The Custard Powder

The Second World War is in full swing and food is in scarce supply. A British family are struggling to get by, and so write to their American uncle, asking for a little helping hand. No problem, he writes back, and thereafter, every few weeks a food parcel arrives at their door. There's plenty of good food to help them get by in this parcel, but the special favourite among the kids is the small tin full of custard powder that their uncle always makes sure to include. It's delicious stuff, and hard to find in wartime, and every time a parcel arrives the children are thrilled to know that they'll be having custard for desert that night.

The mother writes back to the uncle thanking him, and telling him how much the children love the custard powder. It's two weeks before the reply arrives, and when it does it's in the form of a small, ordinary-looking box. She opens it up to discover that it's full of a whitish powder--custard powder, she guesses, although the box isn't labelled. The uncle must have received her letter saying how much the children loved the stuff and decided to send an extra box as a special treat between food parcels.

That night she cooks up the custard as usual, but it smells bad. It's the wrong colour too, and when she presents it to the children they barely manage a few spoonfuls before they push their plates away. Maybe it went bad in transit somehow, she thinks. Sadly, she throws the rest of the spoiled powder away.

Two days later she receives a letter. With it is an explanatory note from the post office. It was supposed to be delivered to her along with the parcel she received a few days back, but it got separated in handling. Puzzled, she opens the envelope and starts to read.

It turns out that her uncle has died of a heart attack. As per his wishes, he was cremated and his remains shipped back to his relatives in England. The parcel, explains the letter, contained the old man's ashes.