Help in the Kitchen

Elena had invited several friends for a big lunch on Sunday, and by ten o’clock she realised she would never finish everything alone. She called her brother Marcus. “Please help me,” she said. “They are coming at one, and I’m already running late.”

Marcus arrived at eleven. Elena showed him into the kitchen, where vegetables were piled all over the counter. “Please help me with the salad,” she said. He chopped and mixed until it was ready, and she thanked him. “Thank you, Marcus. You’re a lifesaver!”

At one o’clock, Sofia and Dan arrived. Elena led them to the table, which she had decorated with flowers. “This seat is for you, Sofia,” she said, “and that seat is for him.”

The guests were hungry after the walk over. “Where is the bread, Elena?” Dan asked. Elena searched the kitchen but could not find it anywhere. In the end, Marcus spotted it behind the oven, where she had put it to keep it warm. “Here it is!” he said, and he handed it to them.

After lunch, while the others were still talking, Marcus started washing the dishes. “Thank you,” Elena said. “You helped me today, and I’ll help you next week.” They laughed together, tired but happy. The lunch had been a success.