How naive can a person be? I was in my early twenties living in Goose Bay. One of my friends was a sergeant in the US Air Force. I’ll call him Sergeant Ralph. Two or three years earlier he had fallen in love with a Mexican lady, got married and now was stationed in Goose Bay with their two year old son.
This was a tough assignment for them. The winters in Goose Bay were somewhat more harsh than they had had at home in the sunny south. I remember the first day we were invited into their home. As we entered their kitchen, their two year old son was sitting on the floor. Between his legs was a one gallon jar of jalapeno peppers. He was reaching in to the huge bottle and eating them one by one and two by two like candy.
We were introduced and youngster reached into the bottle, grabbed a pepper and held it up for me to take. Not knowing what I was doing! Like a fool, I grabbed the pepper and popped it in my mouth.
Seconds later, I recall running to their sink, turning on the water at full stream and placing my mouth under the spout. I was in agony, I was a pepper virgin and I’d been deflowered by a two year old’s mouth grenade.
I now have great respect for peppers and small Hispanic boys with mischief in their eyes.