is pulled up in a ponytail behind her head and her eyes are still red and teary from the onion, which she now turns to check softening in the wok with oil and cumin seeds. She stirs it with a metal spatula and returns to the cutting board, reaching for the chilies.
She nips the ends off one with the tip of her sizeable knife, then turns it to slice down its green tapering length. She turns one half to halve again—and yelps, dropping the knife. She’s cut herself, a short diagonal slash between the first and second joints of her middle finger.
“Motherf—“ she growls, stifling the curse. “Ooh, that stings.��? She raises the cut to her mouth to blow on it, and I reach to draw it to my own. It’s not deep, mostly a raised flap of skin, and I kiss it, sucking away the small droplets of blood that are beginning to well up.
Her skin has absorbed the oils and juices of onion, garlic, ginger and potent chili pepper, which I can not only taste but feel seeping into my own lips, making them tingle and burn. “Delicious already,��? I say.
She smiles and wipes her nose on the cleanish back of her other hand. “Thanks. I only hope you say the same about the stuff in the pot.��?
“You’ve made it a blood offering now, it has to turn out good.��?
“I doubt it’ll touch your mother’s aloo gobi.��?
“If I wanted my mother’s aloo gobi, I’d be living with her,��? I say, and I slurp the whole length of her finger into my mouth.