You don't like Fruitcake?

Pic source - Internet

Ruvin De Silva, a Facebook friend. Director. Ruvin staged his second drama at British School Auditorium a few days back. This is not about how successful he was in making the drama. I’d be honest. I couldn't watch it. Ruvin’s Fruitcake is and was different. But his Fruitcake got me to think of  all these. I transcribed. 

Cake making   is not easy.  A recipe will give you the easiest instructions. But that comes out with a lot of care. And hard work too. Only those who make will know the art of nozzling. It takes a great deal of practice.You have to know the right angle required. The right amount of pressure to nozzle. You got to know about the moving speed and direction. Because they will take you through different patterns. Cake makers are made of wearing hands. They are committed. Persistent. And watchful.

Yes. Cake eating days are happy days. Cakes come with birthdays. Everybody comes to cut the cake. Everyone wants a piece of cake. They eagerly wait until they are been served with one. Cake days were a fiesta –like-thing for us, in School. The entire grade flocked at the birthday girl’s class. Whether she was a friend or not didn’t matter for cake. Everyone wished her and the birthday girl did not forget to treat them with cake. When that did not work someone who knew the cake giver got cake for others.  They were shared in 10s and 15s. Sharing is caring. Cake or whatnot. Cake has   taught us to share and make another happy.

Two Mondays ago a friend and I have been thinking of a birthday surprise for another friend. We had been running through names of all kinds of cake. Walked into different cake shops to see what would look good for her. Dissecting a cake from another is difficult. Everything looks pretty. They may be of different size or different flavor. But they can be equally tasty. Having jumped from brightly –colored ribbon cake to vanilla and chocolate stuff, we were too hungry deciding what to buy. And ended up with red velvets. Yikes!

For now let’s forget the chocolate cake, vanilla cake, lemon cake, fudge and others. How about some fruitcake?

Fruitcake is also known as Christmas cake in other parts of the world. Often made during Christmas. Not an all-time favorite. However, Fruitcake story starts from Egypt. Ancient Egyptians made fruitcake for their departed loved ones to carry with them to the afterlife. The dense cake and preserved fruits have been thought to withstand the journey, while the riches of nuts and fruits meant to be the wealth of consumers. Fruit cake contains candied fruit, dried fruit, fruit rind, nuts, spices and some sort of liquor or brandy. Dried fruits don’t taste good. So many of you might not like. I like it when raisins and cashews (nut megs) hit my teeth. It gives a good taste though.

Fruitcake is criticized. A lot. Offended. Who on earth eats it? One might think. It doesn’t taste like cake! Some complain.

But during Easter and Christmas Fruitcake is advertised everywhere. In large numbers. Fruitcake is nicely wrapped. Some think it’s nice to gift, therefore. Some might re -gift them. But they will never talk ill of those fruitcake givers. Instead they are thanked. And some might have a little piece of fruitcake as dessert after a dinner party.

There are things you may not like in life, but tolerate. Like Fruitcake for some people. Life isn’t straight. It’s not smooth. There is joy and sorrow. Both. Fruitcake is strange. It makes you feel sweet at times and then bitter another time. Life is bumpy like fruitcake. You are meant to endure the rigors of the journey. You’ll find dried dates, rinds, nuts and raisins here and there. They’ll wait until you get caught to them. And you then know how they taste like .If you don’t like dried fruits, the next time you eat them you’ll take a good look, find where the dried fruits are and avoid them. Great. Sometimes you need to fall into the pit to know how it looks like. Think.  Getting along with new friends or a new boss can be hard. New ideas or new systems can be difficult to digest at once. But taking a bite by bite of it you will find it easy.  It’s like getting used to a newly made fruitcake, you have not eaten before.

So here’s what. Fruitcake is not bad.Just that there are  some fruit to bake . Have them once in a while. You will know how life can get bitter. Despite all the chocolate and vanilla.