Crunch, Crunch

Sitting in the back of an Aerostar van

Vacationing in the Florida summer heat

My sister would pop open her cheedo bag

Her chosen snack for the long car ride.

Crunch, crunch

Lick, lick of her figure tips

Her sticky hands stained bright orange

Going back into the bag again.

I would hold my nose-

Crunch, crunch

Lick, lick

I try to hold my breath-

Crunch, lick, lick, crunch

Frantically trying to decide if breathing through the mouth was better than through the nose.

Crunch, lick

Twisting around and smashing my face

Against the two inch gap they called the window

Tasting a sliver of fresh air.

-Seriously-

The designer of the 1980’s Aerostar vans should have to spend eternity in the backseat.

.

-TO THIS DAY-

The smell of cheedos makes me gag.

.

Fast forward a few decades

Working at a farm store in the Midwest

I pull out the snack cart at the beginning of each shift

It wibbles and wobbles-

Normally clearing the door frame by 1/8”

But today I did not notice

A piece of cardboard sitting under the items on the top shelf.

The lip of the lid sliding under the door frame

Popping off the top of the pressurized can of cheese balls

Balls shooting straight up and bouncing down, ricochet off the wall

Coating everything in a layer of bright orange dust.

Balls rolling under doors and display carts and in between everything.

Sweeping and picking through boxes of snacks-

My figures stained-

The smell lingers in my hair all day.

I text my sister to tell her I am thinking of her today.