First cheese cake without maid

Since my maid left in Jan 2008 I have not engaged a maid. Neither have I made any cheese cake. The task seems really daunting with all the washing up (even though I am really talking about a very very basic cheese cake, i.e. no baking and just using biscuits as a base). So when my husband felt like eating he did it himself with my constant cautioning that I will not help.

OK yesterday I made one despite being quite drained after school, as a substitute for a birthday gift for my husband (haha did not make any effort to get something). When I was cutting the peaches into bits, I suddenly missed my maid. See, when she was around she would prepare all the ingredients, bring down the mixer from the top most shelve of the cabinet, clean it etc etc.(which can be really time consuming). When everything was laid out properly, I would then descend like a principal chef with my recipe note book and carry out the processes in as efficient a manner as possible before leaving the war torn kitchen to be cleared up by the maid of course. You can understand how easy it was for me to make cheese cake then.

But hey why I missed my maid yesterday was something more. On her last birthday in Singapore before going home she requested me to make one for her so that she could share with her friends on her off day. I obliged because it was no great pain right. Yesterday checking on the cake which was left in the fridge to form and admiring its "perfection" my thoughts was like "if only she was here to taste it". She was my greatest fan for cheese cake.

I never really liked my maid because she was often making hordes of silly excuses and testing my intelligence in believing her. But we lived together for about 16 years! My son often complained that she competed with him for the better chocolates,cookies and cakes and never touched stuff of lesser quality. Come to think of it her animosity with my son over good chocolates must have been quite bad because when she calls to say hello she never enquires much about him (haha). That's the thing. Since she left she called quite often, sent good wishes during festive seasons and even on our national day and said how much she missesd us. She called to enquire about my daughter guessing that she would be back for summer holiday. My son thinks she is trying to make a come back. But no that is not it, she is doing well renting out a van which she bought with her savings.I really think she misses the life in Singapore, the food, shopping and socialising on her days off. Most of all I think she is still struggling to adapt to a new lifestyle. Just thought with a tinge of forlorn how my decision to change my own lifestyle impacted hers.Yes I have resigned from my job for almost a year and a half now. There are still moments when I muse over the what ifs. Only my counselling training checks my feelings.

Hmmm... about the cheese cake, I actually wanted to sms her " Hey I make cheese cake today, how i wish you are here to taste it!". I did not.