I had a slice of cake last night. A small slice (not what you see in the pic!).
It was a very special cake.
The soft and buttery Japanese cheesecake from @danielpatissier which was even more soft and buttery last night, but that’s not what was special about it.
‘This is to celebrate her first salary,’ said Erika proudly with her daughter Gia smiling by her side when we opened the door last night. I sang ‘happy first salary to you,’ and K joined me.
This is G’s second job as an intern while at college but this time with a flavour of office life as it’s post lockdown. And with a stipend.
Such cakes are special. I remember our cousin Riju getting us lovely cakes when he got his first salary and was staying with us for the few months that he was in Mumbai. That was special too. ‘Ma said that I must get cakes for you guys and take your blessings.’
I am trying to remember what I did with my first salary. I did get a stipend with my summer project at Balsara and remember getting things back from Mumbai for everyone as I’d come here to present findings. I’d worked for a few weeks as a trainee sub ed in Asian Age after college and before B school. When I joined my first ‘proper job’ at IMRB, Calcutta, possibly in June 25 years back, I’d taken the family for lunch at Princess at New Market.
I remember sharing an auto back with Biswaranjan Jethu, our neighbour, one day on my way back from the metro a few days after I started work. He said, ‘when you get your first salary give the money to your mother. I used to take my earnings when I started working and give it to my mother and would be happy with what she gave me for haath khorcha.’ I bought him a pack of India Kings with my first salary. That’s what he wanted. I recently learnt that he’s had a stroke. Hard to think of someone so full of life being so battered by life. I must visit him when I go to Kolkata next. I did visit him the last time when I went to our apartment but our stays are often at hotels and I go to visit my grandma and don’t go to our apartment as it’s closed when my mother is out of town.
Here’s to many more salary, bonus, increment and promotion treats Gia.
#firstsalary
