Love Over Ashes

  “Just a cup of flour, please,” Fiona Jefferson, the owner of Canterbury bakery, and long running ‘pastry chef champion’, begged. “No way. In this year’s annual holiday festival, I want to rank first in baking, alongside my brilliantly made, chocolate cake, that is one of a kind. Your grandma’s apple pie is going down!” Peter Hinedale, Harptown bakery’s owner proudly announced to Fiona, “So this year, you are getting nothing from me.”

  Fiona glanced around. A huge crowd had gathered next to the rival’s neighboring bakeries. Most of them were whispering quite embarrassing things at the two chefs. “Now look at what you’ve done. Such a big crowd for just a cup of flour. I’ve had enough with you Peter. I’m off. See you at the festival.” Fiona remarked, grinning at her arch enemy and strolling away. Peter was left in a daze. “Did she smile at me or was it another one of her mischievous grins?” he asked himself. “Clear off, clear off. Nothing to see hear. This is no public show. Off you go. Now that’s right. Hey child, come here. Take this lollipop and ask you mother to vote for me at the annual festival okay,” Peter told a little girl while dispersing the crowd away.

  The child nodded and ran off to her mother. “Vote for him? No way! Throw the lollipop away. Only heaven knows what he has put in it,” the angry woman shouted, snatching the delicately made sweet and dashing it on the ground. Peter, heartbroken, watched his lollipop being shattered on the ground, in hundreds of tiny pieces.

  On the other hand, Fiona was having no better luck. “I can assure you ma’am. It is made purely of flour, eggs, butter and sugar. Not a drop of liquor is in it.” “Well then… What may I ask, is the cause of my husband’s abrupt behavior?” the furious customer demanded, rapping her knuckles on Fiona’s front desk. With each tapping sound, Fiona’s heart skipped a beat. “Madam, no offense, but your husband was like that since the moment he stepped into my bakery. I have not taken any harsh action against it. Seeing you misinterpret me, it would be my pleasure to see you and your husband out the door,” Fiona replied, tears flooding her eyes as she could take the rapping no longer. The customer glared at her for a second and then marched out the doors with her husband who had put up quite a show.

  “My pie!”

  “My cake!”

  Fiona rushed into the kitchen, just in time to see a half- burnt pie staring right back at her. When Peter dashed into his kitchen, the whole room was filled in smoke, that it was impossible to see the ashes of the fully- burnt cake.

  Both chefs were struck with just one, single thought, “I need either help, or backup.” The gala was to be held a day later, and only five minutes after the mishap, the crying Fiona heard her bakery bell ringing. “What now,” she moaned, crouching down, to pick up a fallen cup, only to notice that a handsome looking shadow, was emerging before her very eyes. “Who- “Fiona, listen, I’m sorry. Seeing that your pie is burnt just as much as my cake, how about we work together. Maybe, we’ll both win in the end and… What happens next would just be fate.” “What- Who- “It’s me. Peter.” At this, Fiona spun around violently and stood up. “PETER! It’s you? Why have you come here?”

  “My whole cake’s burnt to ashes and half of yours has done the same. It seems-

  “It seems as though- We keep finishing each other’s sentences- As though… We really need to work together.”

  “Seems so.”

  “Right then… Music?”

  “Sounds good.”

  Fiona and Peter listened to music from their favorite band. Apparently, the two of them had many similarities. Both Fiona and Peter loved eating Christmas cookies. Their hobby was baking. Each of them were gifted with an ability to play melodious tunes on the violin and loved to read.

  The music they listened to, filled the air with positivism and motivation that, in the end what came from ashes, turned out to be a triple layer chocolate cake, decorated with apples of various kinds.

“Completely successful,” Peter sighed with satisfaction. “True. Quite true. By the way Peter, I’m going to stop at the ice- cream parlor on the way to the festival, so you are left with two options. Either take me and the cake in your car and stop at the parlor for ice cream with me or, go to the fiesta yourself, leaving me and the cake at the parlor. Which one do you choose?” Fiona inquired, trying her best to hide her happiness, but failing. “The first one of course. But I Can’t think of anything more cold or sweeter than you,” Peter smiled. 

"Oh, don't exaggerate, Peter. Let's set off at eight o'clock tomorrow then." And so it was. At eight thirty the next morning, Peter and Fiona arrived at the ice-cream parlor. They chatted a lot and found out about each other's backgrounds. Peter had loved to cook since he was a child, but his parents let him cook only after he had turned eighteen. Fiona's story was not that different. She stated that her parents had both died when she was ten years old, and then was taken to an orphanage, where she had lived until she turned twenty, when she could finally put on her chef's

hat and apron. Then at ten o'clock, the duo arrived at the fair.

Its grounds were bustling with couples, tourists and children. Fiona and Peter placed their cake on the highest display shelf so that it would not be harmed by anyone else. Then they went off to have a taste of carnival fun. "How about riding the Ferris wheel?" Fiona inquired. Peter blushed, "Can we do what everyone does up there when we reach the top?" Fiona squealed in excitement, "Do you think I'd refuse?"

Peter bought two tickets to ride the Ferris wheel and Fiona chose a bright red carriage to ride in. The carriage was decorated with artificial white roses and light green creepers. It was a sight for sore eyes. As the duo entered the carriage, an announcement boomed through the whole fair, "Attention please, attention please. The winners for this years annual baking contest are... Peter and Fiona for their amazing chocolate and apple cake. Anyone who wants to have a taste can come to tent fifty five, by the Ferris wheel." By then the carriage had lifted off the ground with the overwhelmed Fiona and Peter. They looked down and saw hundreds of people crowding to taste their cake. "It'll probably disappear in five minutes," Fiona giggled.

Peter stared into Fiona's eyes and she stared back. The Ferris Wheel reached the top.