"Flour...milk...eggs...chocolate chips..sugar." And that should do it.
"Aren't you forgetting anything?"
Hopper looked up at the clouds and scratched his head trying to think of everythin he put in his cake then shook his head.
"I don't think so. I put everything in the recipe called for."
"What about the salt?"
"I'm the salt."
Immediately Hopper covered his mouth and Croak looked at him with eyes wide.
"What did you say?"
"Nothing; just drop it," Hopper shot back as fast as lightning, in an attempt to change the subject.
"Hopper, we've been best friends since we could swim in the pond. You can tell me anything."
Hopper removed his hands and bowed his head for a minute then slowly spoke.
"It's my dad. Making this cake reminded me back when I made a cake for him on his birthday and he said I was the salt."
Silence filled the empty room and Croak stopped what he was doing.
"Sorry about your dad," he said, putting his hand on Hoppers shoulder as Hopper tried to hold back a tear.
"It's ok," Hopper said, drying his nose.
"You never talk about him much. I'm still not sure what exactly happened that night."
Hopper set down his utensils and Croak pulled up a chair, ready for a story.
"It all started one night when darkness….noooo."
"You can't start a story with the night was dark."
"Dark was the night of...noo...noo.noo!!"
"Now you're trying to sound idk… To.that doesn't fit."
"Do you want to hear the story or not?" Hopper said, flaring his nostrils.
"Oh yes, please continue."
Thank you. However dark the night of that particular day was of my dad's birthday I knew that I had to do something to make this one special because all my relatives were coming over. Now I knew that my past desserts weren't the greatest but I was determined to not give up so I snuck off away from the crowd and went to my house to craft a masterpiece. I still had no idea what I was going to bake but the one thing I did know was that I didn't want to make something that my dad would turn into one of his many lessons. So I set to work. Before long time slipped from underneath my feet and it was pitch black out. I missed my dad's birthday I thought as I looked at my newfound cake. I'll just give it to him tomorrow. I opened the door and walked out. Although I couldn't see a whole lot I knew the general path back to the pond and took it. When I arrived all I saw was my dad and that's where our story begins.
"Where have you been? Oh no! You put that back right now."
"But it's your birthday and I wanted to surprise you with a cake."
"I know you did but….wait! Is that where you've been and what you have been doing?"
"Making delicious food for my fam, frogs, and other animals alike to eat so we don't have to get stuck with eating flies, nats and other disgusting prey from this dirty water that has been called our home for years."
"No. What you meant to say was, 'I've been stealing from the food pantry at the church for months to "provide" for my families needs; when in actuality you were stealing not only from the church and its families but also from all the homeless families that come to the pantry wanting food and now will be without thanks to you."
Silence fell over the family for a second and the water sat still.
"Actually father that is not all true. I didn't steal. I took what I needed from those who had plen…..ty."
Here I realized my dilemma and it was me this time that froze then started to realize what I was saying. Oh what I would've given to be away from that moment right then. Slowly I forced my lips to move and whispered back.
"Churches, Food pantries, restaurants, delivery trucks, food trucks, stands, homes, business', offices, other animals and sadly even our own stockpile for the winter. Sorry Dad."
I knelt to the ground and lifted my cake as a peace offering but I already knew it wasn't going to work.
"It's okay son. I forgive you. Now let's eat…..some...house….cake? Is this because you don't like that we have to freeze ourselves and drop our body heat plus heart rate to almost nothing in the winter in order to stay alive? Do I even want to know how you managed to find a house, carry all the ingredients, and stolen food to us so we could eat? I'm sure you also wanted us to move in with you at this house for the winter. To save you the trouble our answer is no. I mean what do you have against flies that you hate them so much and aginst this lovely, swampy, humid, tree dipping paradis? Where is your rock anyways?"
I didn't know what to do at that point so I questioned him and stood.
"Yes, your rock. Where are you going to set your cake on."
