Tasteless Cake by Entang Wahyana

                                                                THE TASTELESS CAKE

Salve, Uncle James. Come sta?

If you have read this letter, it means that I succeeded to enter the Titanic and my friend have seen us entering the Titanic.

It’s been a long time since the last time we met and since the last time I tasted your cakes. My God! I miss your chocolate cakes, Uncle. I was so happy when I heard that you and your wife were saved from that accident. My father told me.

Then, it’s about your son, Jacob. He was saved too. I met him five years ago at Milan after my father passed away. I was so happy when I met him. I think he didn’t know that you were saved because he said that he is an orphan. But, he’s fine. He has become a good artist.

I know you miss him, even though maybe he doesn’t. So, I made a plan to get titanic tickets no matter what and make a surprise for Jack and show you his drawing.

Arrivederla!

Fabrizio De Rossi

Several months had passed since I got this letter from Southampton. It reminds me when the first time I read it.

Under the ceiling of my room, in the end of April, I read the letter loud in my mind. I felt like each word that was written here took me into the Garden of Eden, and my arms became so numb after I read it. A tear rolled down through my wrinkled cheek. As fast as I could, I dragged my feet into the stairway that connected my room to my kitchen. There I saw her; my sweetheart Margareth. A shy woman who was the perfect woman I’ve ever gotten. Tightly, I hugged her, made the mixtures of cake spilled onto her apron.

In confusion, she turned and asked me what happened. Her voice flowed softly through my ears. When I told her about Jacob, I could see her eyes drowned in tears. She read the letter that I gave to her. Shocked, she closed her mouth with her hand. Then, the tears that filled her eyes spilled, but a smile soon followed; the smile that I’ve never seen since I put a wedding ring on her finger. Unfortunately, God took away our happiness.

Clearly, I could hear a couple of customer said that the Great Titanic had sunk. We were shocked. Then, I looked into my wife. Her body was trembling in shock.

“It’s okay. I’m sure he was safe,” I tried to hug her body to calm her, but it was in vain. She ignored me, walked into our bedroom, and locked the door. No matter how many times I knocked and asked her to open it, she still ignored me. I couldn’t believe that the Titanic had sunk, and I still believed that my Jacob was alive. So, I ran to the harbor just to find that Jacob’s name was on the list of the deceased. Thanks, God! Thanks for every pain that you’ve given me.

Day by day, week by week, I tried to come with terms regarding Jacob’s passing and forget everything about him. After two months, I could forget him and drift my life normally, but Margareth was not. I felt something different in her behavior. When I asked her, she only give me a short answer. When we were eating, she never finished her meal. Then, her smile disappeared. I’ve never seen her smile anymore.

“Emily, do you have a lily?” I asked the florist in the flower store near my bakery.

“I think I have. How much do you need, George?” she asked me while she was collecting the lily.

“Seven. No! Nine.”

“This flower again, huh? Here,” she gave me a bouquet.

“How much-“

Emily shook her head, and just said ‘Free’. What a kind person. I thanked her and went back to my bakery and I gave it to Margareth.

But expectation was never always the same as reality. When I gave her the bouquet, she only took it, and put it on the table. It has been the seventh time I gave her something. She never rejected anything that I gave, but she never looked happy with it. She didn’t even give me a smile. But I wouldn’t give up! I should give her something different.

End of July was the best day in this summer, I thought. So, that night I decided to bring my wife to the savanna in the next town. As usual, she only said “yes” when I asked her. I’ve asked my employee to manage the bakery while I was gone. In the afternoon, we went into the train station. I could feel my hand trembling in happiness when I thought about the surprise that I had planned.

Summer wind blew through my hair after we arrived at the savanna. I closed her eyes with a piece of cloth, held her hands, and lead her to the table. I put all the stuff from my bag into the table. After I felt it was finished, I took the cloth away from her eyes, and showed her my surprise.

The candle, the full moon, and the best cake I’ve ever made. This was the most romantic dinner in my life since the time I proposed to her. Anxiously, I waited for her reaction. Then, I saw her face, and it happened again; she didn’t give me any reaction. God! I was tired. I sat on the chair, stared at the candle, and my mind became wild.

“Why don’t you understand, George? All I want is my Jacob, George! Nothing more!” Suddenly, she grabbed my hand, and stared into my eyes. When I looked into her eyes, I could see. I could see the answer and what I should do. So, I took my book and wrote this story.

“Are you ready, George?” she asked me with a knife on her hands.

“Yes, sweet heart. I’m ready,” as the wind blow, we cut our blood vessel.

-THE END-