house hoisting what look like a brick wrapped up and tied with a ribbon. He set it on the counter with a sigh.
“Ok, who likes fruit cake?”
“Yusuf’s lucky he’s off today” Muriel muttered to Dina and Lily.
The stern-faced woman came in just then with Eli right behind her.
“How ya doin’?” He greeted her. She glared at him in response. Eli bobbed his head.
“That good, huh?”
The woman took her coffee and found a table. Everyone turned to Eli, asking about the baby.
“Today’s the day! Doc said its all systems go!”
“Well, this calls for some fruitcake!” Dan announced.
“I love fruitcake!” Eli exclaimed.
“Get out of here!” Muriel shot back. “No one even likes fruitcake!”
Eli opened the package and a sweet, spicy aroma filled the shop. Muriel handed him a knife and he cut a thick slice. With the first bite, he exclaimed, “This kicks…”he stopped himself, saying instead, “Y’all gotta try this!”
To be polite, Dina broke off a small morsel and popped it in her mouth. “This is delicious!” she declared.
Muriel grabbed a chunk. “Hey! For fruitcake this is good!”
“The rest of you people, enjoy!” Eli said, wrapping up another slice and taking his coffee to go.
Lily and Dan also tasted it and agreed that it was good fruitcake. Muriel cut slices for her customers and putting one on a small plate, she gave it to Lily saying, “Go offer that woman a piece.”
Lily turned pale and shook her head.
“Go on, Lily,” Dina urged.
Lily started across the room as if headed for a firing squad. When she reached the woman, she held out the plate, shaking. “Would you like a piece of fruitcake?”
The woman looked grim. “I don’t like fruitcake.”
Lily was about to turn away, but the woman continued talking. “Although, I have to say that looks and smells quite good.” She reached for the plate. “The only fruitcake I ever liked was made by my best friend’s grandmother. I’ll never forget the taste.”
The woman took a small nibble and then suddenly barked, “Where did you get this?”
Dan told how he’d acquired the cake, adding, “Although I’m not sure I’m the original recipient.” He found the label and showed it to the woman.
“Fruitcakes by Astella Washington,” she read. “Astella was my best friend’s name. I’ve never met anyone else that spelled it like that. But Washington wasn’t her last name.”
“She probably got married,” Dan suggested.
“Have you tried to find her?” Lily asked, hesitantly.
The woman shook her head, looking down. “We fell out of touch and then I moved away.” Lily pulled out her phone and rapidly typed into it. “Here,” she said after a few minutes. “There’s an article about Astella Washington’s Family Fruitcakes! There’s a phone number.” Lily wrote it down and handed it to her.
The woman looked up with moist eyes. “What’s your name?” she asked.
“Lily.”
“Thank you, Lily. I’m Delores Sloat.”
To be continued December 23...
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