LOVE IN THE BAKING

NO SWEET O

Callum fell back on his bed and replayed every scene from the moment he signed up on Oppo.

Was it a miracle?

He had a hard time believing he had two dates planned for the same week. Suddenly, he found himself seized with panic as he realized he would meet his matches. Anxiety mounted; unable to sleep, he got out of bed and began to pace.

What was he to do?

What if they found him dull or ugly?

Come on, Callum, how old are you? He tried to assure himself by assuming the women were in the same mental state. Callum couldn't guess that Adele and Maureen were almost at the-come -what-may station.

Whether online or in real life, finding love was a challenge. Thus, one just wished for an unbothersome man to grow old with, while the latter just wanted a financially stable kids generator who would take care of her once she was old.

Love was the bonus ingredient in the mixture for them, whereas Callum prayed one of the two would make his heart flutter like his teenage sweetheart. He wanted a form of intimacy and togetherness that would relight the cove of his heart. It was with this thought that the man took his dog for a midnight stroll.

"Come on, Pebbles," Callum beckoned the dog who would have gladly slept, but what the heck, his master was stressed. It was one of those strolls where Pebbles walked Callum and not the other way around. The road was silent, but the semi-residential area always was at night. The only noise one heard at that hour came from the Chiroma's house across the street. Sometimes, one distinguished faint laughter. At other times, one heard either the repetitive typing sound or the enchanting rhythm of Afrobeats that made one want to dance even if one didn't know how.

Callum never felt alone at such hours. Ms. Chiroma, too, was awake. The man would sit on the roadside, wondering what kept the woman up. On her side, Thandie felt like Livia, the protagonist of Them the series, when she came to close her window and saw Callum.

Thandie couldn't remember when it started, but all she knew was that her neighbor was there several times a week waiting for I don't know what. The woman's thoughts always quickly shifted. She had better things to do than reflect on what her neighbor did in the streets. He had a dog; hence the pet was probably the reason for his outings. That was about how far Thandie's curiosity ran concerning the baker who sat in the dark across the street until Thandie switched off the lights in her husband's office as she did then.

Callum got up, stumped out his cigarette, and was about to go back in when he realized the routine he had made of watching his neighbor's house.

Where on earth was her husband, the man thought as he entered his home. It didn't seem as though Mr. Chroma had sent her money. On the contrary, Callum saw the Chiroma children less at his bakery, and when he did, he felt as though they had pulled on straws to choose the pastry to buy. Callum went to bed wondering if the Chiromas would purchase something the next day. The man didn't realize how distracting the thought of his neighbor was until his alarm rang to sound a new day but also to remind him of Adele, his date.

He hastened to prepare himself. He hesitated on whether he should shave or not and finally opted out as he imagined how pale his skin was under the hair, but what if they didn't like facial hair?

Like a teen, Callum wondered how he could please. Again, Adele was older than him by five years. Would the age gap be palpable? Perhaps having a beard was better; the man thought as he left his house for the bakery.

Callum could have slept more if he wished, but he preferred to look over the outcome of the daily recipes. The baker had always had a sweet tooth, and what cakes evoked pushed him toward the profession. Cakes and pastries made people joyful, and the man wanted to spread happiness even if his face didn't allude to that. Callum baked with his heart, believing it was the only reason he had such customer loyalty.

"Morning."

"Morning, Callum."

Punctuality was important for Callum. His apprentice and assistant were irreproachable. The issue was his salespeople. There was always one to be late.

"Alright, guys, let's bake."

Bhavi brought out the dough for the bread while Fred assisted Callum with the cakes. When most slept, Callum baked. The factor of starting to bake around 3 AM contributed to his business success. All knew he didn't sell frozen baguettes. Most recipes were gluten-free, and unlike what Maureen had assumed, his margins were higher than the current market rate.

Rare were the bakeries where one had fresh and gluten-free products. The range was costly but highly profitable in the Brit's eat-better awakening. Brown rice flour, tapioca flour, and corn flour replaced wheat flour. Croissants, sticky buns, and doughnuts were what Callum used to stay competitive. The bakery essentials glowed up with unique flavors: rose, violet, and lychee. One could not find pastries with a similar taste miles around. His years of travel allowed Callum to collect unique recipes. His curry and cinnamon bread was very popular.

The man worked hard. Callum forgot everything while he iced his cakes. His bakery must-taste were the wedding cakes. His bakery was renowned for revisiting the traditional French wedding cake, a pyramid made of hundreds of cream puffs. The recipe took time, as Callum made sure to fill each puff manually, for there was nothing more disheartening for a taster than having an empty puff on a plate.

Taken by the preparations, Callum almost forgot the morning break he took around eight.

The man took off his hairnet and shook his hair once outside. He then stretched, the morning mist still groomed the street with its humidité.

Callum took a cigarette out and lit it. He didn't remember when he began to smoke. The passe-temps procured him temporary peace. Not that he needed to be appeased. No, it was an occupation that made him look busy.

"Royal, please do up your laces," Callum heard as he took his third drag on his cigarette.

The boy sighed and knelt to do as his mother asked in front of the bakery.

"Mom, can we get something today?" Meia asked, pointing at the bakery's door.

"Meia, I told you we can'tㅡ" Thandie stopped as she noticed Callum, who changed his posture to avoid her stare.

It had been over a week since her kids bought something. Sometimes, he saw them pass, and sometimes he missed them. The Chiroma children usually pestered her to buy them something, but Thandie was firm. The next time she promised never came. Even Callum found himself eager to know when the next time would occur.

"Next time," Callum heard.

The children moaned and began to advance, but the girl who asked the question about the bakery remained behind.

"Meia, hurry."

"No, I want a vanilla custard doughnut. We have cakes every day when daddy's around."

"Well, your daddy isn't around. Please, Meia, don't be difficultㅡ," Thandie pleaded before coming to grab her child's ear when she caught her daughter giving her the side eye, "ㅡit's not me you are doing. You are doing it yourself. Why do you make me vex o early in the morning?" Thandie said, Nigerian accent and all.

Thandie always hoped she wouldn't be like her mother, but there she was, using the same saying to discipline her child. What a lousy mother she made. In times when she lost her patience, Thandie cared not about where she was or who witnessed.
She tried not to think about her actions, "Royal, Kenya, hurry, your school gate is going to close."