Early morning and the smell of fresh bread

Posts : 644 Join date : 2012-04-26 Age : 36

As usual, Goldilocks got up early, without an alarmclock's help. He had done so for some years now, and his body was accustomed to the schedule around his work. The fresh dough had been waiting overnight, now he only needed to roll the dough into baguettes and buns and bake them in the oven.

Goldilocks got up swiftly, went to wash his face, ate an apple for breakfast, then heading downstairs to his bakery. Oven was large and needed a lot of firewood in a day. Opening the oven door, Goldilocks gazed in, noticing that some embers were still alive inside the oven. He tossed a few pieces of firewood inside, waited the fire to get bigger, then adding more wood, until the oven was getting hotter.

He looked around the bakery side of the shop, deciding about the amount of baguettes and rolls, buns ... and maybe some filled croissants? Yeah, they would be lovely. Goldie got into his work, soon having a nice amount of bread and other treats ready to get baked in the oven.

He slided the first batch to the oven with a massive peel, then dusting some flour off his body. It was about time to open the shop - it was earlier than usual, but the bread would be ready soon, and his customers liked their bread fresh from the oven. Slowly, Goldilocks walked to the shop-side of the bakery, seeing that everything was in order. Sooner or later he would have to get someone to help around the place, he noticed. Goldilocks turned the sign on the door to show the shop was open and then unlocked the front door.

Subject: Re: Early morning and the smell of fresh bread Sun Jul 29, 2012 1:58 am

A very young mare, meandering in the early hours of the morning and accomplishing nothing in particular, paused then before the humble facade of Goldilocks's bakery. The scent of breads, baked golden in his care, tasted the damp air without before indulging her in its splendor.

Humoresque Belladonna had always adored bread making. It was, to her, an artisanal practice; an incorruptible pleasure. How ideal was the life of the pony who worked each day by the oven and was forever content...

So taking were these fundamental delights that, when the door was unbolted and business was to begin, Humoresque eagerly found her way in. Of course, It did not occur to her that the silence may have preferred itself to fade gradually and peacefully, nor did she consider that the baker perhaps had not intended to receive her quite so soon.

"Lovely morning," greeted she in her peculiar subdued manner. She passed the shelves which were to be filled by evening with wonderful treats, and was apparently unable to look directly upon the stallion as she did so. In fact, it seemed as though she were only conscious of her immediate senses -- that she was warm and immersed among inviting smells.

Posts : 644 Join date : 2012-04-26 Age : 36

"Oh, good morning, there." Goldilocks replied as he was wiping the counter with a moist piece of rag. "I'm afraid the bread is not ready yet, but the first batch is coming out the oven, soon." He opened his cash register, an old - almost antique - piece of mechanics, that was chromed and chinkling; counting the spare bits he had Goldilocks made a mental note to buy some new ingredients sometime.

Of course, the essentials came to his bakery every week, whatever was needed for the basics. Some herbs he got from the garden, which was on the backside of the house, but some vegetables were needed if he wanted to make fillings for croissants of muffins. Goldilocks' inner clock tingled and he raised his head from the counting.

"Excuse me, miss." he then said to the pony waiting, "It seems that the bread is ready to come out from the oven." he took a small basket of cinnamon biscuits on the counter. "Help yourself with a sample biscuit, while I get the bread out."
He then went to the back, reminding himself to put a notice on the window about hiring somepony to help around the shop.

Subject: Re: Early morning and the smell of fresh bread Mon Jul 30, 2012 1:23 am

Humoresque replied to the stallion with a glassy smile. She hadn't thought to carry money -- never did she on her morning strolls -- and it was clear. In truth, the intention of the store to elicit purchases had eluded her mind entirely.

And perhaps self-actualization, then, voided her of regard. "Oh! I'm sorry." she piped up. "I didn't mean to waste your time. I'm just exploring -- browsing, really."

She giggled in spite of herself, turning a biscuit over in her grasp. Enamored with this bread, she spoke again without pausing to notice that he no longer stood before her.

"How did you learn to bake such pretty things, Mister?" She inquired almost dreamily. She noted of the cinnamon scent. its pleasantly sweetness and simplistic nature. If only all life could resemble this biscuit, lamented the mare. Yes, a universe of transparency; governed by unadulterated gratification and purity. Presently, Humoresque was lost in these unusual reflections.

Posts : 644 Join date : 2012-04-26 Age : 36

Goldilocks heard the mare apologising for not actually wanting to buy any bread. He shrugged a little, then taking the peel and helping the freshly baked bread out of the oven. As usual, they were quite just right; golden and crispy looking from the outside, soft and warm in the inside. He placed the sheet of bread on a working table, then putting another sheet full of raw rolls in the oven.

Using mittens, he moved the golden loaves on a large basket and then took the basket to the shop side of the bakery, where the young pony was waiting. She seemed fascinated of the sample biscuits, though they were Goldilocks' most simple creations. "Pretty things, eh?" he asked, when placing the basket full of fresh bread nearby the door to attract early customers.
Leaning on a shelf, pondering the question hard he was quiet for a moment, then piping up, "I'd say that I learned by making errors first."
He assembled the breads a little better in their basket, then taking a tiny blackboard and writing down the price of the bread on it with a tiny piece of chalk. The bread was priced fair - so far no one had complained about it.

The breads which slid out of the oven renewed the store with crisp smells. She acknowledged these with the attention of her pupils; which, in the process of concerning themselves, averted subconsciously from that of her counterpart. So readily did the mare's eyes disengage.

