The birds flew elegantly across the open sky and the butterfly danced gracefully to brighten the new day. My eyes were swollen from the previous night. This morning, I decided not to think about yesterday and moved on. Since building up expectations would only hurt me more.
"So now what should I do today?" I thought to myself while tying my hair in a ponytail.
Then I remembered the sweet potato that I bought from Felicity. I should cook something with it and bring it to the town tomorrow. I couldn't wait to see the children's smiling faces. Hence, my mind started to work as a water wheel during the rainy season. There are so many things that I could make with it, from fries to puree to soup. I have to set my mind straight. I have to think about which dishes are easy to eat, delicious, and suitable for children. What should I make? My brain was working, but my hands were doodling.
"I can't make soup or mashed. Should I make pie? Or should I make a cake? Hmm…" I said to myself, with a thinking face.
"Argh!" I grumbled as I started feeling frustrated.
Now my chin was on the table, feeling restless. Isn't it better if I could just make all of it? Choosing is hard, but we could never run from it. Life is about choosing and making decisions. Everyone has to live with it as long as they are alive, and the only difference was the weight of the questions. Some people would make decisions on what to eat, but some other people make decisions on whether they should eat or save their money. Some people would call sick after a night out, but some other people were already out at the break of dawn, wondering if they should do overtime. We were just living the same like everybody, but no one could deny that life is hard, whether the ones who were smiling or the ones who were crying.
After a few minutes of doodling, I felt joy as I got a brilliant idea. I have to thank my sister once more. So I stood up and walked excitedly to the kitchen. All the ingredients that I needed were already there. Today I'm just going to make a few. I wished it could work out and taste delicious. I thought I could make it and let the kitchen staff judge it. If they approved it, I would make a lot more tomorrow morning. I'm feeling fidgety with excitement.
"Chef Thalia, are you busy? Can I use the kitchen?" I asked, with a smiling face.
Chef Thalia shrieked after I asked her. I thought that I had knocked before, but she probably didn't hear me knocking. I felt a bit guilty.
"You shocked me, my dear child. You shouldn't surprise my old heart like this," she said with her hand on her heart.
"No, I'm not busy right now. Sure. What are you planning on cooking today? We all enjoy the cookies and muffins that you bake last time. You could open a bakery if you want," she continued with a happy smile on her face.
"I'm sorry, Chef Thalia," I said while bowing my head a bit, seeking forgiveness.
"It's fine, my mind was elsewhere before, that's probably why I couldn't hear you coming," she said while patting my head gently.
"If you would like someone to talk to, I am here," I said, concernedly.
"No, it's fine," she said with a smile on her face.
"Okay, just remember if you need anything, I'm happy to help. I'm glad you like my cookies and muffins, Chef Thalia. I'm going to make sweet potato today, for you and the kitchen maid," I said happily.
"Really? Where did you learn to make it? Usually, noble's family doesn't eat sweet potato," she asked, curiously.
"I read from a book," I lied to her.
After talking with Chef Thalia, I started gathering the ingredients that I could find as Chef Thalia helped peel the sweet potato.
"Wheat flour, rice flour, salt, and sugar, cheese, milk, butter, oil… I should have lettuce and cherry tomatoes too. Right, meat and egg too," I muttered to myself.
As I gathered all the ingredients. Chef Thalia and some of the kitchen maids asked whether they could watch me cook. As it was a rare sight to see someone cooking sweet potato, except boiled or roasted it, and more importantly because I'm a noble lady.
"Now, let's start," I said confidently while Chef Thalia and some of the kitchen maids sat across the table.
First, I boiled the sweet potato, and when it's done I mashed it evenly with a pinch of salt. Then I let it cool down a bit. While waiting, I told them about many different ways to cook sweet potato while making the meat patty. They were flabbergasted and excited to try it. So I promised them that I would let them try it when I cooked it. After it was cooled, I mixed it with wheat flour and rice flour. I usually just put a bit of the flour, since I didn't like it overpowered the taste of the sweet potato.
