Chapter 27: TURNING EIGHT
God's Little Drop of Water
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At long last, it was November, and that meant it was time for Taliya’s birthday. She was very excited, for she absolutely adored birthdays and birthday parties. She particularly adored birthday cakes, especially when they were chocolate, and especially when they were hers.
Ima baked a birthday cake from scratch, even decorating it with hand-made flowers prepared from sweet marzipan.
Taliya was very proud to take the cake with her to school on the day of her birthday. This year, her birthday was on Shabbat, and the whole family was coming to celebrate. The celebration at school would therefore be today, Shishi. Taliya had done her best to be an exemplary student in accordance with the agreement. Every day after class, she continued to ask Gal if she had been a good student that day. And, every day, Gal grudgingly assured Taliya that she certainly had been.
The birthday celebrations were wonderful. The children placed a crown made from white flowers upon Taliya’s head. They danced around her in a circle and everyone clapped along to the music Gal played on a record player. And, finally, the part Taliya had been waiting for arrived: they placed Taliya in a chair and lifted her high into the air nine times; one for each year of life, plus one additional time in order to bestow good luck and great happiness and prosperity for the coming year.
At last it was time to serve the birthday cake (this was even better than being lifted in the chair!). Together, Taliya and Gal carefully removed the aluminum foil covering the cake. All the children gathered around.
When Gal cut the cake, however, Taliya was shocked to see that it was not a chocolate cake. It was a yellow cake with white frosting, and pieces of orange apricot decorating the top. Inside was a layer of strawberry jam.
It wasn’t chocolate.
How could it not be chocolate?
Taliya had waited an entire year. A whole 365 days, which were to be punctuated by a tremendously delicious chocolate cake.
Yet this one was white. And yellow. And full of jam.
Taliya did her best to keep her composure as Gal cut the cake into small squares and put each square on a little paper plate, to which Taliya added a fork before handing it to one of her classmates.
Once everyone was seated and enjoying the cake, Taliya took a piece for herself and sat down at her desk to eat it. The cake was sweet and quite delicious.
But it wasn’t chocolate.
♦♦♦
That afternoon, Taliya was sitting at her spot on the small side of the L, staring into a glass of chocolate milk, while Ima moved about the kitchen, preparing dinner.
“Did your classmates enjoy your birthday cake?” Ima asked.
“Ken.” Yes.
“Did you enjoy your birthday cake?”
“Ken.” Yes.
Ima sensed that something was wrong. She asked Taliya if everything was alright.
Taliya confessed that, while the cake had certainly been very beautiful and very tasty and everyone had enjoyed it very much, and she was grateful Ima went to all the effort of preparing it for her, she was surprised when she saw it because she’d thought it was a chocolate cake. She had been expecting chocolate. She had, in fact, been thinking about nothing but chocolate cake for many, many days. To then discover the white creamy frosting and yellow cake had been a bit of a surprise.
Ima sat down beside Taliya. She said that she had not realized how much Taliya had been looking forward to the cake being chocolate. She asked Taliya if she would like to help her prepare another cake, one for the whole family to enjoy tomorrow when everyone came to celebrate her birthday. A chocolate cake. With chocolate frosting. And chocolate cream in the center.
Taliya immediately said yes.
Ima instructed Taliya to bring her stool over to the counter. Taliya did so, and climbed up onto it. She stood beside Ima and together they spent the rest of the afternoon preparing a lovely chocolate cake. The only part of the cake which wasn’t chocolate was the white cream frosting Ima used to write Mazal tov, Taliya atop the cake, along with several beautiful hearts Taliya drew herself after Ima showed her how to carefully squeeze the frosting out of the piping bag. Together they added chocolate buttons to the top of the cake, after which they agreed it was complete.
Ima commented that it would be difficult to wait until tomorrow to taste it.
Taliya agreed wholeheartedly.
♦♦♦
The next day, Shabbat, everyone came over to share in Taliya’s birthday celebration, including all of Taliya’s aunts and uncles (Ima was the eldest of six children) and all of her cousins. Sabba and Savta came, too. This made Taliya happiest of all.
The small apartment on Strauss Street was soon packed with people. It was hot, loud, and filled with the aromas of food and coffee.
A wreath made from white flowers was placed upon Taliya’s head and she was seated in a chair and hoisted into the air by Abba and three of her uncles, just as she had been yesterday at school. Taliya laughed and laughed, thrilled to joy each time they lifted her into the air. Eight times she was raised up, plus a ninth to symbolize good luck and great prosperity and success in the coming year.
And then, at last, it was time to enjoy the cake. Everyone oohed and aahed when Ima brought it from the refrigerator and placed it on the table before Taliya. Everyone sang the birthday song in Hebrew:
Hayom yom huledet
Hayom yom huledet
Hayom yom huledet le Tali!
Hayom yom huledet
Hayom yom huledet
Hayom yom huledet le Tali!
Chag la same'ach
vezer la pore'ach
Hayom yom huledet le Tali.
Chag la same'ach
vezer la pore'ach
Hayom yom huledet le Tali.
They also said Ad Meach Ve Esrim, which was one of Taliya’s favorite blessings, and meant Til 120, a blessing for the person to live to be 120 years of age (and even more, as Taliya liked to say).
Sabba presented Taliya with a birthday gift, a beautiful wooden rocking horse. He had made it himself, cutting the wood, assembling the pieces, and painting it. The horse was white with grey highlights. It had a red seat and red handles.
Taliya positively adored it. After sitting on it and trying it out, she ran to Sabba and threw her arms around him, squeezing him as tightly as she could.
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