To his words, she nodded, chuckling. Had he chosen them differently, she likely would have found humor anyway. "Errors, sure! So valuable to experience, so seldom embraced, dontcha' think? Oh, and you're so talented." She emphatically brandished the biscuit, still yet untasted, as she made her conversational gestures. "My father would say it all the time," she began, preparing shamelessly to impersonate her father, "'Our creations are reflections of ourselves.' See, see? Their color, perfectly golden -- like your mane!" Not even after her monologue had she considered that she was simply bothering the stallion.

However, she did think to take note of the prices written in chalk. Reasonable were they indeed! She concluded that her caretaker, Pavane, would surely be as eager as she had been to visit this bakery by request, and with money. Yes, he always seemed to take immediate interest in the things that she loved.

Posts : 644 Join date : 2012-04-26 Age : 36

Goldilocks might have seemed that he did not listen, though his ears were perked for any word the filly uttered between her lips. Goldilocks had learned that it was not always bad to remain silent and listen. He, himself had nothing to say to anything that the filly said, not even to the praise she exclaimed. The baker was not being rude, at least not on purpose, it was just the fact that he baked good stuff, nutricious and delicious, and there was no need to boast about it.

He assembled more empty baskets on the shelves of the small shop, deciding how to arrange the baked treats in them. Rolls and baguettes would be here, croissants and small pies closer to the cash register, so he could just pack them in paper bags by the number customers asked them. Which reminded him, he'd need to get some grippers from the back, so he would not touch the merchandise with his hooves.

"I don't mind making errors." he then finally said, "They helped me to become as good as I am now. Excuse me for another minute."
He returned to the back to reach the grippers, also taking a sheet of cardboard and a pen. Stopping for a moment, he took some more pens, as he had a bad habit of drying them out, without even properly trying. Inner clock of Goldilocks told that the rolls needed another moment in the oven.

Subject: Re: Early morning and the smell of fresh bread Wed Aug 08, 2012 1:08 am

When he had gone again, she broke away from the counter; humming idly, wandering about the shop, surveying, pirouetting on occasion, absent by the doing of her mind. She had grown accustomed to this behavior after so many moons of voluntary seclusion.

The sample bread lay clenched between her teeth, but unbroken. Humoresque had resolved to deliver it to her friend Pavane upon her return. Then, as thoughts began to surface, she restored the item to her hoof.

Humoresque had seen him arrange his shop in a particular way, and could not help but ask in time, "Say Mister, what's it like to be you? -- A baker, that is." She peered past the far wall, self-assured that he whom she could not see was still in audible range. "I always fancied the idea of making treats and things. I'd make it a priority to learn; though, all things considered, I simply owe it to my caretaker not to complicate it all. He's already so lenient," followed what appeared to be more of a mild soliloquy than any sort of material for discussion.

Posts : 644 Join date : 2012-04-26 Age : 36

Goldilocks returned to the shop-side with the things he had picked up. He placed the grippers on their places, still empty baskets waiting for small pies and other goods. At this. he settled down at the counter with the cardboard and pens.
"What is it like to be a baker?" he asked, as he tried the first pen on the other side of the cardboard and finding it to be quite dry.

"Baker's life means early mornings, and heavy tasks, like carrying flour sacks." he said, testing another pen, which seemed to work a little better. Goldilocks flipped the cardboard and started to write on it, getting to the second letter, when the pen dried completely. "It ain't all smell of pies and buns all the time. Especially not on holidays. Like flowershop-keepers, a baker can't really take any time off, 'cause ponies need their luxuries."
He shrugged a little, taking the last pen, which was about the opposite colour of the prior one, then scribbling the sign ready.

The sign said, "HELP WANTED", with large letters, the first two being red and the rest being dark green. Goldie looked at it, not entirely satisfied, because of the shaky writing. Well, the sign would do for now - the most important thing was that it brought the message accross.
"Though, being a baker has its nice moments, too, of course. Otherwise I would not be one."

Subject: Re: Early morning and the smell of fresh bread Wed Aug 15, 2012 8:08 pm

Her eyes followed him this time; attentive to his hooves, though, and not his expression. Recalled to the counter in anticipation of an answer, the filly watched as he fumbled with so many pens, and chuckled aloud at the prospect of this being representative of his personality. Ultimately, he had not seemed to mind the process.

Indeed, Humoresque found him to be quite the subdued stallion. So contrasting was he to the dogged ambitions of her supervisor, remarked she while listening to his speech. He did not inquire, complain, or demand. He simply went about his day. She wondered if this was admirable. For sure, she had seen silly ponies before who aimed to bend the universe to their will. Instead, Goldielocks's presence was relieving.

...Curious it was, perhaps, that he could not be bothered to initiate any sort of reactive dialogue. Still, she was a naïve pony, void of doubt and criticism, and reasoned that there need not be silence. More curious was she to discover, after all.

"That's a pretty sign," she chirped merrily, seeing his diffident glances. "What kinda' help do you suppose you're looking for? I bet there's lots to be done around here."

Posts : 644 Join date : 2012-04-26 Age : 36

"I just need someone to run around the shop." Goldilocks replied, as he attached some sticky tape on the sign, "Someone around the shop-side, so I can run the baking side."
To prove his point, he suddenly perked up his head, noticing that the rolls were ready in the oven. "Excuse me for another minute", he said, sighing a little, as he went back to the back, taking the peel and getting the rolls from the hot oven, then moving some small pies in.

These rolls were not the same golden hue as the loaves of bread, but a little more brown, filled with wholegrain deliciousness. The rolls were rolled to a basket, which he brought to the front, to their own place.
"As you see, I am kind of running back and forth and some customers don't like it." he explained his need of help, then getting back on applying the tape on the sign.