The smell of mom's pancakes

May is a month of pouring rain. The long, rainy nights, lying with my arms on my forehead, I hear so many memories come back.

In the past, when my mother was still alive. It was raining in May, especially on the day of the Dragon Boat Festival, the whole family gathered around the small fire, everyone sniffing, waiting for the pancakes my mother poured. The pancakes were made from rice flour that my mother soaked and ground herself all night. The filling was monitor lizard meat that my brothers dug up from the fields and minced it so that my mother could season it with spices and mix it with the batter to make the pancakes. It was raining, the fire was warm, the hot pancakes gave off a rich aroma. Whatever my mother poured, my brothers ate right away. Looking at the children gathered around to eat the pancakes, my mother wiped her sweat, smiled and said: "Banh xeo is delicious when eaten hot, when it's cold it's terrible". Despite saying that, my mother didn't eat any of it, she just sat there diligently scooping batter to make pancakes for her children. After much begging, my mother picked up a bit of the burnt edge of the pancake and put it in her mouth, smacking her lips, nodding: "Yes! It's delicious, you guys eat until you're full, I'll eat my share later". At that moment I saw my mother was extremely happy, her face was radiant by the firelight, her mouth always had a satisfied smile.

In my hometown, almost every house has a pan for making banh xeo, and those who can afford it also have a stone mortar to grind flour. On rainy days, during the Duanwu Festival, the whole neighborhood competes to soak rice, grind flour, dig for worms, and catch shrimp to make banh xeo. Every family gathers together. The sound of the fire crackling, the sound of banh xeo sizzling in the pan, along with the cheerful voices and laughter, the happiness of the village seems to be multiplied.

Now, it has been several rainy months of May and July, many times the Dragon Boat Festival has come and gone. The old house is still there, the old kitchen is still there. But Mom is far away! The pancake waiting for Mom to “eat later” has gone cold with time. Mom! I miss the smell of Mom’s pancakes from the old days!

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