Ackru/cover by Jadi

THE CHOCOLATE EFFECT

By Joy Bassetti Kruger

A mystery, as well as a love story with a touch of fantasy.

When Edward visits the chocolate factory in Philipolis, the manager offers him some coffee foandant cream chocolates to eat while they are having their coffee.

But on the way back to his car when he has to walk across an open field, he sees an old fashioned country fair taking place, with all its stall, merigorounds, swings and evan an elephant doing tricks. He can't understand this, becuuse when he first walked across the field there was nothing there, but tall thatch grass blowing in the wind.

Then because he is feeling amazed at what he saw or thinks he saw, he goes into a coffee and orders a coffee and something to eat. He then asks the waitress if a fair has ever taken place in the open field, but she shakes her head, before directing him to look at four old sepia photographs hanging on the wall.

Edward stares at the photographs and then puts on his glasses to read the photographers name and to his amazement it is Edward P. Gallow, which is his name. He remarks on this to the waitress, who tells him that he had better read the local newspaper and also pay the local lawer a visit, because relatives of of Edward P. Gallow have been asked to come forward to claim from his estate.

Feeling curious, Edward visits the lawyer, who tells him he is the spitting image of Edward. They discuss the matter further and once the younger Edward has answered some questions and they have established that he is in fact Edward Senior's illigitimate son, the lawyer suggests that he confirms this with his eighty year old mother.

Edward's mother tells him she is glad he has discovered the truth.

The change that comes over Edward is astonishing, now that he has inherited the chocolate factory along with other property, but he does still wonder what was in the chocolates that caused him to see the fair. That is until his mother mentions that the day her affair began, she and Edward senior visited a fair and also at some coffee fondant creams. 

He imagines he sees a fair taking place on the open field he receintly walked across, so he goes into the coffee shop to think about this. He also asks the waitress if a fair has ever taken place there and she directs him to four very old sepia photos up on the wall.

Later at age forty something, Edward falls in love for the first time and he plans to take his sweetheart to visit Philipolis, hoping that she too might see the fair, -once she has eaten some coffee fondant creams.