When I was a little girl. I loved otter pops. They made me happy.
Especially the little otters on the outside.
It is a warm memory.... like strawberry shortcake and rainbow brite.
One of those memories that makes the smell burst into your nose and the taste tingle on the tip of your tongue.
Usually these thoughts and memories are buried down...deep deep. In your childhood place.
With the skinned knees and summer camp memories....Usually...until you see it again as an adult. And then the memory rushes on you so fast it roses your cheeks.
It is Spring, and in California we're talking 75 degree warm days.
Tank top days
Sandal days
Ice pop days....
I crouched low in the store, reaching waaaaaaaaaaay into the back of the shelf.
There was one box of "tropical" ice pops. These were cheap enough for me to buy a ton, but still nummy.
I reached. "Mutherfuck..." I muttered under my breath. I could almost reach it, but not quite.
I drop to my knees and leaned in. My head slid under the shelf above me. I'm ganna get that fuckin box.
Out of the corner of my eye I see colors. Stripey happy colors. "OTTERPOOOOOOOOOOOOOOPS!!!!!" I squeal. A big honken box too! I slide it to my chest and back out of the shelf.
I am sitting on the floor of walmart. At least three people stand around me. I look up.
My hair is mussed from my "hunt" and I am sure my eyes were crazy. I was hopped up on childhood memories.
"Remember theeeeeeeeeese?!!!" I laugh and hug the box to my chest.
One ladies nose was wrinkled as she stared at me on the floor.
Another lady smirked and walked by .....FAST!
I look at the last person standing. His eyes were lit with the same crazy light as mine were.
In his left eyebrow a silver spike hung so low it nearly pierced his eyeball. He wore lip liner and pink keds.
"Ohmygawwwwwwwwd!!!" he giggled.
I lifted my treasure like the holy grail and smiled at him. All that was missing was a light from above.
"Ohhhhhhhhmygodtheseweresogood huh huh!!" I got off of the floor and dusted off my ass. He held the box gently while I did so.
"They sooo were. I loved sucking these back after school!!" A grin split his face, and he passed the box back to me.
He was thin and tall and on his wrist he sported some ink. It looked recent. He smiles and bends down to look under the shelf. "Any more otter pops?"
"Uh huh..." I mumble and motion with my hand toward the shelf. I look down at my shiny stripey box of childhood goodness.
In my hands....Childhood bliss. I ran home... I was ready to rub my fingers across the faces of Poncho, Louie and my personal favorite Kook!
I ripped open the box. SO impatient I was to see the otters.... And there. Shining at me in liquid splendor was.....NO OTTERS! No faces!!!
I pulled out a wobbly strip and held them to the sun.
"WELL MUTHAFUCK ME!"
"what?" Toph turns
"Goddamn it!! There's no otters!!! ON the otterpops!!!" I laugh wildly and plop on the floor.
"I'm sorry..." He so doesn't understand my and Mattheus happiness over these stupid otters.
"where are the otters???? where?"
"Oh....well.... These are huge! That's why. They are bigger." He held up a floppy sack of liquid with a smile on his face.
I groan.
"I don't care if they were baby peepee size....as long as the mufu otters were there."
I pout.... for a second. It is just not fun to pout for any length of time.
"My wife is twenty eight years old and she is sitting on the floor pouting over ice pops." Tophey says this to the sky, Like he is in conspiracy with the Lord.
I glare at him. "You don't understand."
He chuckles. "course I do."
"Nuh uh...coz you're old." I smile.
He rolls his eyes at me and walks away.
Poor mattheu... I sigh. due to my excessive over imagination I cannot help but think of him curled in a corner of his home...Shaking and bemoaning the fact that the otters ditched us! Twitching in his pink keds.....
