Childhood friendships are one of the purest and genuine connections we could ever have. However, most childhood friendships don't make it until adulthood due to various circumstances. It's the reality of life and we could consider ourselves lucky if we had the chance to see them once again-which happened to me two months ago.
Apparently, my ads reached one of my elementary best friends and got her interested to order a jelly cake. She was ordering a cake for her grandma's birthday.
Honestly, I was surprised and don't know how to tell her that it was me, one of her best friends from the past, whom she was speaking to. I couldn't cut our discussion with the cake details. Lol. I was only able to reveal myself when we were settling the pick up time. I suggested that we just meet at a mall near her to which she instantly agreed.
I was really motivated and happy to be able to make a cake for my friend. I bet this cake will be her share for her grandma's birthday party. Of course, I wanted her to be proud of her share for their party so I made sure to give my best.
For a smooth flow of work, I like my tools laid in an organized manner to easily pick the needle I need. I also used a new syringe for a butter smooth push as I inject the solution. Syringes get harder to press after some time which makes it necessary to replace syringes after a few use.
The design she chose was the customers' favorite jelly cake design. And since she chose a customized greeting, I adjusted the leaves and made it curved towards the center and made sure some of it is still visible despite the letters on top.
I decorated the cake two days ahead to make sure the bottom layer sets completely and have time to unmold and send a photo of the cake the night before we meet.
I also made two mini jellies as a gift because I'm just really happy to finally meet her again.
Then late afternoon, I went to the bus station to pick up the cake containers I prefer using for my cakes. This store no longer sells on e-commerce platforms but I'm thankful they still cater provincial orders. The only downside is that the parcel must be picked up at the station instead.
A guard who assisted me to get a tricycle to ride home warned me that tricycle drivers at the station tend to charge more than the usual price and told me to haggle. True enough, the driver was charging me 200 Pesos for a less than 10 minutes ride. There wasn't even a traffic on the road. After haggling and comparing the other tricycle fares, I was able to lower the price to 120 Pesos. That's still expensive, however. The driver asked if the parcel was a photocopy machine. Told him it was only cake containers. Lol.
I immediately unboxed the parcel when I came home and prepared one for my friend's cake. I like this type of container for jelly cakes because it's more sturdy compared to the ones found on the shopping apps. A bit more expensive but I can attest to its quality, plus, it looks more nice and aesthetic.
Tadah! I'm relieved that the cake turned out really nice! My only mistake was that I used a different tool for the leaves. I was so focused on designing the flowers that I forgot which design to use for the leaves. Lol. Anyway, I sent the photos of to my friend.
She replied next morning. I'm realllyyy glad she liked it! Whew!
I also made two more mini jellies because the box I'm supposed to put it was too big for two mini jellies. Apparently, the box fits four so I added two more.
The meeting time we agreed on was around before lunch but she asked if we can move it after lunch. It was a Sunday and the mall was very crowded because it was raining hard. Glad I arrived at the mall before the rain poured madly. We were supposed to meet inside the mall but maybe she had other errands so she asked if she can just pick the cake at the mall's entrance.
We hugged when she arrived and I was surprised she immediately recognized me despite not posting selfies on social media for almost a decade. I was even wearing a mask and forgot to remove it. Haha! She was surprised at the huge bag I was handing to her so I explained that the box of jellies was for her. Lol. We only had a few seconds of chat as there were vehicles waiting in line at the drop off area. She also mentioned that she's with one of our batchmates. He's driving the car so I just peeked at the car's door and waved at him before they left.
She sent me this message minutes later as I went back inside the mall. Yeah, I wish we could meet again and have a proper catching up session. For around two decades of no communication, we surely have lots of stories to share!
It was still raining cats and dogs. I wanted to wait until the rain calms down before I go home, however, I don't know where to wait. I roamed around the mall but eventually got tired. There was a bakery near the mall's entrance and I was tempted to buy some.
There were still no signs of the rain dwindling so I took another round of walk around the mall. My feet led me to the food court this time and my craving decided that I eat an avocado ice cream. I'm afraid I'll spend more if the rain don't stop soon!
All tables at the food court were occupied leaving me with no choice but to eat the ice cream as I walk. While making my way back at the mall's entrance, there was a little girl ahead of me and from my peripheral vision, I can see that she kept looking back at me. I finally looked at her and I was surprised that she waved at me. Lol. I smiled and waved back.
The rain gradually toned down as I ate the ice cream and finally went home after eating.
Few days later, my friend sent me a message telling me that everyone were impressed with the cake. I'm really glad to know her family's feedback, moreso that it's a positive one!
I'm looking forward to the day we can meet again. I really didn't have a proper farewell with my elementary friends back then which is why meeting her again after several years felt like a part of my childhood was healed.
