Shrove Tuesday
I wrote this earlier in the week and forgot to publish it.
"This week will be Shrove Tuesday, pancake day. This is the day where we use up what we have in the cupboards before lent" said the priest to his Sunday School class.
"What's lent?" asked a boy, fidgeting around.
"Two thousand years ago, Jesus went into the wilderness for 40 days and 40 nights. He didn't eat anything. He was tempted by the devil but he refused to give in. Nowadays we do the same with Lent and for 40 days and 40 nights we give up something like Jesus did" said the priest.
"I want to give up cabbage!" said the boy flapping about and all the children laughed.
"No it has to be something that's bad for you that you like."
"Yeah, cabbage!"
"If you really liked cabbage I don't think you'd want to give it up" said the man raising an eyebrow. "It's usually something like chocolate or snacks or fizzy drinks or something like that"
"Did Jesus give up chocolate?"
"He gave up everything, anyway chocolate didn't exist in his times. He fasted for our sins. It made him pure and helped him communicate with God."
"I want chocolate pancakes!" said the boy before the man could control the group.
All the other children were jumping about and getting excited.
"Calm down! We'll get to make pancakes later"
"No... I want pancakes now."
The group led by the boy sulked and made the sound that only disappointed children can make.
Moved by the bunch he gave in.
"OK, we'll do it in a moment but I've got to tell you the God bit before we make them. Traditionally we have this big feast of pancakes and then we have harder times for 40 days. It's a time to think about all the things you need God's help with."
"I want God to help me get Nutella pancakes!" the boy said laughing. The children began shouting and rioting at the man in front.
"Alright, alright. We'll make pancakes then."
With that, he was frogmarched to the cold church kitchen. He pulled the eggs, milk and flour out of a carrier bag. The kids stood on stools and he gave them each a task to do for making the mix while he heated a pan.
When they were done, he sent them outside to collect daffodils and blossom flowers because it was spring - a time of new life.
He hummed to himself while the pancakes gently hissed on the one-pan stove.
When the group came in, there was a pile of steaming pancakes covered in gluttonous Nutella chocolate spread.