My daughter had seen someone eating rice crispies  in a movie and asked if we could make some. While I didn’t have either Rice crispy cereal or marshmallows in the house, we  found some puffed rice and experimented a bit.

A triumphant scream emerged from my body and I started running around in my living room, throwing my arms up in the air and swinging my hips around as if I had just had a litre of wine. I put myself together, took a deep breathe again and went over to the computer to read the message, carefully, slowly.

“ Oh, my goodness Paula is that really you? I was just talking to my mother about you the other day and we were wondering where you were. Where are you in the world…Do you have time for a chat? My number is…”

I read the message countless times over and started screaming deliriously!

My entire body was shaking.

I wrote:

Yes!!!!!!

Then I deleted it…I shouldn’t come across too desperately.

“Yeah, sure…when is a good time?”

Two seconds later, he wrote.

“Now!”

I wasn’t sure if I should stand up or sit down, so chose to walked around in circles   as I dialled his number. Within seconds, on the other end of my telephone Carl answered.

His soft, 40 year-old voice felt like an old t-shirt over my body. We meandered into the conversation as if our last conversation with each other was just yesterday and not 34 years before.

Here is the recipe for the wholesome sesame crackers that I made.