Robin took up a forkful and took a bite of Earl’s Fireball
Chili-Mac. Her first impression was This is a good chili-mac! Though in the
next instant something started to happen. Warmth. She moved the bite about her
mouth a bit, getting a better feel. It wasn't just warmth, but heat. Not just any heat –
then it hit her like a freight train.
An mmph! came out, and Abigail looked up
from her root beer float, smiling a little. Then she saw Robin’s expression, and
the corners of her mouth dropped.
“My
goodness child, what is it?” But at this point, Robin couldn’t hear her. Her
taste buds, her mouth, her very existence screamed one thing – FIRE!! Grabbing Abigail’s cup of water, she began
chugging it, spluttering as she went.
“Oh, it
can’t be worth that much fussing!”
The look on Robin’s now sweaty face said otherwise. Curiously, hesitantly,
Abigail took up her own fork. Robin’s eyes went like saucers now. She had
finished the water, but was still trying to find her voice.
Shaking her
head frantically, she waved her hands, trying to get Abigail’s attention.
Seeing this, Abigail let out an exasperated sigh.
“Now
really, it can’t be that bad!” Robin was nodding a yes it could, but Abigail had already taken up a forkful. She took
the generous bite whole.
Abigail looked up to Robin’s face as she took her first
bite. Robin stared back, hopelessly. The first wave hit her.
“Oh! Well,
it looks like Earl decided to change up the recipe! I never-” then the second
wave hit her, stronger this time. “Oh! Well I say! I haven’t-” Sweat began to
issue forth from her pores, en masse.
A hiccup
issued forth from Robin. Abigail laughed before a hic sounded from her. Now it was Robin’s turn to really laugh. And
so the two sat there, laughing and hiccuping breathlessly, tears streaming
down their faces.
“I guess-”
was all Abigail managed before another hiccup asserted itself. “-guess misery –
hic – misery loves company!” The
twosome continued to hiccup through their redoubled laughter.
At this
point Peggy made her way up to the table.
“Everything
tastin’ all right for you two?” this caused squeals of laughter from both of
them, shaking their heads ‘no’. Bewildered, Peggy looked from one to the other.
“Well what on earth is the matter?” Abigail was the first to attempt an answer
through laughter.
"The ch- hic, the- hic chili is- hic a
little- hic a little- hic- ” At this point she was laughing
too hard to be comprehensible. Robin tried for them again.
“She’s
saying the ch- hic the chili - hic is too- hic the chili’s-” Abigail was laughing even harder now, and Robin
burst out laughing herself.
The
waitress stared in wonder at the two hiccupping women in hysterics. The rest of
the customers weren’t even pretending to be disinterested at this point.
Determined to get to the bottom of the matter, Peggy spoke.
“For
heaven’s sake! What in the world could-” seeing the two bowls, she grabbed a
spoon from a nearby table, and took a bite from Abigail’s bowl. This prompted
another squeal of laughter from the women, followed by more hiccupping.
Peggy was
chewing at this point, but they hardly noticed. She sighed as she chewed.
“I honestly
don’t see what’s-” Now boarding the
Fireball Express, please be sure your luggage is stored in the proper
compartments, and hold on for the ride! Her mouth dropped open, and she
fanned herself a little.
“Well it
must’ve been a while since I last had this one. But it’s not-” The next wave
swelled. “I mean goodness! It’s got quite a kick!” This only encouraged the
laughter from the two women, old and young.
Peggy opened her mouth to say
something else, but the next wave of heat hit her at that point, and she stood
there in silence, mouth agape, fanning herself. Seeing her expression sent the
twosome into a redoubled fit of laughter. Not knowing what else to do, the waitress
hurried back into the kitchen.
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