As always, The See’s Candy arrived just in time for her birthday. Her friend of over forty years never seemed to forget how much she loved the “nuts and chews”. Sitting at her kitchen table, she opened the brown cardboard shipping package and found the one-pound box wrapped in white paper. Reaching for the table knife she slit the paper and unwrapped her treasure. The familiar box was embossed with the traditional picture of Mrs. See’s on the lower right-hand corner, the nostalgic farm house on the upper left, and the black and gold lettering that announced: “See’s Famous Old Time Candies” in the middle. Opening the box, she took the pamphlets and top bubble wrap out and stared at all the lovely chocolates. Each distinctive piece was sitting in its own wrinkly cup and the rich deep delicious chocolate aroma filled the air.
Her mouth started to water and all she could think of was which to sample first? If her friend were here, there would be no question about which she would choose. There was an unwritten rule between them that the dark chocolates with honeycomb were the first ones to share. Then, as they talked about their families and caught up on life events, they both would pick and choose, rummaging initially through all the dark morsels and then on to the milk chocolates. With a cup of tea or two some pleasurable memories would pour out while the chocolates were nonchalantly passed back and forth.
All too soon the darks would be gone. A remark would be made that maybe its time to put the box away. They would look impishly at each other and then in unison they would say: “Not!” One of them would take a milk chocolate caramel for herself while passing the box back towards her friend. The gab session would continue with loving gestures and lots of laughter, and one by one the milk chocolate nuts and chews would disappear.
Oh, how she missed those days and how she missed her friend. She thought about their lives and how much their friendship meant to both of them. From their adolescent years they shared all their life transitions together. Bad boyfriends, good boyfriends, careers, marriages, birthing babies, divorce, the joys of receiving grandchildren, and the grieving of family and friends’ deaths.
Biting into one if the milk chocolates she thought, maybe it’s time for a new tradition. She dialed her friend’s phone number. Smiling, she heard the familiar, “Hello! I got the box you sent too!” and so they began to reminisce once more.