The Cake Thief. Part Two.

I’d forgot to mentioned as I arrived at the car park where the hall was, and was walking towards the building, there were two very drunk and angry men outside! Both men were swearing very loud, and if was clear to us all, including those in the smoking shelter, that they were, drunk and disorderly, my greatest fear of the day! The rest of my law-abiding, decent family members were on their way to this venue, and I was horrified at what had greeted me! If I was on my own, without Paul with me, I’d have got back in my car and gone home! I did wonder how they could be SO drunk at such an early time of the day at 4.30pm. The one tatty looking man, who didn’t look like he’d just been to a Christening, said drunkenly to his buddy, “Lets go back inside and punch his light out!” My Husband Paul said confidently to me, “Follow me,” As we walked past them both.

Inside the building there was a left and a right, the pub was on the right and the hall was on the left! It was like been in two separate buildings, for we never saw or heard them again.

My family and friends sat along the wall on the left-hand side as we entered the room and Claudette’s family and friends sat along the wall opposite us, and in between was a large round table, in fact two large round tables, and on one of them sat Daniel and all his mates! So, basically people sat in the groups of people they knew only. There was no mixing at all of the groups. The atmosphere was lovely, inviting, welcoming, light hearted, we were all there for one little boy, baby Darius. Most of my family who live far away, had never met him, he had a lovely little suit on, and while holding one of his hands he was walking!

My Daughter Meghan who is away at university, many miles away, had given me money to buy a Christening helium balloon for Darius. This I’d bought the day before. The hall was beautifully, simply decorated, with two things a large light up sign with the word baby and behind it a large square of plain roses, so I put Meghan’s balloon next to it and as it had weights attached it stayed put. I then videoed it for Meghan. I’d put a tag on the balloon so all who looked at it, would know it was from Auntie Meghan.

Then as I was about to walk away, from the balloon, I saw Claudette’s Mum approach with Darius, he made a beeline the balloon, I recorded his lovely interaction with the balloon, he little smiley face was a picture, and after about two minutes I decided to record the people briefly in the room and then to my horror my iphone said, “Storage full.” So, I’d charged my phone for nothing! I was devastated! I love to take pictures and videos; the night was young and I was now without the device that was useless to me! I looked at my phone and it did have over 5,000 pictures on, I refuse to pay the iphone People 79p each month for extra cloud space!

So now fast forward, I’m sitting with family and friends, the food was wonderful, my little chocolate cake was next to my glass of Pepsi on my left. I’d planned to eat my buffet food first, then the chocolatey little cake and finally drink my Pepsi. Everything was perfect.

Then Gem pointed to the empty cake wrapper in front of me and said, “Was it as nice as you’d expected it to be?” My mind tried to process what was in front of me, had I finally lost my memory? As I certainly didn’t remember eating it!

My young Niece was sitting right opposite me, and her Mum Gem sat next to me on my right, so I had to be careful how I approached the matter in hand, and I said, pointing to the sad empty wrapper, “Did you eat my little chocolate cake?” She just looked at me with her round eyes, she said nothing, so I repeated the question, “Did you eat my little cake?” Still no reply, she just looked a tad puzzled. I realized all hope was lost, and I’d promised myself tomorrow I’ll buy SEVEN and eat them all! I was gutted inside, but I suppose it was in front of her too, how was she to know it wasn’t hers. So, in a very short space of time, I went from happy to sad in minutes! Life eh.        

I was still looking at my cute, or not so cute Niece, when suddenly and without warning, Gem handed back to me my cake! Laughing! I didn’t understand, and she explained, still giggling, “When you were talking to Louisa on your left, I couldn’t resist, it was too easy, and you didn’t even notice, Sandy she helped me hide it.” Now Sandy, is my eldest and most trusted, responsible, retired Cousin! I was gobsmacked, How, could she have joined in the betrayal! But I was happy to be reunited with little my cake. I showed my Niece, my cake and turning to Gem and said, “You cruelly, let your Daughter take the rap?” Everyone, nearby was laughing too, when they were told what had happened and I too laughed, as I DO have a good sense of humour and told them, “That they had got me good and proper,” Later when I text my family and told them, (those that hadn’t been to the Christening) I called Gem The, Cake Thief and Sandy, her Mischievous Partner in Crime! Sandy had replied in the group chat that, “It was fun watching the concern on your face,” I replied, “You should have secretly recorded my face, so I could have watched it back later too!”

Then I noticed Louisa’s other half seem to be rubbing his nose, I had a premonition that he was going to sneeze!!! I quickly covered up my little chocolate cake into a napkin and sure as eggs is eggs, he sneezed! Thankfully my little cake was protected, and I watched as he’d turned away from the table.

During the course of the evening, I noticed Big Hannah and Little Hannah were sitting on their own on the other side of the room. The small group of family, that they had sat with, had now gone home, and me not wanting anyone to feel left out, I went over to them and said, “Come and sit over here with us,” They followed me and I pointed to the chair opposite Gem and Little Hannah sat there and Big Hannah sat opposite me.

So, as no one on this side of the room knew them at all, I decided to break the ice by announcing, “This is Little Hannah, five months ago she gave up smoking!” I started to clap and all my family chapped and cheered loudly! Little Hannah’s face went the reddest I’d ever seen a face go and she said, “Why did you do that?” Now I have known her all her life and she IS one of the shyest persons I’ve ever met! I replied with a smile, “It had to be said.” Then turning to her Mum, I announced, “This is Paul’s Sister Big Hannah, she has lost seven stones!” Again, I led the tributes and started off the clapping this resulted with a huge cheer and prolonged clapping! Then someone in my family said, to me, as I’d not heard, “Big Hannah as lost seven and a HALF stones!” Well that half stone certainly warranted an even bigger cheer! The ice was truly broken! And lots of questions flooded her way, like, “How long did it take you to do?” Big Hannah replied, “Just over a year.” Another Cousin asked, “Who did you do it with?”  Hannah replied, “Slimming World.” Others commented, “I’ve tried to lose weight, but keep giving up,” Another Cousin said, to her, “I wish I could lose one stone, respect to you,” Followed by more applause, I pipped up, “I wish I could lose a pound!” Followed by more fits of laughter! Little Hannah’s face was still red, everyone in their groups were all happy, no one was left out. Baby Darius was passed around for lots of cuddles and photos, after his nap in his pram. It was a great night and it all ended before 730pm!

At home I took a photo of my cake, so I could share it on the group chat and to name and shame Gem and Sandy. It WAS a lovely little chocolate cake. That night I went to bed, I was still laughing lots, because of the evening events with Darius and his helium balloon, from his Auntie Meghan, and Little Hannah’s face, the wonderful food all done by Claudette’s Auntie and Big Hannah achievements, but the biggest laugh for me, was what Gem and Sandy did, O I did laugh!

It WAS a fab Christening, I’d worried for nothing. x