Surprise is a unique emotion because it defies our predictions and assumptions. It disrupts the ordinary flow of events, bringing with it a sense of wonder and curiosity. This unexpectedness can be positive, such as receiving an unexpected gift or encountering a long-lost friend. It can also be negative, like an unforeseen problem or sudden bad news.
What makes surprise so powerful is its ability to momentarily suspend our judgment and immerse us fully in the present moment. It forces us to pause, reflect, and reassess our understanding of the world. This can lead to moments of joy, laughter, or even profound insights.
In essence, surprise enriches our lives by adding an element of unpredictability. It keeps us on our toes and reminds us that life is full of unexpected twists and turns. Embracing surprise can open our minds to new possibilities and enhance our
appreciation for the beauty of the unexpected.
10th January, 2031
Ishikawa and Yuki went out as was planned for certain individuals. Sho, he is sound asleep. So, I decided that since I had nothing to do, I would sleep like Sho. I fell asleep within five minutes of lying down. I knew I had entered a realm of peace. But what I didn't know was that I had stepped into a trap. As soon as I fell asleep, Sho got up. He had been pretending all along. He got up and locked the door of the room. I was deeply asleep, so I didn't notice.
Then he called Ishikawa and Yuki to come over. They came and started decorating the room. Once they finished decorating, Ishikawa cut off the power supply to the whole apartment. As a result, there was no current in my room. Consequently, all the lights and the AC in my room were turned off.
When the AC stopped, I couldn't sleep anymore, so I woke up immediately and saw that the power was out. In the darkness, I left my room and sensed that something was not right. I could feel the presence of three people around me. I realized it was Ishikawa, Sho, and Yuki, but I pretended not to notice. As soon as I entered the living room, the lights turned on. Then I heard a lot of shouting.
They shouted, "HAPPY BIRTHDAY" and started playing sirens.
It was midnight.
"Do you want me to get a heart attack or something?"
"YES, WE DO!!!" and started shouting and playing the sirens even louder. Then I tried to stop them. Somehow, the three of them got hold of a party spray. Before I could stop them, they sprayed it all over me. My entire body was covered with the spray, and I let out a scream. Covered in the party spray, I went to the bathroom. While wiping my face, I thought I should have some fun for the last time here, because once I go to the USA, I won't be able to have such fun for a while. Then I looked at myself in the bathroom mirror and smiled. With that smile, I left the bathroom and went to face them. Then, standing straight, I shouted,
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!"
Because now it is already January 11. My birthday. My 23rd birthday. I remembered an old memory that day. The memory from my high school days. The story of my 16th birthday.
11th January, 2022
Because of my birthday, I invited my friends to my house for a small party. The invited people were Ishikawa, Sho, Yuki, Austin, and Nishio. For my birthday, I made a cake last night. A massive cake.
"Feed-a-Crowd Perfect Chocolate Cake"
It is understood by its name that it can be fed to a massive crowd. Even, though I didn't invite that much crowd!
It's a decadent dark chocolate cake. This cake can be prepared in advance and kept frozen. It needed a lot of ingredients.
First, we have to create the cake.
Ingredients:
1. All-purpose flour (3 cups)
2. Large Eggs (6)
3. Dark brown sugar (1 ½ cups)
4. Granulated sugar (1 ½ cups)
5. Baking Soda (2 teaspoons)
6. Cocoa Powder (1 cup + 2 tablespoons)
7. Unsalted butter (1 ½ cups)
8. Whole milk (3/4 cup)
9. Boiling water (1 ½ cups)
10. Vanilla extract (2 teaspoons)
11. Salt (3/4 teaspoon)
Instructions:
1. First, we have to preheat the oven to 325ᵒF. Then we have to butter two 9x13 inch pans because we are going to make two cakes. Also, we have to line them with waxed or parchment paper. Butter the paper and dust the pans lightly with cocoa powder or flowers. Tap out excess.
2. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking soda and salt. In a small bowl, whisk together cocoa powder with the boiling water until quite smooth and glossy. Pour in the milk, followed by vanilla, and whisk gently to combine the liquids.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream butter with the sugars until light and fluffy, at least 5 minutes. You have to stop the mixer a few times to scrap down the sides of the bowl and the paddle.
4. Stop the mixer and add the eggs, one at a time, beating well between each addition. Scrap down the sides of the bowl to ensure everything is well combined.
5. With the mixer on the lowest speed, add about a third of the flour, followed by half the cocoa mixture. Add another third of the flour and the remaining cocoa. Finally, finish with the last of the flour, mixing the batter only until just combined.
6. Stop the mixer and scrape down the paddle. Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared pans.
7. Place the pans side by side on the middle rack in the oven. Bake until a toothpick into the center comes out clean, about 35-45 minutes. Cool cakes for 5 minutes in the pan, then loosen around the edges with a knife and invert the cakes onto wire cooling racks. Remove parchment paper and discard. Cool completely before frosting.
