Adriana's Corner

Chapter Six

The young girl is at the door talking to someone so I just head straight to the kitchen and turn the kettle on, trying to find the mugs.

The kitchen is small but cute, the fridge weighed down with funny magnets and the cupboard is filled with special, fancy teas. That's right, no coffee.

Damn.

I pull out a box of Earl Grey just as the young girl comes around the corner. She's a small thing; not short at all, in fact, she looks to be about my height, an unimposing 5'6. But she's the width of a grain of rice and looks as though she could float away with a minor puff of wind.

"Carrot cake from Dianne. Your life will never be the same after trying it," she tells me, easing it down onto the bench.

"That good or that bad?" I ask, appraising the glorious looking creation.

"That good. Dianne makes the best cakes. I think she sells them down at Salamanca market. Her carrot cakes are pretty famous."

"Want a slice and a cup of tea?" I ask, getting another cup down.

"You don't have to do that."

"It's the least I can do...I'm so sorry, I completely blanked out when you told me your name..."

"Alyssa." she chirps.

"Alyssa....ever get called Ali?"

"Nope. My dad calls me Bambi, my best friend calls me 'dork' and Adriana called me Oh-uh so...call me what you like."

"Oh-uh?" I ask as I search for a knife.

"Yeah." she laughs geekily. "Me and dad moved here when I was about nine and when she asked my name I said "oh...uh, Alyssa." and she didn't let me live it down. So I became Oh-uh and dad became Grunt. He doesn't talk much so..."

"I noticed that." I chuckle and cut into the cake. "You both knew her quite well then?" I ask, sliding a large piece of insanely good-looking cake onto a plate. I haven't eaten anything since I arrived so my stomach is screaming at me.

"Yeah, well, dad generally didn't know what to say to her because she was so out there and doesn't know how to act around people like that so he mowed her lawn and helped her find Barnaby but..."

"Barnaby?....the car! That's right." I nod trying to keep up.

"Yeah. Had a name for everything."

"You knew her well then?" I ask opening the tea cupboard again, "What would you like?"

"Green and lemon thanks." she smiles, sitting herself on a stool. "Yeah, she was a good friend and had lots of faith in me. That's what I liked about her. She got me the job down at the Oxford Food Garden."

"You work there? It's on my to-do list while I'm here. I'm told to have a melting moment and to have a coffee with...Toffee? Taffy?"

"Taffy, yeah, those two became really close. She's lovely." I slide the tea towards her and she thanks me before we both delve into the cake.

"Do you know how long you're over for?" She asks as she wipes cream cheese icing off her cheek. I shake my head as I bite through the sticky, soft cake. I stop chewing ad look at the cake.

"Oh my goodness."

"I know." Alyssa nods.

"Wow..."

"I know." she nods again.

"What is in there?"

"Nobody knows. People have tried to get her recipes but failed."