The Unfortunate Cookie

• Mike Aghahowa, Grade 6, Amberley District State School
• Short Story
• 2017

Excellence Award in the 'Spread The Word 2017' competition

The Unfortunate cookie

My name is Shaun, and this is the crazy story of how I had the worst luck in history…
It all started on Chinese New Year, when my family and I decided to go out for dinner. However, the problem with this is that we can never decide where… “Indian tonight?” Asked my Mother. We ALWAYS have Indian for dinner on Chinese New Year. It is weird. “How about we have Mexican?” My Dad chimed in. Seriously? I think they are completely missing the point of ‘Chinese New year’. “How about we have Chinese for once? After all, it is Chinese New Year today.” I said, hoping that they will say yes. “Hmmm,… That would probably be better.” My Mum agreed. My Dad went upstairs to go get my younger sister Mia, and told her to go get ready.
Once we were ready to go, we all hoped into our car, and drove for about 10 minutes. Then we finally arrived at a big looking restaurant, with huge red 3D Chinese dragons decorated around the roof of the restaurant. Inside there where blue, red and orange lights shining in different directions. I think this has to be the coolest thing I have ever seen. A waiter approached us and told us to sit in table number 23. Ok then? Table number 23 it is. I sat next to Mia and Mum and Dad sat opposite us. They started talking to each over, while Mia and I sat in silence. I decided to look around the place. Fancy is written ALL over this restaurant. And it smelt delicious too. Then another waiter came, and gave Mum and Dad a menu, (I asked for one too) and we ordered what we wanted. Mum and Dad ordered for something called, ‘Chow Mien’, and Mia ordered dumplings. I just wanted to eat something that I knew of, so I ordered Wontons.
We got our food and we dug in. I loved it. It tasted much better than the Wontons you can buy at Woolworths. Then later in the night we got little cookies with paper in them, called fortune cookies. Mum and Dad have fortunes like, ‘You will have good luck’, and ‘You will find money on the ground’. But what did I get? ‘IF YOU ARE SITTING IN TABLE 23 YOU WILL HAVE BAD LUCK’. Just when I looked up to tell everyone this, they were gone. I saw them walking to the toilets. Therefore, that leaves ME the one sitting at table 23! Im going to have bad luck! All of a sudden, the little candle sitting in the middle of the tiny plate fell onto the table, and caught on fire! Then I accidentally spilt my drink all over my pants! Then, a kid from school walked in just in time and laughed at me and my pants. Then the bill for the restaurant came… and OF COURSE, I had no money.
It was a very Unfortunate cookie!