The Chocolate Cake

I baked a cake last Sunday. Nothing fancy; I was in a hurry so I didn't even slather it with fudge like I normally do. It was supposed to be Lee's birthday cake. She turned twenty one six weeks ago, but since it was during the hols, I thought it would be nice to have her blow out candles and slice a cake with all of us at the hostel. Good idea. Bad execution.

No, the cake turned out fine. The problem was, Rice invited Eido for dinner. Eido walked into the kitchen and saw the cake cooling on the counter. And of course he wanted a slice of warm cake straight out of the oven. I told him politely that he couldn't have one because I'd baked it for Lee.

Strike one.

"You baked a cake for Lee and you didn't bake one for me?" So of course, I hacked off an inch along one side and gave it to him. Which Rice had issues with. ("You can't give him the crust!") Anyway, Eido very sweetly drove me to the bus stop and put me on the bus to Trichy. Before I left though, he tucked the foil wrapped cake into the glove compartment and said he was going to keep it for his sister because she'd been dying to try my chocolate cake.

And I gave him the crusty bit. Damn.

The cake and I got to Trichy in one piece, although both a little worse for wear. Abu was around when I was unpacking and saw the cake which I explained had been intended for Lee but was now mildly mutilated. She shrugged and reached for the knife to cut herself a piece. "So we're not doing the whole birthday thing then?" , I asked.

Strike two.

Wordlessly, Abu put down the knife and walked out of the room. I'd had it with that damn cake. Let the next person who wanted it have the stupid thing.

Late that night, Lee and I were watching a movie when she said she felt like munching on something. I told her I had some cake. Yum, she said and got up to slice off a piece. As she cut into the cake she said, "You know, I've never cut a birthday cake. Not here, not back home. My birthday's always during the hols and people generally forget about it by the time they get back."

Strike three.