100 Tarts and a New Beginning
Chapter 4
You are reading The Misadventures of Endora Pan, a romantic comedy exploring the unpredictable nature of love and the chaos of everyday life. Set in the world of a young Taiwanese-American woman, this story delves into themes of self-discovery, cultural identity, and finding connection in unexpected places. Written in a witty, self-aware style, this novel is for readers looking for a light-hearted yet emotional read.
We’ll zoom out a bit now from Endora’s house in a quaint, quiet suburb in Walnut, and take a magnifying glass to who our protagonist is.
On a typical Thursday in the middle of the afternoon, we might see Endora at her corporate office where she works as a human relations manager. Perhaps she’d be on a last-minute video call with a team member. Her voice would be rising and falling in the professional, somewhat-fake enthusiasm of someone who still loves people.
You see, Endora sees the world in shades of bubbly, pastel colors. It fits the hyper and easily delighted girl she is.
Sure, life may have added a tint of grey to her world. But our girl is a lover at heart (albeit a judgmental, snarky one). Now, if this were a different kind of story, we might spend the next few paragraphs detailing Endora's tragic backstory. But since this is a romantic comedy, let's skip ahead to the good stuff, shall we?
Weekends are for friends and church activities. You’ll find her singing her heart out, praising Jesus. It’s the kind of unapologetic faith that comes off as just a wee bit fake to those who don’t yet know how absolutely genuine she is.
That’s how her baking began, in fact.
“My baking order got cancelled last minute and I don’t know what to do!” Endora had pulled the phone away from her ear to rescue it from her friend’s wailing. “You know how to make fruit tarts, right?”
“Erm…”
Cathy interjected, “Oh, please, please would you do me the hugest favor and step in? They don’t even have to be amazingly good. Just passingly good. You know what? Just edible. That’s totally fine. Please?”
A barely audible sigh, and Cathy heard weakness. She dove in for the kill. “You’re the greatest baker I know! Please? Just this once.”
“How many do you need?” Endora couldn’t help smiling.
“Only like, 100.”
Oh no, Endora thought. What have I gotten myself into?
Well, one thing led to another. Endora’s fruit tarts were a huge hit at Cathy’s engagement party. And, Endora ended up baking for more and more friends’ events.
Worries and stresses melted away in the kitchen when she pounded away at dough or crushing ingredients.
“Honey, you need to charge actual money for these cookies,” Tiffany would say, her mouth full of chocolate-toffee cookies with another in her hand waving around for emphasis. “Sell these delicious cookies!”
Never one to resist her best friend’s advice—except when it came to unwise romantic entanglements—Endora applied for her food service and business licenses and started selling at a local farmer’s market.
It only took a few years. We won’t dwell on this procrastination.
Let us zoom back in. At her hand. Yes, specifically her left hand. If you take a look at her fourth finger, you might notice a thin tan where a ring once made a home. Now it’s vacated the premises; only those closest to Endora would notice such a subtle lightening of the skin just there.
We won’t go into that. Not yet, anyway.