I highly recommend weighing the two 9x13 pans with batter in them so as to get the same amount in each. This gives a thickness of cake layers when you slice into the cake. I bake the cake at a slightly lower temperature than the original recipe so than the original recipe so that they don't dome in the middle. Then we have to make the frosting.
Ingredients:
1. Valrhona 'Manjari' feves 64% dark chocolate (10 oz)
2. Unsalted butter (1 ½ cups, ¾ lb., cut into 1-inch cubes)
3. Whipped cream cheese (2 containers x 227g)
4. Vanilla extract (1 tablespoon)
5. Salt (1/4 teaspoon)
6. Powdered sugar (3 cups)
Instructions:
1. Roughly chop the chocolate into chunks. Place in a double boiler or in a bowl set over a pot of simmering water. Melt slowly, stirring occasionally.
2. Remove the bowl from the pot and cool the chocolate to room temperature.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat together the butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy, at least 5 minutes. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl once or twice.
4. Add the cooled chocolate, vanilla, and salt; beat until thoroughly combined.
5. Turn off the mixer and add the powdered sugar, one cup at a time. Beat on low speed until combined. Increase the speed to high and beat for one minute.
The frosting is best used within 30 minutes or so of making when it is still easily spreadable. As the chocolate hardens, the frosting will stiffen somewhat.
After everything's ready, place one cake on a serving plate or tray. Spread a ½ inch layer of frosting evenly over the top. Place the second cake on top. Frost the entire cake and sides, smoothing or swirling the frosting as desired. Serve at once or refrigerate, loosely wrapped in plastic, for up to four days.
The next day, aside from the cake I had to cook other side dishes as well.
1. つくね ( Chicken Meatballs skewers):
'Tsukune' are grilled Japanese chicken meatball skewers glazed in a delicious sweet savory sauce called 'たれ' (Tare).
2. 焼き鳥 (Grilled Chicken):
'Yakitori' refers to Japanese-styled grilled chicken skewers. Traditionally they're cooked over hot Japanese white charcoal on a long, rectangular grill. The Yakitori tradition uses every part of the chicken, from meat to organs to cartilage. But I used chicken thighs only because thighs are full of flavors.
3. 細巻き(Hosomaki Sushi):
When the Sushi rice is wrapped in 'Nori' (Seaweed) and rolled, it is a Sushi roll. There are several types of Sushi rolls. The one that I made is called 'Hosomaki'. It features thin rolls.
(1" in diameter), nori on the outside, containing 1 ingredient. For the filling, I used Sushi grade Salmon, Cucumber (julienned), bell paper, avocado, mango, and cooked crab meat.
4. ぎょざ (Gyoza):
'Gyoza' are Japanese dumplings that are typically filled with a mixture of ground meat, vegetables like cabbage and garlic, and seasonings. They often have thinner wrappers and are slightly smaller. The most common method is known as 'Yaki Gyoza', where the dumplings are pan-fried to get a crispy bottom, and then steamed to ensure the filling is cooked fully.
On the afternoon of my birthday, when I was preparing the table, they rang the bell. As soon as I opened the door, Sho screamed,
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!"
And just like the delinquents from the other day, suddenly kicked on my balls! I almost passed out from the pain! Everyone started laughing! I started groaning.
"Sho, you…. bastard!"
I became half-paralyzed for about 15 minutes from then. My mom came there and welcomed them. She didn't even notice that I was suffering from extreme pain. Everyone went inside. I was still lying down on the floor, groaning at the corridor.
"Oh my! Why are you lying down in front of the corridor?" (Mom)
Groaning, I said,
"You don't need to come! When I needed help you didn't even notice me!"
"What happened?" (Mom)
I sighed and told her what happened. She calmly told me,
"These things are always happening between friends. Did you ever notice that Sho-Chan is always having fun with you guys? Do you know why is that?"
"Because we are the closest one to him."
"It's true. But the main reason is that he loves you guys. If he hadn't loved you all, then he couldn't have all this fun till now."
I became silent. All of my pain disappeared.
"Is the pain gone?" (Mom)
"Yeah."
"Now, come inside. Drink some water and help me take the dishes to the table." (Mom)
My mom was a wonderful woman. I've never seen a kind woman like her in my life. Sometimes she scolded me, and I got mad at her too. But I never hated her. Never abandoned her. We may stop talking to each other for a long time. But still, we love each other. Her love can't be explained. Scolding, patting, feeding, hitting. Everything she did for us was the output of her love.
Every mother in the world is the best to her child. Maybe they don't match with each other's mindset. Maybe the thing your mother likes can be hated by you. But still, mothers are the most precious thing in a child's life. No matter how ugly or unsmart or old your mother is. She still loves you. So, the child's one and only duty is to protect her with his or her life. Someone once said,
"There's no curse more twisted than love."
