In her mouth, the lemon slice tasted sweet and never sour. While the other children squealed and made frowns, she sat in her seat smiling.
While everyone thought she was odd, she decided they were the odd ones.
Later, losing the sour taste gave her the advantage over others who tore into the sugar packets three or more at a time. She never reached for the sugar and drank her tea with a slice of lemon.
When an ounce of sugar became an ultra-luxury, she continued to drink her tea without it. And she never made a face when it was bitter.
The others longed for the sugar, fought for it, and died over it. She hurried past the desperate people who dived for the sugar bowl like it contained gold.
She never missed it and instead spent her money on lemons, which made her happier anyway.
© 2018 – 2019, Michael Shawn Sommermeyer. All rights reserved.