Now I was really stumped. My head raced to find an answer that is what he wanted and then my gut twisted into a not as bad feeling entered my stomach that this was going to be another one of his lessons. I was not wrong.
The sun rose in the east and threw the dark my eyes adjusted to see all of my family and extended sitting on rocks, trying to listen in closer.
I knew that this would probably be the case but was still flipped out just as much and almost dropped my cake. Quickly I scanned every rock for a place to set my cake on but they were all taken. Then my mouth started to move and I couldn't stop it.
"You're my rock," I had said; as I turned to face my dad.
"I may be your earthly visible rock but I will tell you about a rock that is invisible; more solid than me; everywhere; neverchanging; always there, and you can put many cakes on it without tear or slip."
"This rock sounds awesome but how is it solid and invisible? If it is invisible then how do I set my cake on it?
"By faith you believe it is there. This rock is not meant for your cake. This rock is meant for you. Stand on it and you will not waiver. This rock is so big and so massive that it takes three separate parts to make this rock one. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Believe in them and you'll not only have a solid rock that you can place an infinite amount of cakes on but a rock that can stand up to everything and anything. Now let's eat some cake," Dad said, then stuck his tongue out and almost touched the cake but thankfully I was able to pull away at the last second.
"Gross dad. How long has it been since you brushed your teeth? Also, I forgot to add salt. I knew it smelled funky."
Should've shut my mouth at that moment but the tongue does what it wants. I watched as The rest of the family looked down in disgust and my stomach turned again until I felt a soothing hand on my shoulder.
"Son, you're the salt. You're the salt of the earth."
"Dad, stop with these lessons that make no sense. I don't..wait what? So first I am supposed to believe in an invisible rock where I can set my cake? Now you're telling me that I'm nothing more than a grain of salt? All I'm is a living, breathing piece of speck? Father, I will have you know that I'm more than a piece of salt. I'm a frog. I'm an Anura; a proud amphibian. A living breathing, cold blooded amphibian with a tongue of a snake and the bite of jaws. Okay maybe the last part isn't true but that shows that I'm more than just a speck of salt father!!"
He took a step back then spoke.
"Son, not the salt of the tabletop. I mean the salt of the earth. The light that cannot be stopped. You can't hide a light under a bushel and hide it away. Helps all, compassionate, bears fruits of the Spirit; basically treats all fairly and doesn't discriminate."
I started to feel excited and responded with, "That's me. I do all those things!!"
I threw the cake up in the air; did a twirl and perfectly caught it again but my dad broke my heart.
"You steal!!"
"Crap!!" I said as my countenance dropped.
"It's okay. You brought cake and that in and of itself is awesome. Being brave enough to bring it to us knowing ahead of time that your previous desserts were incredible disasters and also knowing of the dangers outside the swamp. But it's not how you fall… it's how you pick yourself back….yeah I know," I said, finishing my dad's sentence.
"I already know all of that but what does that have to do with me?"
"You're still here aren't you? You first started cooking and baking months ago which is in itself a challenge but to keep at it even when disaster after disaster; your recipes crumbling in your hands and cookies as hard as baseballs, you didn't give up which is what I like about you. If you have a good cake, lots of salt, and a strong solid rock to showcase on then your cake will always be......AWESOME!! AMAZING!! MAGNIFICENT!!! A cake that cannot be stopped. Is seen by all, everybody wants a piece, all love it, never runs out, all would do anything to get a piece and every piece after."
The whole family cheered and I awoke from my sleep state before anybody was the wiser.
"So Hopper! What rock do you hop on and stand frim?
This time I was excited to give the answer; not because I knew it but felt it with every lung within me.
"JESUS!!!!!!!!!!!"
That night we croaked as loud as we could and if you listened very closely above the noise you could hear us croaking one single word.
"Wow; that was amazing," Croak said, acting like he was wiping his tears.
"But how did your dad die. You didn't get to that part."
"That's a story for another day. Right now the restaurant is open and we have customers so let's do what we do best.