This curse is the true curse. When a child is born, he gets automatically cursed by his mother's love towards him. Which makes the bond between every mother and child in the world the strongest and unbreakable.
But, when the bond between them breaks, a temporary disaster falls upon them. If a mother dies, the bond between them breaks down. From then on, the child suffers from pain in his heart. The loss of a mother is a big disaster in someone's life. Some think that their life has ended right there. But that's wrong. The bond can be fixed, if the child wants to.
If the child wants to fix the bond between them, then he has to carry the will of his mother through the rest of his life. Then, when the child dies, that will shall be carried by his children. This is how strong the bond between a mother and a child is.
I went inside and started carrying the dishes to the table.
"Hey, chore boy! Bring me a glass of juice." (Sho)
"And bring me a glass of water. Coldwater. With Ice cubes." (Yuki)
"Uh…give me some tissue." (Ishikawa)
"Uh…can you bring me some tea, plea―" (Austin)
"THAT'S ENOUGH!!!"
I shouted out of anger! They made me a chore boy! They started ordering me to bring them drinks nonstop!
"IT'S MY F*** BIRTHDAY! AND YOU GUY' MADE ME A F*** CHOREBOY!"
Saying this, I went inside to the kitchen and brought everything they asked for! I put the tray hardly on the table! They all got scared! They all out of force, thanked me for bringing the drinks. Then I calmed down a bit and started chatting with them. As time passed by, evening came. We all got ready to cut the cake I made yesterday.
But before that, we have an important task to complete. It's our family tradition to pray to God before celebrating someone's birthday from our family. This tradition had been passed down to our family for generations. Our family including myself is a big devotee to the almighty God. That's why we always thank God on every celebration, emotional and festive moment.
"Everyone! Before we start celebrating, I would like to ask all of you a favor." (Mom)
Everyone stared at her with a serious look on their face.
"It is our family tradition that we pray to the almighty God on every celebration, emotional and festive moment. Since today is the birthday of the eldest son of the family and your friend, I would like you all to join us and pray to God. In the prayer, first of all, we will thank our creator for blessing us souls with the gift called 'Life'. We will ask God to make this world peaceful for every soul. We will also beg to stop all of the wars going on in the world. To stop the suffering of innocent people. To stop the death of innocent children and elders. To stop crime in this world. To remove racism between religion, race, nation, and people. To bring balance between the world. Then we will pray to him for forgiving those people who have committed many sins in their lives. Especially for those who are willing to stop committing sins. Then we will ask him to bring judgment to the world. Then we beg to him forgive us for our committed sins. Lastly, we will all ask him to grant our wishes." (Mom)
Then we all put our hands together and started praying to God. It felt like we were in inner peace. Everything was completely quiet for the next few minutes. After some minutes, our prayer
ended. I noticed that Ishikawa and Yuki were crying. But they were surprisingly calm. However, we all started to celebrate my birthday after that. I sat in front of the cake and everyone else gathered around me, taking pictures of the cake. After the photo session, everyone started singing the birthday song.
Everyone was singing correctly.
"Happy birthday to you, nobody likes you! You look like an animal!"
Suddenly someone started singing the lyrics wrong! Everyone got mad and kept staring at the guy who was singing it wrong. Austin.
"What's wrong?" (Austin)
"Just tell me one thing! Can you not become serious for once?" (Ishikawa)
Then out of nowhere, Sho brought some duct tape and some rope. All the guys rushed at Austin and tied him up! Finally, to shut his mouth Sho put duct tape in his mouth!
I was sitting in front of the cake and staring at them awkwardly! They all came back and gathered around.
"Now then. Let's start the singing." (Ishikawa)
Everyone started singing again.
"Happy birthday to you, Happy birthday to you.
Happy birthday our dear friend, Happy birthday to you!"
Then, as usual, I blew the candles and made a wish. I don't know who, but someone brought a parfetti. As soon I cut the cake, someone shot the parfetti. One by one I took a piece from the cake and fed them with my hand. When I was done feeding them Ishikawa asked,
"So, what did you wish for?"
I felt embarrassed to say it.
"What's wrong? Feeling embarrassed?" (Austin)
I looked down and everyone started laughing. But I was proud of my wish.
After the cake-cutting and eating, the gift-giving period came. I wasn't expecting any gifts from them. But when the time came, one after another, they started giving me presents! I didn't open those yet. I planned to open those when everyone went back to their homes. Finally, after feeding everyone I went to Austin pulled out the duct tape, and fed him the cake too. From then till night, we all had fun. Ate together, sang together, and hung out together. The party ended after 3-4 hours after cutting the cake. I bid them home.
After everyone was gone, I went inside my room with the presents. I didn't expect that they would bring me presents. When I opened the boxes, I was super stunned!
