Lazy L Farm
Quanah, TX
June 2007
Jack took a handful of pistachio nuts and passed the bowl to Ennis, who absent-mindedly shelled them and popped them into his mouth. He looked down at the bowl and then smiled at Jack. “Remember when pistachios used ta be red?”
“Sure do. That was the only way ya could buy em.”
“What happened to em? They’re all just plain now.”
Jack shrugged. “Who knows? Mebbe they decided the red dye would give ya cancer or somethin’. Or mebbe people were allergic.”
“So much worryin’ ‘bout fuckin’ food. Didn’t used to be like that in the old days. Just ate what was given to ya.”
Jack chuckled. “Remember those red hot dogs up in Maine? The one’s Jenny called ‘cancer causin’ franks’?”
Ennis looked puzzled for a minute, then recognition broke across his face. “Oh yeah, those were the weirdest fuckin’ hot dogs I ever did see. Tasted regular but they were as red as…as red as…” Ennis paused, trying to think of something that was equally as red.
“As red as pistachios used ta be?” Jack prompted.
Ennis chuckled. “Yeah, mebbe that’s it. Whatever happened ta red food, anyway?”
“Are we talkin’ in circles, En?”
“I think we are. Ya want some more nuts?”
“You know the kind a nuts I like,” said Jack with a wink.
(225 words)
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