Now is the interesting part, which people don't usually do, but I did it. That was, with the same batter, I could make three different desserts. The first one, I shaped it into a doughnut, fried it in oil, and dipped it into a sugar glaze, which I prepared by adding sugar and water. For the second one, I shaped it into a ball, fried it, and prepared a cheese dip. Now is the last dessert where I would roll it into a ball, flattened it a bit, and fried it in oil. This sweet potato would replace the bun when we put a meat patty between them, and we got a sweet potato burger. Hence with this, I've finished three desserts: sweet potato glazed doughnut, sweet potato ball, and sweet potato burger. All by using the same batter and way of cooking.
I'm nervous to let them taste it. My family loves it, but everyone has their own preferences. Moreover, cooking a sweet potato in this way was new to them, so I'm not sure if they would like it or not. I placed the desserts in front of them. Their eyes sparkled with excitement, but nobody made a move.
"Please, have a taste. Tell me honestly what you think about it," I said while playing with my fingers nervously.
Then each of them took a bite, bit by bit. Everybody smiled happily and I felt a sense of relief.
"There were delicious my lady. I never thought we could cook it this way," said Chef Thalia.
"Thank you. I am glad you like it. Have some more," I said happily.
The kitchen maid also enjoyed the dessert that I made. We were eating happily until Laura came up with news that broke my enjoyment.
"My lady, I have been looking for you. The Duke asked for you to meet him in his study," she said.
I don't feel like going, but it was not the same feeling as I usually felt, despised and hatred. I'm not sure what I'm feeling right now. Maybe it happened after I slept yesterday and cried my eyes out makes me have a change of heart. Hence, I tried to work this out—he is my father after all. Bad or good, his blood runs in my veins. So I took a deep breath and walked to my father's office with the dessert that I made.
As usual, I would stand nervously in front of the door waiting to be announced. However, this time there was no one by the door. Hence, I gave a light knock, hoping he wouldn't hear me. Then the door opened and my father stood straight in front of me. He looks tired and worn out. Then he walked me to the sofa inside his office.
"Father, this is for you. I made it before. I'm not sure if you would like it," I said in a soft voice.
Now I am here, I feel bothered by what happened yesterday. Though I tried to hide it as I wanted to try and improve our relationship. I only bought the sweet potato ball and the burger, as I saw yesterday while I ate with him, he didn't have any sweet dessert after lunch. So I felt like he didn't like sweet food.
"It looks good," he said.
Then, after a bite, he looks surprised.
"Is this potato?" He asked, with a curious face.
"Yes, father. To be precise it is a sweet potato. I made sweet potato doughnut as well, but it was glazed with sugar, I didn't think you would like it. So I didn't bring it here with me," I said.
"It is delicious. I've never taste sweet potato cook this way before. I'm not really fond of sweet food, but I do take a bit of sugar sometimes, "he said.
We talked like yesterday was nothing. Despite that, both of us still didn't smile at each other. Hence, I thought to myself, should I smile first?
"Thank you, father," I said with a smile on my face.
He was startled but eventually gave a light smile back at me. Then he continued talking as to tell me the reason he called me.
"Deanna, the reason I called you today is because I have received an invitation from the king. His Majesty would like to express his gratitude in person to you regarding the farmers," he said.
I have never been to the palace before. I have mixed feelings about this, but it was an invitation from his majesty, the king of Quirinus, I wouldn't dare to defy it.
"Sure, father. At what time we will leave tomorrow?" I said.
Then I paused myself and thought whether my father would accompany me when meeting the king. If it's possible, I didn't want to go alone. I didn't know anything about the king, except for him as the ruler of this kingdom.
"Father, you are coming with me right?" I asked with pleading eyes.
"Yes, I haven't gone to the palace for two days already," he said.
"No, I mean when I'm meeting the king," I said.
"I will accompany you if you want me to," he said tenderly.
"Please accompany me," I said with a soft voice.
Hence with the invitation tomorrow I couldn't go see the children. I wondered how Felicity's mother was, whether she's still under the weather or has recovered. Some part of my heart hoping that tomorrow just skipped to the next day, and some other part couldn't wait to experience and see the palace with my own eyes. Despite that, I wanted to move forward, I am ready.
From this day onwards, I said to myself that the past could hurt me, but the way I handle it, whether I ran from it or learn it, would change my future greatly. A strong person is not a person who doesn't cry. A strong person is the one who cries and sheds tears for a moment, then gets up and fights again.