Christmas Cakes & DUIs

This was Sherry Hamilton's first year working with Kildare Industries. The atmosphere was cheerful and happy as all twelve employees welcomed her and did their best for the company and their workers.

She was employed because they needed a younger Accountant who was a wiz at computers. Thomas Linton, their bookkeeper for over forty years, choose retirement rather than returning to school to learn how to use a computer.

She tried teaching him, but he said, "sorry, but I was taught long-handed as bookkeeping was in my blood. My brain can't adapt to the speed of these things," he pointed to the Hp computer in front of her.

Sherry laughed.

She was tired after her office's posh and exciting Christmas eve party. Even though no alcohol was served, which didn't affect the mood, they all say it was the season for joy.

They exchanged gifts, and Sherry got a $100 gift certificate to shop at Macy's. The party ended at 6:00 so that everyone could get home early. Thank God everyone lived a few miles away.

Two hours later, the doorbell ringing interrupted her peaceful moment, and she bolted up, hoping it wasn't Carolers.

Peeking through her peephole, she saw Jena. One of her coworkers.

Without hesitation, she opens the door to see all of her coworkers. There was this weird smile on their faces, except Thomas Linton. His smile removed the 'why are they here,' from her heart.

They all formed a line, each carrying a white envelope.

"Another gift?" she asked as each of them walked up and handed her a card.

After giving her a card, Beverly said, "this one is special and only for you. Don't open it until Christmas day."

"Ok," Sherry said, eyeing her skeptically. "Sorry, I don't have anything for you guys yet."

"You have given us enough," Graham said as he handed her a card.

Thomas was at the end of the line. As he approached, he glanced left and right and asked, "do you have more of that cake you bought to the party?"

Before she could respond, a voice from the back yelled, "It's the season for giving Thomas, not taking!"

He quickly gave her a card and blinked at her three times, walking away with a smile.

Watching as they all walked away, a voice behind her said, "how kind and considerate your coworkers are?"

She turned to face her boyfriend, Josh, holding up twelve white envelopes.

"I wonder why they do that," a thought slipped out.

"They appreciate you," he teases, scooping her up in his arms, "and so do I." Slamming the door shut.

Christmas morning, and Josh was up before her. He made breakfast, and they enjoyed their first Christmas in a new state and home.

Minutes later, they exchange presents. Hugging and kissing each other, she said, "let's see what my wonderful and kind coworkers shared, because I will have to get them all something in return."

Eleven cards later, shock stopped her heart. Trembling, she slowly eased towards the nearest seat. Then handed the remnants of the cards to him.

He read them, then burst out laughing. His response restarted her heart, and her heart demanded, "what is so funny?"

"Didn't I warn you about taking those Jamaican Christmas wine cakes to share with your coworkers?"

"We were told to bring in something unique from our culture," she defends.

"Girl," Josh said, walking over to her and handing her eleven DUI tickets. The names of each of her coworkers were written on them. "Your Jamaican grandmother soaked raisins, prunes, currants, cherries, and mix-peel in 80% proof alcohol white rum and wine for one year. You used that mixture to make three cakes and they cleaned those cakes up in no time," he reminds her. "You came in boasting about it."

"Damn!" slid from her thoughts as they burst out laughing.

"Wait a minute," she put the fun on pause. "Isn't alcohol suppose to evaporate out when heated?"

"You poured Jamaican fruit wine over it after you baked it to keep it moist," he pushed in her thoughts.

"Damn, how was I supposed to know that a few slices of cake would make anyone drunk? she yelled. "We eat wine cakes in Jamaica at Christmas, and most Jamaicans don't get drunk."

"Because most Jamaicans don't have access to rum with 80% alcohol like your crazy grandmother. Which is illegal to put on the market," he reminds, giggling.

"Double damn," she jumped up, heading to the kitchen, searching for the bottle of fruit wine. Reading the alcohol content, "It's not a lot of alcohol," she said, handing the bottle to Josh, who read it too.

"True," he said, smelling it. Eyeing her, he asked, "did your grandmother make this?"

Sherry's eyes popped as Josh pushed the bottle in her direction. After a sniff, she gulped down her fear and said, "I have to pay for these tickets? But my names aren't on them?"

"Well, you did get them drunk?" Josh reminds, grinning.

"They must have a low thrusthold for alcohol," she defends her action. "How am I gonna pay for those tickets?" she asked.

"It's Christmas. Good things happen this time of the year," he encourages.

"Where is the twelfth card?" she asked.

Josh handed Thomas' card to her, and she opened it. Inside was a check and a note that said, "I am buying one of those cakes!"

She handed the contents to Josh, who laughed and said, "I told you good things happen this time of the year."

Her doorbell rang. Thomas was there for his cake along with his wife.

They let them in. Sherry baked them two Jamaican Christmas Wine cakes from the rest of the fruits she had left. They enjoyed Christmas together. His wife's grandmother was Jamaican and missed Christmas Jamaican style when her grandmother was alive.

The amount on the check was enough to pay for the eleven DUI tickets her coworkers got from eating several slices of her wine cake.

I soaked my fruits for one year or longer. I added apricots to mine.

It's a Christmas tradition in Jamaica.

I worked for an Italian lady, and I bought her several slices one year. She loved the aroma. Days later, she called me complaining that she almost got into an accident because she was drunk from eating my wine cake. We laughed it off.

Thank you for reading this piece. I hope you enjoy it and will savor more from some talented writers whose links are below.

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