A Piece of Cake

Why would anyone hang around in a tent when it's 20 degrees with people yelling for your attention? Either you have to be Beyonce on stage (her lyrics gotta go, but her voice is superb!) or you are Thien working the prize table at Giáo Xứ Thánh Tâm Hội Chợ Tết the past weekend. I finally asked Thien how old he was.

"Eight." Wow, he was like a pro, fielding picky 6-year old girls and impatient dads as they looked through hundreds of options.

"How much are the stuffed animals?" I asked, as I held my own rewards sheet. I had 65 points to redeem. This was after 45 minutes of paying for games (about $1 each), shooting basketballs (the more baskets you score, the more prize points you get), knocking down cans (all cans down means you get 25 points), and waiting in lines. There were literally millions of kids, plus their parents, having a good time at the five or so game booths.

"50 points." Definitely, I will get a stuffed animal. Sơ Thu worked at Fort Worth's Catholic Charities and I knew one of the children from the refugee families would love to cuddle one of these soft creatures. 15 points left. What to do?

"How much are these blinking laser fingers?" They looked really interesting. I could imagine slipping one on my hand and having the older folks wonder why a sister's hand was shooting out light.

"50 points."

"What! That's crazy," I exclaimed. A little boy next to me nodded in agreement. He looked 10 and was holding a light-up yo-yo.

"How much is the yo-yo?" I continued.

"20." Hmmmm.... this was getting complicated. My sisters had already picked their prizes and were trying to wait patiently. They were probably ready to enjoy the golden funnel cakes, cheesy nachos, hot phở, aromatic heo rừng xào lăn, and many other items from the menu. I was still stuck with 15 points. I spied a flying disc shooter.

"How much is this shooter?" I asked again.

"15."

"Perfect!" I took the shooter, picked out a golden cream Easter bunny, and headed out of the game booth. I had to admire Thien's patience and self-awareness. For an 8-year-old, he was quite plucky managing my questions and dozens of others coming at him.

Fifteen minutes later I ran into Chelsea.

"Chelsea, I've been looking for you! How's the job?" I asked.

"Sơ Vân! I'm so glad you're here! They put me in the VIP section." Chelsea answered.

"Wow! I am not surprised. You are very fast on your feet." The VIP section were the guests who had paid $50 for their seat. They were up close to the stage and was promised a fine dining experience. All the other guests to the Hội Chợ, if they reserved a seat, paid $10.

"Sơ! I got you a cake!" Chelsea continued.

"What? Why?" I said in astonishment.

"Because I said I would! Come, come with me to the car. I didn't know when I would see you."

"Well, is this a good time to leave?"

"Don't worry Sơ! We'll just have to walk fast."

We headed out to her dad's truck and she handed me the cake. It was a coffee fruit cake from Tours Les Jours bakery. I was touched by her gesture.

The cake came in a pale green box with handles, pleasant to look at as well as functional.
The cake was beautifully decorated with kiwis, strawberries, and slivered almonds.
The cake delighted every taste bud, melting into ethereal sweetness.

Tous Les Jours means "everyday" in French.
Tous Les Jours pastries are not "everyday" prices.
Chelsea was a high school student with a part-time job as a cashier.
Her gesture was more than everyday.

Some say Jesus us present in the Eucharist.
That day, Jesus was present in every piece of cake.