Present day
I started celebrating my 23rd birthday. I didn't celebrate my birthday with my friends for more than 7 years. Yuki brought out a big box from the dining room. Before I could ask, she hushed me. She opened it to reveal a huge cake with "HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU" and my name written on it. Then Yuki went back to the dining room and returned with a small box and two candles. Again, she hushed me before I could ask anything, and then sat beside me. She said,
"Isn't it beautiful?"
"Yeah."
With pride she said,
"See! I knew that it would become beautiful. Because I made it."
I was surprised and happy at the same time. Blushing and said,
"I... I have something to tell you!!!"
"Please don't ask me anymore!"
"Why? What happened?" (Yuki)
With a funny face, I said,
"I know what you're going to say!!!"
Looking bored, she asked,
"What will I say?"
As if she already knew what I was going to say.
"You're going to say the same thing as always, why do I buy the expensive dozens of eggs?"
Hearing this, I started laughing. Meanwhile, Yuki seemed like she was about to explode with anger! Suddenly, a few punches landed on my laughing face. Up until then, Ishikawa and Sho had not been laughing! As soon as Yuki's punches made my face swell, Ishikawa and Sho burst into laughter, and Yuki, with an angry proud smile, let out a long sigh of satisfaction. She felt satisfied. Then she said,
"I used to hit you back in school for telling those lame jokes! And yet, you never learned!"
"What can I do? Telling lame jokes is a part of who I am."
"All right, I accept that telling lame jokes is one of your traits. But does that mean you have to tell the same joke a thousand times?" (Yuki)
I ignored her and looked at Ishikawa and the others, saying,
"Now I have to argue even on my birthday!"
However, Yuki lit the candles and placed them on the cake to surprise me. I saw that one candle was shaped like a '2' and the other like a '3,' indicating that today was my 23rd birthday. Before they could start singing "Happy Birthday," I decided to take my revenge by blowing out the candles and quickly cutting the cake. Yuki got angry again and punched me in the face. As a result, my face turned red for a while.
In a fit of anger, Yuki shouted,
"What have you done? YOU IDIOT!!! Before we could even sing the song, you cut the cake!"
"This is my revenge," I replied.
Yuki seemed to get even more furious. Ishikawa and Sho tried to calm her down and move me away from the scene. Ishikawa and Sho were trembling with fear. Because everyone knows that Yuki can be terrifying. If anyone crosses the line and angers beyond her limit, that day becomes the worst day of their life. Once, when we were in school, my friend, Nishio, kept annoying Yuki repeatedly. It would have been fine if he did it once or twice, but he continuously bothered her, making fun of her and insulting her in every possible way. That day, after school, we were all shocked!
We saw Nishio with bandages on his hands, limping as he walked. When we tried to ask him what happened, he gave us a terrifying look and walked away. We immediately understood that he was extremely angry and if we pressed further, he might lash out at us too. Then, we saw Yuki approaching. Then Yuki came up to us and looked at Nishio as if she knew nothing.
"Hey... what happened to Nishio?" (Yuki)
"I don't know! But it looks like he got into some serious trouble!" I replied.
"Hmm..." she said calmly,
"By his behavior today, it seems something happened with him!" (Yuki)
I looked at her suspiciously, while others stood there stunned and scared, fearing that she might turn her anger towards me. Back then, you always supported me and respected me a lot. The only one who could calm Yuki down was me. There was no one who could defeat me, which earned me the title of 'INVINCIBLE' meaning undefeated.
My friends who were in our gang gave me this title. When they gave me this title, I told them,
"Thanks for giving me this title, but I can't accept it."
"Why?!!" (Ishikawa)
"I know I deserve this title, but I don't see myself above anyone. If you all try, you can be like me someday. You might even become stronger than me, so don't give me such a high honor. However, I'll do my best to live up to it."
Hearing my words, they were all amazed which I can't express in words! Because of these reasons, people both feared and liked me. On my birthday, when Yuki was exploding with rage, I told her,
"I can tell you that you won't be able to beat me. You're just showing this anger to scare me. But I can tell you're not angry." (Yuki)
Hearing this, she felt a bit embarrassed. Then she said while blushing,
"That's not true."
She was smiling slightly, so I said,
"Yes, it's true. I can tell by your smile."
Hearing this, she became even more embarrassed. Then she stayed quiet for a while. I noticed the marks on my cheek, all because of Yuki. My cheek was full of bruises from her
punches. After that, with a face full of smiles, I cut the cake.
Taking a piece of the cake in my hand, I fed Yuki. She was so happy that I can't put it into words. She was blushing so much then. At that moment, she said something that I'd heard for a long time.
"愛してる!!"
Hearing this, I stared at her for a moment, filled with happiness. I was blushing too! Maybe, this is the most beautiful day of my life after my traumatized life.