Dressed in her best dress, Lorelei walks down the street looking for a brand-new adventure. Being a girl from an upper-class family, Lorelei appreciates a high-flying lifestyle but there is one thing that she lacks and desperately wants. That is a purpose. The problem is she doesn’t know what to do with her life. All she has ever done is go shopping and be social but otherwise doesn’t have any interests. This is why she is walking around the street, hoping to find something that will inspire her.
So far she finds nothing and her feet are beginning to ache like crazy. She looks in front of her to see a sweet-looking little café that has black bistro tables in the front with tall container bushes nestled beside an intricate black fence. Lorelei can’t help but be charmed by what she sees. It looks like the perfect place to stop and sit at for a moment.
A sigh of relief escapes her lips as she sits down and slips her high heels off. Suddenly, tall statuesque blonde stands in front of her, almost as if she just appeared in front of her. Lorelei shakes her head, knowing that it is impossible for this woman to just appear out of nowhere. She gives Lorelei a friendly smile and says, “You look like a woman who’s on a mission to solve a riddle.”
“How did you know?” Lorelei asks.
“I can tell by the way you’re trying to get comfortable in my chair.” She says sunnily, “It never hurts to ask for a hint now and then you know.”
“Really?” Lorelei smirks. “I don’t think anyone can tell me the answer to this.”
“Well, how about we start with my specialty?” The woman says as she turns around and picks up a small plate with a slice of chocolate cake on it. She gently places it and a small fork before Lorelei. “I know it’s not much but it will give you that boost you need.”
Lorelei looks down at the most beautiful looking chocolate cake that tempted her to taste almost immediately. She is going to send it back since she could not deal with the calories right now. However, she looks up to see that the woman has vanished. She looks around shocked. It is really funny that she would disappear that quickly, in fact the chocolate cake before her looked like it appeared out of thin air as well. Still, a gift is a gift and Lorelei knows that she will really enjoy this cake.
She picks up the fork, carves a little piece out of the cake, and puts it in her mouth. Immediately she closes her eyes and groans in pleasure. The luxurious taste of chocolate fills her senses and sends tingles down her whole body. Lorelei opens her eyes and finds herself not in the middle of a street but in a palace garden where the smell of flowers dominate.
In shock, Lorelei stands up and looks around at her new surroundings. She looks towards the pristine white palace that should belong in Europe with its columns and sparkling windows. A hummingbird flies past her and makes it’s way to some potted plants dangling before her. A small smile creeps up on her face as she turns and looks out to a beautifully symmetrical garden filled with the big bright pink flowers of roses and peonies. Everything is neat and tidy but surreal and lovely.
Lorelei sits back down on her chair with her cake still in front of her. She can almost hear Aladdin’s “A Whole New World” playing. Her heart opens and she can’t help but laugh out loud being where she is. If she is in heaven then she doesn’t want to leave. She takes another bite of her cake and enjoys her view only to find it changing once more right before her eyes.
Now she is whisked off into the high mountains. She looks out and finds herself nestled on a porch with a spectacular view of a vineyard. All those grape vines, the fresh air, and seeing the mountains is probably the most romantic sight she has ever seen. He giggles as she looks around. This piece of cake (and what ever is in it) is taking her on an amazing adventure. She just wants to enjoy what she is seeing.
*****
Before enjoying the last bite of her cake, Lorelei realizes that she has been to a European palace, a vineyard in the mountains, a tropical beach, a temperate forest, a bustling futuristic city, and a lakeside deck with a Chinese temple before her. Each one getting more beautiful and it is so real. When she finished the last bite of her cake, she is back on the street side where she started. She feels a little disappointed. Her delicious cake is over and so is her adventures that it showed her.
A sigh comes out of her mouth and she puts her head on top of her hands that are resting on the table. She didn’t want this to end. Suddenly a revelation comes to her mind and she bolts her head straight up again.
“Who says this has to end?” She says to herself. “There are some tourism courses I can take. I can experience all of this again!”
With complete exhilaration, she stands up and walks back into the direction of her house. She has got some internet research and emails to get down to.
The woman who handed her the cake sends a smile to her from her doorway. It looks like her work is done.
Special Thanks to:
Sucre Patisserie and Cafe: The best chocolate cake in the city! 1007 8 St SW, Calgary, AB T2R 0B5. https://www.sucrecafe.com/
Reader Rock Garden: For the most beautiful scenery. 325 25 Ave SE, Calgary, AB T2G https://www.calgary.ca/csps/parks/locations/se-parks/reader-rock-garden.html