The Long and Twisted Story about The Chocolate

So I've made two trips to the homeland this summer. The first recreational, the second for an urgent family matter.

During the first, I was looking for gifts to take home for the family, and so I picked up some local chocolate.  For my husband, the exotic Raw Dragon Chili Chai, and for the kidlets, the guaranteed pleasers of a solid milk chocolate for her, and a raspberry dark for him.

While preparing to return, I tucked the chocolate into the freezer, and wrote myself a note so I wouldn't forget to grab it. The morning of departure, I wrapped it in some fabric for insulation, and put it deep into my backpack, so it would make the trip without melting.

But my mother worried, and she wanted me to put it in her cooler instead, so I acquiesced and did so. The theory was that when I grabbed my sandwich from the cooler, I'd grab the chocolate, but of course I didn't. The chocolate did not make it home.

I told my  mom to find some one who appreciates fine chocolate to give it to, but she offered to save it and mail it when the weather cooled down.

Last week I traveled to Canuckistan to support my family in a stressful time. I checked in with my dad, asking if he knew where the chocolate was, so he could bring it with him when we met up at my sister's house.  He thought he'd know where to find it.

The day before he departed, I asked my sister to remind him about it. She noted, "I was just there, and I didn't see any chocolate lying around."  Then, "Wait, how many bars were there? I saw some chocolate in mom's meat drawer, and ate this really yummy raspberry/dark." I told her she'd just stolen chocolate from her nephew. She averred that it was very tasty.

The message I got from my dad through my sister was that he'd eaten the rest of the chocolate. I tried not to be too bummed about it, although I'd really wanted to try that chili chai, and it didn't seem like my dad's kind of flavour. All that talk of chocolate got me wishing I had some. My niece was about to run to the store, so I was going to give her a shopping list.

But then her chipper little seven year old daughter ran to the pantry and came out with a bar of chili dark. Turns out, my sister had accidentally bought it while buying dark, and hadn't eaten it because to her it was YUCK. I was so happy to have that bar! Craving satisfied!

It turned out to have been a miscommunication. My dad hadn't eaten the rest of my chocolate and he brought it to me. I managed to get it into my suitcase and get it home. I gifted the two remaining bars, and both were appreciated.  I bought a raspberry/dark for my son, told him the story, and handed it to him. He's an equal opportunity fan. He doesn't care about his origins. He was just happy to get it.