Yesterday was cake day.

I have this reward system for my daughter – when she performs certain things (read orders) to perfection each day - she accumulates points. Then when she reaches 100 points – she gets what she wants on that day. I arrived at this system after breaking my head to get her to do home work, clean up her toys, read, cut nails, not curse when I comb her hair, practice cursive writing etc etc. This one works the best – because she in the end gets what she wants. Fine with me – because even otherwise she gets what she wants anyways!

So like I was saying, yesterday marked the completion of 100 points and she wanted cake. Chocolate cake to be precise. As we went on chocolate cake hunt, she surprised me by suddenly remembering an incident that happened when she was just over 3 years old. I was amazed that she narrated even the most minute details of it…

Dad was to attend his Christian friend’s son’s wedding. At some point he seems to have told her that there will be cake at the wedding. So my daughter insisted on going for the event. I was like we can’t go just to eat cake! I can get you cake even otherwise – but she refused to change her mind. And so I found myself (the eternal baby sitter) accompanying her and dad for the wedding. We of course knew no one there and sat restlessly in a corner while dad went on ahead to meet his friends. My daughter got more and more impatient through the church ceremony. Every two minutes she was like – will they serve the cake now mom? I gave her all possible imaginative answers for when the cake would arrive – for I myself had no clue!

Eventually the church ceremony concluded and they asked all guests to proceed to another hall next door. In anticipation of the mystery cake – we were the first to enter that hall and sat right in the first row (!!) – occupying space usually reserved for the shortsighted elders in the family.

In front of us was a stage. After an interminable wait in which my anxious-for-cake daughter asked a zillion questions on the whereabouts on the much awaited baked delight – the bride and groom arrived. A priest came on stage too and another brief ceremony took place. Then everyone was asked to observe a minute of silence. My daughter chose that moment to ask for the 1923712904738345347534838th time “but when will the cake come mom?” and her voice loudly reverberated across the silent hall. At this point I was hoping the ground would open up and swallow me. But this was not to be and I suffered glares from all around.

At last, finally and really not soon enough for me – THE CAKE arrived on the scene! It was a yummy looking three tier cake with a bride and groom doll on the top level. I cannot describe the expression on my daughter’s face. Her eyes just lit up and there was so much awe and surprise and joy and thrill and innocence…in that little face! Some confetti and some more talking later the cake was finally cut. The bride fed the groom and he fed her and so on happened. My daughter waited and waited for the cake to be served (Question in the meantime: Mom they are so old, why are they feeding each other. Can’t they eat on their own?)!

Then came the anti climax!

Much to her horror – the guests were all given packets of plum cake. My daughter was disgusted and nagged me endlessly about why she was not getting THE CAKE. Why this one? She did not want this yucky cake. She wanted that. And on and on she went. Finally, really vexed, I told her “if you want that cake, go up there and ask them yourself!”

Of course I did not expect her to really do it. But she smiled, said “ok mom” and even as I watched in horror, she walked up the stage and pulled at the groom’s tunic until he looked down and gave her attention. She told the groom – “I want this cake. I don’t want that yucky cake. Will you share with me?”

No even at this point the earth did not swallow me!! I was squirming in my chair.

But sure enough – the groom obliged. She was given two large pieces of the yummy cake. Then she asked for some extra cherry pieces and was given that too. She came back to me with a triumphant smile – as if to say – “That was a piece of cake mom! Why din’t you think of it before!”

PS: The amazing thing is she remember it to this day and still thinks I gave her a smart solution!!