The Crab Cake Wedding Incident is a light, witty tale that uses a small mishap to explore themes of luck, perspective, and the hidden kindness of chaos. It celebrates the moments when life corrects us gently—sometimes through the innocent appetite of a child.
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Crab Cake Wedding Incident
Short Story by Harry Arabian
My niece’s wedding was one of those bright, buoyant days where the joy in the room felt almost fizzy—champagne in the air. The music was lively, the chatter warm, and the buffet table sat along the back wall like a proud, overworked soldier trying to keep up with a hungry regiment.
By the time I reached it, after waiting for the line to shrink from “theme park ride” to “merely ambitious,” most of the serving trays were scraped bare. Every dish—chicken, pasta, salad—had been demolished by the enthusiastic crowd. Only one lonely crab cake remained, perfectly round and golden, as if posing for its final portrait. After that long wait, I wasn’t picky. I set my plate down on the table, scooped up the last crab cake, and was just about to find a roll for some extra carbs before hitting the dance floor.
I turned my back for maybe twenty seconds. Thirty, tops. But when I came back, the crab cake was… gone.
Vanished. Absconded. Evaporated.
I blinked at the empty spot where it had sat moments before. Then I noticed a ten-year-old boy beside me, nibbling with the delighted focus of someone who had discovered treasure.
He froze mid-bite when he saw me staring.
“That was yours?” he asked, crumbs on his lips.
I looked at the crab cake, now half-moon shaped between his small fingers, and did the only sensible thing. I thanked him.
“Kid,” I said, “you just saved my life.”
Literally. In the festive haze of the wedding celebration, music thumping, families laughing, I had completely forgotten that I’m allergic to crab. One bite and I would’ve spent the evening not on the dance floor, but in the emergency room—probably still in my tie.
He shrugged, swallowed, and said, “It was good.”
I grabbed a bread roll instead—plain, safe, carb-heavy—and headed back to my seat with a lesson learned and a story to tell.
Some weddings give you romance, others give you memories. This one gave me a tiny hero with a big appetite and impeccable timing.
Short Summary
ReplyDeleteAt his niece’s wedding, the narrator waits a long time at the buffet table, only to find nearly all the food gone except for a single remaining crab cake. Forgetting he is allergic to crab, he picks it up but briefly leaves his plate to grab a roll. When he returns, a ten-year-old boy is happily eating the crab cake. Instead of being upset, the narrator thanks the child—realizing the boy unknowingly saved him from a dangerous allergic reaction. The moment becomes a humorous reminder that small annoyances can sometimes protect us in unexpected ways.
Discussion Questions
How does the narrator’s reaction to the child eating the crab cake reflect his personality or values?
What role does irony play in turning a minor disappointment into a stroke of luck?
How might this story change if the narrator had remembered his allergy before picking up the crab cake?
What does the incident suggest about finding meaning—or even humor—in life’s small inconveniences?