Last year my paternal great-grandmother turned 99-years-old on May 20, I called to wish her a happy birthday and she thanked me, she then asked “Where my cake?”
I responded, “What cake Mudear?”
She responded back firmly, “You said you were gone make me a coconut cake.”
I knew I didn’t tell her that, but at her age, with a touch of dementia I went along.
“Okay Mudear, when you come down in July, I’ll have you a coconut cake.”
In that deep southern voice that I loved so much she said, “Okay baby, thank ya.”
Sure enough when she made her yearly summer trip from Rochester, New York down south for the Pace Family Reunion I had her coconut cake.
The day before I searched Kroger and Publix looking for a coconut cake, to no avail. I even called the bakery who I’d hired to make two hundred cupcakes for my upcoming wedding. I thought surely if she can do that in three different flavors she had coconut cakes, but she didn’t.
Finally I decided to bake the cake myself, I’m not much of a baker, but if Mudear wanted a coconut cake, she was going to get one. After all she’s 99-years-old and she deserves to have whatever she likes.
I bought my ingredients, a bag of shredded coconut, vanilla icing, yellow cake mix and fresh strawberries to garnish.
As I prepared, I thought of all the times she must have cooked and baked for my grandma, daddy and even me, I felt extra proud.
I finished my cake and the next day I took it to her hotel room. She sat on the edge of the bed and my cousins, aunts and my then fiancé sang happy birthday to her.
Let me preface this by saying my great-grandma was one of the nicest women I met, however she spoke exactly what was on her mind.
She looked at the cake,
“It sho is pretty, I wonder what it taste like.”
(Funny thing is I thought the same thing.)
My great Aunt Thelma took a knife and cut Mudear a piece of cake. Mudear took a bite…then she spit it out.
“What is this? Paper,” she asked.
It was hilarious; my whole family couldn’t stop laughing.
Finally, through laughter Aunt Thelma said to Mudear.
“You asked Shaka for a coconut cake and now you don’t want it.”
Mudear replied, “I sho appreciate it, but I don’t like it.”
As I type, I’m laughing through tears.
Sadly that was the first and last cake I made for her, she passed away this morning. My entire family was looking forward to celebrating her 100th this year. I planned to ask her what kind of cake she wanted. However God had other plans, I thank Him for leaving her here as long as he did. A lot of people never get to know their grandmother let alone great-grandmother, but for my cousins and I we were truly blessed. She will always be in our hearts.
Above is Lisa, Rachetau, Marquise Jr., Charlotte, Myself and of course Mudear and the coconut cake!
This piece is dedicated to Matilda Pace and the loving funny memories she left with us all.
Pieces of Cobb 