Baking Dreams

In a small village nestled between meadows, Simi had always dreamed of a different life in the nearby city. Simi was living with her parents. Her father and mother were farmers, it was Simi's routine to wake up in the morning and help her mother with chores, like chopping vegetables and cooking delicious recipes. Her mom used to cook, and she always watched her mom cook. Then she would go to school, and her parents would go for farming. Her grandparent used to live in the neighbourhood. Not only her grandparents but also her aunties uncles used to live in the neighborhood. 

Whenever it was someone's birthday or a festival, all families would come, eat together, and celebrate together, and all children would dance together. The house had a large courtyard where all the women of the house would cook together while the other children would be busy playing and eating and dancing. Simi was interested in carefully observing how the food was cooked. She would note down each recipe carefully and then ask her mother or grandmother many questions, such as what was being put inside the food. Then her grandma would reply with, "We are making tamales it is made with a corn-based dough mixture filled with meat, beans, and cheese.  "Wow, that's interesting," said Simi. The most favourite time was when Tres leches was being made; it was like a cake covered with condensed milk, which is the best way to end a meal.

As soon as night fell, all the family members would sleep in the same courtyard by spreading beds, all the children would sleep together, and all the children would make stories while looking at the moon and the stars, and chit-chat with each other. 

"What do you guys want to be when you grow up?' says Simi's cousin Sara. 

"I don't know what I want to be, but I know that I want to go outside of this village,' says Simi. 

"But that would be impossible; how will you explain this to your parents "says simi's cousin Tom. 

"Don't worry, I will figure it out." Simi replied. 

Then Simi starts telling a story to her cousins: once upon a time in this same village, our great-grandparents had in war. The people against us said that if we lost, we would have to give this land away, so our great-grandparents fought hard, and then they won, but that's all I know, says Simi.  

"Wow, that's so cool. I want to be as brave as them," says tom. 

"But this was their land; if we want to fight for something, it needs to be ours, like our dreams." says Simi. 

"Well, l guess that is true," says Sara. 

Simi always wanted to go to those stars, another place. She wanted to get away from it all. Although she enjoys her home, family, and siblings, She wanted to do something in her life, and she wanted to make her parents proud. It has always been on her mind, and she used to tell her cousin that one day she would travel to a foreign land, and they knew that she was a brave girl and that she would make her dreams come true. As a child, she would sit on the worn wooden steps of her grandmother's house, listening to her stories of foreign lands filled with opportunity and promises. Those stories had a place in her heart, one that would grow into a great desire to explore the world beyond the horizon. 

One autumn morning, as the leaves covered the ground, Simi made a decision to save most of the pocket money she used to get from doing chores. At twenty-five, she felt the weight of moving to a new place. With only a small suitcase filled with clothing and a few cherished memories, she kissed her family goodbye, promising to return one day with stories of her own. 

Simi boarded a bus that would take her to the city, a place she had waited so long to arrive in. The journey was long, and anticipation filled her mind and soul; within her was some nervousness. When she arrived, the city was filled with bright lights and billboards, which was something she never thought she would see a place that was vibrant and alive. Skyscrapers reached the sky, and streets were loud and filled with an energy she had never felt. Finding a cozy apartment was her first challenge. With limited money, she settled into a tiny room of a subdivided flat in a multicultural neighborhood. The walls were thin, but the sounds of laughter, music, and foreign languages made her feel at home. She quickly became friends with her neighbors. She also shared her culture, and so did her neighbors.

Determined to make a life for herself, Simi found work as a waitress in a busy and crowded café. Though the pay was average, she appreciated the opportunity of have a job. Each day, she took pride in her tasks, delighted with the small interactions with customers. Each person she met had different backgrounds and stories, which made her feel a sense of community blossom around her.

Over time, Simi faced challenges that tested her skills. Language barriers made communication difficult at first, and she constantly felt the heavy effects of isolation. Nights were often lonely, with only the sounds of the city for company. But every bad situation ignited her determination to learn English. With each passing week, since she practiced a lot and her English improved, she found herself making connections in many places.

One evening, a regular customer named Mira started a conversation with Simi. She was a teacher who shared Simi's passion for learning and cultures. Their friendship blossomed, providing Simi with a sense of belonging. Mira introduced her to community events and language classes, where Simi flourished. With every lesson, she unlocked pieces of the world and learned facts about cultures.

As the months turned into years, Simi's life transformed in ways she had only imagined. She pursued her passion for baking, experimenting with recipes that blended flavors from her village and her new city. Inspired by her grandmother's teachings, she opened a small bakery since she had experience in the café. The number of customers that came was a lot; Simi poured her heart into every slice of cake and pastry, sharing her culture with the community. Some of her recipes were quite famous, such as mango tres leches cake. She has a unique style to cook it; she uses fresh mango puree, giving the classic dessert a tropical taste. She topped it with a light whipped cream frosting and garnished it with fresh mango slices, creating a refreshing and tropical dessert that delighted her customers.

Simi's bakery became a famous spot for everyone from students to people from the city, a reflection of her journey and the dreams she had nurtured. She hosted events celebrating diverse cultures, bringing people together over shared meals and stories. The walls of her bakery were covered with photographs of her family, reminding her of where she came from and the love that fuelled her journey.

Years later, Simi stood in her bakery, a warm smile gracing her face as she watched a young girl savoring a slice of her famous tres leches cake. Around her, laughter and chatter filled the air, which was enough proof that community could be created, one shared meal at a time.

Simi had come a long way from that small village in a forgotten land. She had carved out a life filled with love, friendship, and bravery, proving to herself and others that dreams, no matter how distant, can be reached with courage and heart. And as she gazed out the window, the city glittering with lights, she realized that the sunset was not an end but a beginning to a forever-opening door to new adventures.