Roti Prata Master

Tan flipped his 8th prata in a bit without breaking a hole in it while stretching it. In an appearance that gave his onlookers the impression that he had 2 right hands, or probably 2 left, they couldn't tell. It was sure clumsy, but definitely entertaining. But patience like the prata, was wearing thin, waiting for it to be broken, like every of the 7th that went before, they asked would they even be fed.

"Piak!" Screams a piece of dough, flat and meshed under the palms against the top of the shiny table top, a Prata Master, wearing his moustache over his pouty lips; at his mastery's routine clearly shown on the yellowish ghee on his worn apron.

This is the story of the Roti Prata master.

He creates the dough in the night, late night. As the dough, carefully created by the balance of the simplest elements such as flour, ghee (and for the vegetarian, margerine) and water. Simple but when meshed together by the hands of the man who's livelihood depends upon its ability to mix and sticks, to become probably the strongest material to hold the life of the Roti Prata Master.

On each order, the prata holds its place firmly, spreading out widely, thinly, and thoroughly stretched under the skillful hand of the Master chef; every flip, it spreads wider, thinner along.

Yet it remains strong enough to hold and not break, under the demands of an egg, onions, and even bananas. Stressed each condiments within, yet held tightly in its thin and stretched pastry; the Roti Prata has become one of the favourite Singaporean Breakfast treat, with innovations of all sorts, you can even find an ice cream in one!

That is the skill of the Roti Prata Master. To expand the prata so thinly and wide, but yet not breaking by the stress of what it has to carry within; along with the weight of every customer, and their expectations.

Then to set them to fry, until crisp. In this thin layer of dough, it is fried to perfect brown, but not dry.

I see a piece of dough in all of us. A potential to be stretched skillfully and not tearing, a lifespan to hold through great and heavy matters within. A life of great expections and fulfilments, a lifestyle of purpose and and intention. An exisitance to comprehen.

I can only try my best to be of good use, but I will ultimately be in the hands of the grandmaster that will hold me together while spreading me, to protect me while quashing me against the metal table, to put me to the fullest use, like the roti prata.

Or be put in the hands of Tan, who's entertainment will never feed his customers, his dough will never be crispy.

It was not the dough, but the hand; the hands of makes the prata.

That is the strength of the Roti Prata Master. Are you one in my life?