The Disappearing Pavlova
by Malc
If Christians have one natural talent it is this thing – they can cook. NO, actually, two things – they can cook.....and they can eat! Boy, they can eat!
We have three children but there never did seem a time when they were growing up, that we did anything else at mealtimes than put five dinners on the table that would have fed five adults. Our kids always had really good appetites. (That's Christian talk for they were greedy little gannets!)
We had recently enjoyed an invitation to eat at one couple's house. ..and eat, we did. I think they must have thought they had been hit by a plague of locusts, rather than two adults and three small children.
We had been discussing how well the children ate and how much they liked their food, one time with some friends at our church. The following Sunday morning one of the ladies from the church approached us and handed us a huge dish (about the size that would hold a large roast turkey or a small horse) on which was the largest raspberry pavlova you ever did see.
“How kind of you.” said my wife.
“Mmmmmm.” said the kids.
Sundays were usually the only day we would have a dessert after our main meal. And on Sundays, we always had a delicious roast dinner – chicken, lamb, or sometimes turkey.
I don't recall which it was that particular Sunday but whatever it was, as usual, we made light of it and as usual, there was not a scrap left, after we had finished eating.
“Shall we have a piece of Diane's lovely Pavlova?” we asked (silly question, really)
“Yes please.” came the reply from the children.
So we sliced the Pavlova, each one receiving a 'healthy' sized portion. And it was delicious!!
Very delicious!
“Have you got room for another slice?” we asked (another silly question)
“Yes please.” came the reply from the vultures we called our children.
So another slice of the delicious Pavlova was passed to each human 'dustbin' sat around the table.
It really was the lightest and fantastically tasty dessert imaginable.
So it was really no surprise when the question came.
“It hardly seems worth saving that last piece. Would you like another slice?”
“Yes please.” came the reply from the children.
Afterward, we washed the dish and took it with us to the church for the Sunday evening service. Handing the dish back to Diane she said:
“Oh, you needn't have brought my dish back to me until you had finished the Pavlova.”
“Ah....” We said .......
“You haven't!” exclaimed a stunned Diane.
“Er, yes” was the reply.
We never were invited to eat again at Diane's house......