| Fan Fiction |
by DTLCT
Ray stops his laughing fit – Alice had stopped when she heard Mr. Cho cleared his throat – and sits straight up again. “Not yet! There’s one last surprise you have to see.” Ray gets up and goes to the kitchen.
Everyone turns around and looks at what he’s doing. He opens the oven and takes out something. They couldn’t see it because it’s blocked by the table. He brings over a circular, opaque looking cake stand.
“Not another type of dessert!” Alice shouted out in protest. “I’m so full!”
Ray sets the stand in front of Mr. Cho while Jessica moves Mr. Cho’s glasses and plate away, smiling. “This is made especially for you.”
Mr. Cho looks at Ray’s secretive look before pulling the top off. Before their eyes is a cake decorated with flowers and green leaves in cream designs just like any other cake, but Mr. Cho’s expression changes. His mind drifts back to a distance time. A time when he was much younger – and possibly happier.
*****
“Daniel!” A woman’s voice called out. “You’re home! I want to show you something.”
“I’m so tired from work,” Daniel told her.
“This will cheer you up!” She grabs his hand and pulls him to the kitchen.
“Honey!” Daniel exclaimed upon seeing the cake on the table. “How did you make it? It looks beautiful. You learned something new?”
She smiles. “It’s a family recipe. It looks like any other cake but it tastes different. Sit down! Make a wish!”
“What?” He looks confused.
“Honey, don’t tell me you don’t remember your own birthday.”
Daniel slaps his forehead with his right hand. “I’d been busy with work that I forgot.” He sits down on the chair and pulls his wife to sit down in the seat next over. “Honey, but don’t you need lighted candles to make a wish?”
“This is different!” The woman explained excitedly. “You don’t need candles, you just need to close your eyes and make a wish. Candles make your wishes blow away into the wind and carries away to who knows where. You only need to keep our wishes in your heart and cherish what you have.” She smiles at her husband warmly after saying that.
“Interesting concept, Sheryl dear,” Daniel remarked, still staring at his wife in amazement.
“Come on, make a wish now!” Sheryl urged.
Daniel closes his eyes and makes a wish. He opens it again in a few minutes.
“What did you wish for?” She asked anxiously.
“It’s a wish, Sheryl,” He reminded her. “I don’t want to say it or it won’t come true.”
“If you don’t tell me, how will I make it happen?”
Daniel chuckles and shakes his head. “All right. I wish that our son will grow up just like you!”
Sheryl smiles as her husband takes her into his arms and they hug happily.
*****
“Mr. Cho?” Kevin called out, his voice full of concern. “Are you all right?”
“Yes,” Mr. Cho mumbled, snapping out of his flashback.
Alice knows that Mr. Cho had zoomed out on them so she summarizes what they just said by saying, “We just made some compliments about the cake. Ray made it. Can you believe it? He asked you to make a wish.” She turns to look at Ray. “But how could he make a wish if there isn’t any candles?”
“You don’t need candles,” Ray said, still displaying his proud smile – possibly enjoying the attention he’s receiving from everyone. “Candles make your wishes blow away into the wind and carries it away to who knows where. You only need to keep your wishes in your heart and cherish what you have.”
“That’s an interesting concept, hun,” Jessica commented.
Mr. Cho stares at Ray and Jessica, seeing a scene all too familiar plays in front of him, except he’s still the guy who has the birthday.
“Okay, make the wish so we can eat the cake, Dad!” Ray urged.
“Ray!” Jessica yelled out.
“I mean, Mr. Cho,” Ray corrected himself, shocked at his own words. “Did I say ‘Dad’? Probably because I think you’re a good fatherly figure.” He lets out a nervous smile to cover up for his mistake.
Mr. Cho looks at Ray for a bit then closes his eyes to make a wish. He lets out a sigh before opening his eyes. He hopes that his wish will come true like the one he made twenty one years ago.
Ray smiles at Mr. Cho. “Well? What did you wish for?”
“You’re so nosy, man,” Alice jumped in. “It’s Mr. Cho’s business.”
Ray clears his throat. “Ahem. It’s traditional that you tell others what you wish for so they could help you make it happen.”
Alice eyes him cautiously. “What tradition is that? And you just said that he just has to keep the wish in his heart and cherish the people around him, wouldn’t it be ironic if he tells you?”
“The Bak Family tradition, okay?” Ray shot back, getting irritated at Alice’s questions. “And he only has to keep it while he’s making the wish, not keep it for the rest of his life.”
Alice still isn’t convinced. “Mr. Cho isn’t a Bak, he’s a Cho.”
“I’m a Cho too, but he has to go all the way or it won’t come true!”
Mr. Cho could sense the intensity between them. “All right. It’s not a secret. I just wished that I will find my son and daughter again like I said earlier today.”
“That’s kind of hard to accomplish,” Ray said with nervous laugh, scratching his head out of habit. “But we can help you!”
Ray cuts the cake after that. Everyone mutters about being full so Ray only cuts small pieces out for them to taste a little, leaving the rest for Mr. Cho to bring home later.
“Man!” Kevin shouted out, surprised. “I didn’t know you could cook that good. Are you sure you didn’t buy it?”
“No,” Ray answered. “My mom taught me. It’s the only recipe I can actually do.”
“Well, it’s really good,” .Jessica said, smiling warmly at him.
Ray smiles back at Jessica.
Kevin takes a sip of iced tea before asking, “How did you make it that fast though?”
“I got home before you!”
“Figures. But I didn’t know you could hide it so well.”
“You never look in the oven for anything, man.”
“True.”
Mandy takes a bite at the piece of cake on her plate and remembers something. She’s deep in thoughts again until she feels someone tugging on her sleeve.
“Are you all right?” Charmaine asked.
“Yea,” Mandy said. “I’m surprised he can make it this good though.”
“Finally you say something nice to me!” Ray exclaimed upon hearing the comment. “It’s definitely from the heart, right?”
Mandy smiles at him, not feeling like arguing, and then goes back to eat her piece of cake.
“You put…..” Wallace began.
“Don’t say it!” Ray jumped in, sounding almost hysterical since he’s very aware of Alice’s presence. “It’s family secret!”
Wallace smiles knowingly. “It’s a clever ingredient to put in this recipe, by the way.”
Ray smiles, feeling proud of himself.
They eat in silence once again.
Another 15 minutes pass by.
“It’s almost 10:30 now,” Mr. Cho said. “I should go.”
“Okay, Mr. Cho,” Ray said. “Hope you enjoyed the night.”
“It’s one of the best nights of my life. Thanks to you all for making it happen.”
“I’ll walk you out the building.”
“I’m not that old of a man and not be able to remember where I parked my car.”
“Of course not. That wasn’t what I meant.”
Mr. Cho pats Ray on the shoulder before turning to the others. “You young ones take care.”
They exchange goodnights and all the good stuffs before Mr. Cho leaves. Mr. Cho walks away from their apartment – carrying the rest of Ray’s cake in his hand – smiling happily and warmly.
© Wednesday, April 11th, 2007
Re-posted: Saturday, October 10th, 2009