Monday I shared the graphic feature for Aditus's story, One Hundred Forty-Five Candles, and today I'll share an excerpt. This is a very short story, so there's no excuse to miss the rest! Just... if you're going to take a stab at the recipe, maybe use a few less candles or keep an extinguisher on hand?

Quote

 

The men kissed briefly, then inhaled deeply and blew out the candles. Everyone did as they had been directed before and helped them, including me, and I’m proud to be able to announce here and now, that we managed to extinguish every single candle. Then everyone watched Lou, a tiny man with a huge belly, cut the cake expertly and intricately before he transferred the first two slices onto plates and passed them to Peter and Victor.

After enjoying a piece of the delicious Very-Berry cake, I had the opportunity to interview the birthday boys.

 

Me: “First, let me congratulate you on your birthday. That was a lot of candles.”

Peter: “One-hundred forty-five to be exact.”

Victor: “Sixty-five for Peter, and seventy for me.”

Me: “Erm...sixty-five plus seventy is one hundred thirty-five, right?”

Peter: “Ha-ha. That’s right, but what about our ten year-anniversary?”

Me: “Your ten year anniversary? Ahn told me today is your birthday.”

Victor: “Darling, do tell the man the story, you always do it so much better than me.”

Peter: ”Ten years ago, I saw this beautiful man—"

Victor: “Pete!”

Peter: “What? You said I tell our story well, so let me tell the story how I see it.”

Victor: “Whatever you say.”

Peter: “Okay. Ten years ago, I saw this beautiful man standing in front of my friend Lou’s bakery admiring the display, at least that’s what I thought he was doing back then. I had to talk to him—all tall and curly white hair— exactly my type—and I asked him if he wanted some advice in choosing a treat as I knew Lou’s specialties well, but then he looked at me; buried deeply in his blue eyes was an unspeakable sadness. It took my breath away. That day Lou decorated his window with a variety of cakes, and in the center sat a tiny birthday cake. Then it hit me. What if it was the man’s birthday and he had no one to celebrate it with? I told him to wait, ran inside, and bought the cake. For good measure, I grabbed one of the tiny rainbow flags Lou always has on the counter and stuck it beside the candles, but when I went back outside, he was gone. I am not that easily discouraged though.

 

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