Wishes, Gems, and Disasters by Martha Wickham (freenovel24 .txt) 📖

her feet. A breeze blew around her as she approached her house.
Once inside she sat on a stool looking through a magazine for some kind of hobby to start. After shortly searching she decided she would take a baking class and become a cook. Nadine immediately got up, took her purse, and left the house to sign up for the class. It would start in a few days and end by January. At the end she would get a baking class completion certificate and look for a job.

While standing in her class working on her project, the class reminded her of home ec in high school at least that’s what she called it, she read in her text book what ingredients she would need and how to combine them.
Nadine walked over to the kitchen refrigerator and took out all the ingredients she thought she needed. Quickly she combined everything one by one, stirred them, and then placed them in the oven. She wanted to work quickly so that when the instructor came by to check on her it would be done and she might look good. While the cake baked she went outside to take a break. During her break she read and ate her lunch with a glass of orange juice.
After break ended she went to her oven to take out the cake. It was done but a little dark because she left it in three minutes too long. Nadine placed it aside to cool and prepared the white icing.
When the instructor came around to check she had a beautiful brown cake with white icing placed over the top. The plate was decorated with leaves and flowers. The instructor, Miss Creyson, smiled with satisfaction. Everything had been done properly, it was easy.
Nadine placed the cake in a plastic box and left it on the counter. Miss Creyson spoke loudly to everyone. “Last today we have guests we will be serving our food to out in the cafeteria. So if you would like to we will take your creation and place it out there for them.”
Nadine put her name and class time on her cake box she made earlier and took it to the cafeteria herself. This ended her day and she went home.
Lying on her sofa that night she knew her next class would be in two days but it would come quickly. In that time she studied her cook book so she could brush up on the subject.
That morning she woke to the ringing of her phone. It was the class instructor. “Nadine the person who ate your cake yesterday got really sick from it. I think poisoned. He’s still in the hospital. I looked at what you used and saw that it was expired and no good. I’ll throw out all the bad stuff. I think he’s going to be okay though. I told the officers it was an accident but they insist on an investigation and I had to give them your personal information so check your answering machine because they might have called you. I’m sorry. I’ll see you in class tomorrow.” Nadine hung up the phone. She wasn’t even out of bed yet. She sat there wondering what to do.

The next day Nadine went to her baking class as usual. Everything thing went as it should. In two weeks she took a final test and passed it with a good enough grade. She finished her class and needed her certificate. The instructor, Miss Creyson, passed them out to everyone. Nadine waited for hers but didn’t get it. Well she assumed it was a mistake. She sat remembering all the beautiful food she had made and took home. She got up. “Miss Creyson, I didn’t get my certificate.”
“I see that. I’m not sure what the school owner did with it. I’ll go and talk to her. Will you meet me in my office at the end of class?”
Nadine nodded yes and Miss Creyson left the room.
They sat together in her office. “We haven’t made your certificate. I can’t until the officers show up and talk to you about the poisoned cake you made. They want to make sure you didn’t do it on purpose. They are supposed to show up here.”
“Can’t you call them to come so I can get my certificate? I’m going to go out today and look for a job I can get with it.”
“I’ll do that right now.” She called and from what Nadine heard they said they would be right over.
When they did finally show up they asked her to tell them whether she was innocent or guilty. She answered, “I’m guilty.” Their faces were shocked. “But it was an accident. I’m only a student.” An officer with a ponytail in her hair and in uniform on put handcuffs on Nadine. “I said it was an accident.”
One officer answered, “I know, but we are arresting you until it’s proven. I’m sure Miss Creyson will help defend you. After this is over you can get your certificate and go. We just need to make sure.”
Her next stop was jail. “You have a visitor.” She was taken to another office. She went in wearing a white suite and a blank stare. She was calm about the situation. It was Miss Creyson.
“Hi. Is the man okay?”
“Yes,” answered Miss Creyson.
“What was his name?”
“It is Paul. We’ll prove this was a mistake soon and you’ll be out. Sit back and relax and when you get out we’ll have your certificate.” That was it, guilty until proven innocent or some said unsure until proven innocent. She didn’t enjoy herself but went home frustrated with the school and the jail and Nadine didn’t want to meet Paul.
She went home and called the school. “What do I have to do to get this baking certificate?”
“It’s actually in Georgia. We’ll have them mail it to you in weeks.”
The certificate was in Georgia but it didn’t get mailed to her either. She finally found out there wasn’t enough postage paid and it was still there. In the mean time she had found some restaurant to work for but she couldn’t bake until she got the certificate so she planned a trip to Georgia. She didn’t know if she wanted to fly on a plane or drive.
Nadine decided this would be quick and she would fly there for a weekend, get her baking certificate, and leave. When this was done she went to her new job and enjoyed it. She never wanted to think about the poisoned man, Paul, again.
“Nadine you have a phone call.” She looked up from the trey of soup she was putting together then went to the bar to pick up the phone.
“Hello.”
“Nadine, this is Ms. Creysen. I want to see you and do a follow up on how you doing on you first job.”
“Great, I’m good. Nothing too challenging yet. I’ve got my cookbook and it’s working well. I think I have talent. What is your first name?”
“It’s Shelly. I need to tell you that Paul wants to sue you. He wants you to pay for his hospitalization. I’m calling you to tell you because I don’t want you to find out from him. I’m sure you’ll be getting his threat in the mail. Me and your past lawyer will be defending you again. We can get you out of this one. If worst comes to worst you may lose your job and the hospitalization cost was five thousand dollars. Maybe I’ll see you again. Will you call me at my office if you need me?”
“Yes I will.” Nadine hung up and went back to her job. When three days past just as Shelly said a legal notice came in the mail and said she had to go to court for the five thousand dollars.
The court hearing was short and the judge was fair. She didn’t have to pay the money but there would be someone to come and watch her work and check the place out to make sure she was doing everything right. The only questions she was asked were, “Did you poison Paul Hal on purpose?”
“No, it was an accident I swear. I trusted the school to have fresh food and they didn’t.”
“Can you pay the five thousand?”
“No not ever.”
“Then you don’t have to. We’ll help Paul get insurance to help pay then send someone over to evaluate your work.” It was a deal and Nadine couldn’t wait to get back to her baking. At that time Paul was out of her life for good. She went back to work smiling.
Nadine was back the next day. When she went to her kitchen to start baking she saw a man standing there watching her holding a big white notebook. “Hi,” he said. “I’m here to see Nadine.”
“I’m Nadine.”
“I’m going to watch you but I’m sure everything’s fine then I’ll report that back to your officer so that we can ok your work.” She went to her work.
At the end of the week she received his notice in the mail. He had checked off all kinds of complaints about her like not washing her cooking board before cutting something new. At the end it stated her penalty was not to pay a fine but to go back to a baking/cooking school. She could go for free and this was a different school in another state. It was in North Dakota. She didn’t want to go but was ready. Nadine called the school and let them know she was coming. In a way she was a little glad to be out of that area.
She packed and in a week she had temporarily moved to North Dakota to take a brush up class that would last a few months. While in class one day a