Cake
Miguel Archelin didn’t like Beethoven however. Compared to Mozart, he was a bit restless, always frustrated, and sometimes violent, which he reflected in his compositions. Maybe he was a good person after all, thought Miguel. It was his deafness that made him like that!. Miguel laughed at his thoughts.
He walked downstairs to the ground floor. The cake shop did not look a day older – when was the last time he had been here? Miguel was the manager of the ‘Anna Cafeteria’. Since his father’s time, critics have reviewed it to be one of the best cafeterias Vienna had ever known. People came over here in throngs in the morning hours to have breakfast. The waiters then would hustle and bustle about, doing their job, while he would decide whether Chopin or Tchaikovsky or which composer’s work would play on the gramophone. Was it still done today? In 1975?
Miguel thought about the last time he was here. Yes, he was standing on the roof, gazing at the quiet – yet busy – streets of Vienna, and that was it. The last thing he remembered was a loud ‘thud’ sound…
Turning his eyes to the display, Miguel saw that there was a row of delicious cakes, illuminated by a white light. He recognized some of them as his very own creations – he grew excited to see his A la’ Fondue, Chocscotch, and many more. He walked up to the display, and saw that the door was open. Silently, he took out one slice of the Fondue, and popped it in his mouth. Oh, the taste! Miguel felt that he had just now tasted the honey of his success. He ate up two more slices of the Fondue, and three slices of the Chocscotch. Oh, it tasted so delicious…
Miguel stopped. Someone was coming from the kitchen. He quickly hid under one of the tables. Miguel intended to surprise the person who would come over here. He saw – in the gleaming moonlight – that the person was none other than his Senior Chef, Auguste. He was one of his most trustworthy chefs. He grew so excited to meet him that he sprang up from the table, and stood in front of him, ultimately surprising him. Miguel excitedly asked, ‘Well, if it isn’t my favorite Auguste! Say, who decorated the display? You did it? It’s simply marvelous!’
Chef Auguste looked at Miguel, and gave out a shriek. ‘Y-y-y-you w-w-e-re….y-y-y-you were…’ he couldn’t complete his sentence. He had fainted and dropped down to the floor.
Miguel stood there, aghast. He couldn’t understand why did he got so frightened seeing him. Why…
Miguel’s eyes fell upon the wall next to the table number one. There was a portrait hanging over there. Upon inspection, Miguel was shocked, and smiled.
There was a golden plate, just below the portrait – it was Miguel’s – whose contents went like this:
‘Miguel C. Archelin (17.2.1906 – 22.07.1974)
We are utterly heartbroken for the loss of our manager and the head of Anna Cafeteria, Mr. Miguel Archelin, who died an untimely death, due to an accident….’
Miguel did not have to read the rest. He now remembered the last day he was over here. He was on the balcony, when he accidentally slipped, and fell…… he could now understand who made that ‘thud’ sound. It was he only, after all…
A thought came to me Miguel’s mind. He rushed to the counter, and tearing a pad paper and with a pen, he wrote:
‘Dear Auguste,
I am really sorry for giving you my terrible surprise. I myself did not know that I was dead all this time. It has been one year since I have left. You truly are doing a wonderful work in keeping up the cafeteria’s prestige. You will now be the head of this establishment. My warm blessings to you,
Miguel Costa Archelin
22.07.1975’
He tucked up the letter gently in the left pocket of Auguste’s shirt. Giving a final look to his father’s creation, Miguel gave a deep sigh, and taking two slices of his Chocscotch, he departed from the cafeteria…
***
M.Macabre
22.07.2020
Image courtesy: Google Images
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