Lemon-Lime, Chocolate, and Rivalry
My preference is not for fiery candy. Red Devils. Sassafras. Too spicy for me. I like my candy sweet and chewy with a high biting flavour, mint, or black licorice.
But my forever favourite is chocolate.
How old were you when you first tasted chocolate?
Well, I can’t even remember, that's how young I was.
There must have been chocolate layer cakes in our house. My mom in her late eighties still baked a few of them each year.
I remember hot chocolate in a cup and saucer. Mom and I keeping our shirts on, holding our horses, waiting and waiting, for Janie to finish her ballet class.
Sometimes, I ordered a lemon-lime.
What even is a lemon-lime?
All I know is it came in a tall glass with a straw. Liquid lime-green sweetness with a tang.
Suze and Marcy won a stuffed toy at the Exhibition in Toronto and gave it to me. I loved the colour of the drink so much, I named the dog Lemon-Lime the Poodle. My memory is hazy, but he must have been green. Or possibly yellow. Or maybe I just loved him that much.
Janie took classes in the basement of the plaza underneath the restaurant where Mom and I waited. She wore pink tights, a black leotard with cap sleeves, and black ballet shoes with elastic over her foot. I did not covet her ballet outfit. Her hair was short; a pixie cut I recall hearing it described as. Suze and Marcy also had pixie cuts when they were younger. But not me. My hair was blonde, and Mom dragged it into pigtails over my ears; bunches, she called them.
Back to the chocolate. Specifically hot chocolate. With whipped cream, in a cup and saucer, with a spoon. Every week, I sat with Mom in a booth in the restaurant waiting for Janie’s ballet lesson to end. I didn't envy her. She wasn't getting hot chocolate or lemon-lime like me.
I hope you enjoyed this passage from my in-progress book, Big LoveLet me know if it raised any thoughts or memories for you, I’d love to hear about them. I send out a new piece every Sunday.
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