18 Expensive Cake
Joe was already asleep when the telephone rang and I answered it.
“Mum? Mum? It’s me! Happy New Year!”
“Karly! Happy New Year! How are you?”
“Brilliant! Everything’s amazing here!”
“How’s Cam?”
“He’s great, everything is just amazing!”
“What time is it in Sydney?”
“Nine o’clock in the morning, we’ve been up all night. I thought I’d probably catch you. It’s one in the morning in Spain, isn’t it? Did you go with everybody to the church and eat grapes? Haha, bet you didn’t manage all twelve! Remember a couple of years ago when I nearly choked? But, Mum, you’ll never guess what’s just happened!”
“No, neither of us managed all twelve. What’s just happened?”
“Well, we’ve just had the most brilliant night - that’s why we’re still partying. We were watching the New Year come in at Sydney Harbour - they have the most amazing fireworks, it’s fabulous with the Opera House all lit up - and the fireworks over the harbour are just beautiful, and there were loads of people there - and we’d just had a fantastic meal - and Cam’s parents were there, and everything... Then, guess what happened!”
“Karly, I have no idea...”
“Guess!”
“I can’t!”
“Cam went down on his bended knee and proposed!” Excited squeals, chatting and laughter in the background.
“Oh my word! How wonderful! Congratulations!”
“Mum, it was amazing! I couldn’t believe what was happening!”
“And Cam asked you right there in front of everybody?”
“Yep! It was so romantic! And everybody stopped to watch, and it all went really quiet, and I just stared at him, and then when I said ‘yes’ everybody clapped and cheered - and you should see my engagement ring! I’m going to take a photo of it and email it to you. It’s just gorgeous!”
“Congratulations! That’s fantastic news!”
“I know! I’m going to be a married woman! Can you believe it? I’m so excited!”
Karly carried on filling in the details for a further hour. By the time I put the receiver down and went to the bedroom, my ear was sore and Joe was deeply asleep. I hugged the information to myself, looking forward to Joe’s reaction when I told him in the morning. We both agreed, it was an excellent start to the New Year.
Karly and Cam
Ask any Spanish child which are his favourite days of the festive season, and the answer will always be the same: the 5th and 6th of January. In Spain, children everywhere have only one thing on their minds: Los Reyes Magos, or The Three Kings as we would call them.
Back in England, Joe and I were accustomed to thinking that Christmas was over when the New Year had been welcomed in. We’d be tiring of the Christmas decorations, eaten the last shreds of turkey and crumbs of Christmas cake, and we’d be returning to work. But in Spain the best is yet to come. Santa Claus is not the one who brings presents for the children on Christmas Eve, it is the Three Kings in January.
On the 5th of January, there are processions all over Spain that herald the approach of the Three Kings to Bethlehem. The Kings are often on highly decorated floats, and throw streamers and sweets to the children in the crowd. In the Sierra Nevada, the Three Kings arrive on skis. Each town and village has slightly different traditions, but it is common for the parade to end in a gathering at the local church or school. Then each child’s name is called out and they are handed a small gift. That night, when the excited children return home, they will leave their shoes out for the Three Kings to fill with yet more gifts.
The 6th of January marks the Feast of the Epiphany when the Three Kings, or Wise Men, arrived in Bethlehem. Spanish children will wake up to find their gifts, and this day is the last holiday before normality returns and school and work begin again.
Another highlight of the day is the Roscón de Reyes, that delicious, highly decorated bread-like cake baked to look like a king’s crown. We were invited next door for a slice of cake and mug of hot chocolate.
“Lovely cake,” said Joe as he munched his way through the slice of Roscón handed to him by Carmen-Bethina. He took another big bite.
Nobody warned Joe. Nobody told Joe to be careful. Nobody told Joe that the cake hid little Christmas figurines. Whoever finds the Christ Child figure is crowned King or Queen for the meal, while the one who finds the dried bean must pay for next year’s Roscón de Reyes. Guess who broke a tooth as he bit on the Baby Jesus?
Joe clapped a hand to his mouth and spat the Baby Jesus and a piece of tooth into his paper napkin.
“What the..?” he spluttered. Luckily, Joe’s horrified grimace was misread by Carmen-Bethina and Paco, who took it to be rapture at finding the Baby Jesus.
“Ahh!” beamed Carmen-Bethina, “you have found the Baby Jesus! I hoped you would be the one to get Him!”
“English!” shouted Paco, giving Joe’s back a hearty congratulatory whack, causing him to eject another shard of tooth. “You are King for the meal!” He thrust the golden cardboard crown on Joe’s bald head and everybody applauded, Bianca barking with excitement.
Paco whisked Joe’s hot chocolate mug away and replaced it with a brandy glass, sloshing a generous measure into it. An hour later, Joe had forgotten all about the tooth.
“That’s the most expensive piece of cake I’ve ever had,” he moaned, much later. “I’d much rather have got the dried broad bean and had to pay for next year’s cake, than have to go to the dentist and get my blasted tooth fixed.”
I sighed and wrote myself a reminder on our kitchen calendar to make an appointment.
January 9, 2010
Vicky,
As you know, we are in the grip of very cold weather here in West Sussex, skiing gear is the order of the day.
I have booked every thing we have a hire car and a european TomTom so we are up and running ready for our visit in March.
Andrew
X
January10, 2010
Hello Andy,
Yes, we've been watching the UK news with interest! Unusual for England to get so much snow! It’s still raining here, never seen anything like it. They say it’s the wettest winter in living memory but hopefully it’ll have stopped by March...*fingers crossed*
Very much looking forward to seeing you both. Was Anna surprised by the present?
You are very organised - car, flights, everything. Our place is very easy to find, but bring your mobile phone just in case. I can easily draw you a map with main landmarks. We’re about 40 mins away from airport (based on Joe’s driving, normal driving probably 25 mins). Half the journey is easy motorway, then winding road into the mountains.
Vicky xx
January 12, 2010
Vicky,
We are really looking forward to seeing you as well. Anna was really surprised by your book and flight tickets on Christmas day.
Polly has my TomTom so unable to check whether it will lead us to your house, will do this later.
Take care, see you soon,
Andrew X
It would be nice to write that the weather improved with the start of the new year, but it didn’t. It was the second week of January and we were still housebound. I looked out of the kitchen window at the steady drizzle. Would it ever stop? I yearned to see clear blue skies again, but the heavens had other plans. There was plenty more rain destined to fall on Andalucía. Four times the average rainfall for an entire year fell in just two months.
Our home felt permanently damp. Green and white patches of mould decorated our cave bedroom in furry clumps. The faster I scoured them away with bleach, the faster they grew back. Water still poured into our dining room, and in El Hoyo it was gushing in other unexpected places.