Smokers, who doubt or con or pro,
And ye who dare to drink, take heed!
And see in smoke a friendly foe,--
A slave is each man to the weed.
BRANDER MATTHEWS.
... Read more of ENVOI. at Give Up.ca
in a Mediterranian country that I've always wanted to visit, and I noticed that something was being thrown from a high stone tower to townspeople below, something that looked like candy, and I was very excited.
I made my boyfriend turn around, and by the time that we reached the tower, everyone was gone.
The stairwell leading up the tower was open, so
we ran up the tower to see if anyone was still up there, and also, to see if there was any candy left.
There was an angry man who looked to be in his early twenties, in ironed jeans and a cable sweater,
at the top of the tower, standing by an large, empty metal basin.
I asked him if there was a piece of candy left over, as I'd read about the town's yearly ritual as a small child and had always wanted to taste a piece.
He looked us up and down, spat, and told us that the candy, if there were any, was meant only for the townspeople, and not for the mouths of infidels like ourselves. He went on to say that the tradition is a sacred tradition dating back over one thousand years, and that the recipe is a secret, and that he
was shocked we'd even be so bold as to defile him
with our presence.
I began to cry, as I knew I'd never be able to taste
the candy, and had come so close.
And old woman came into the room from behind
a curtained partition, and asked what the meaning
of the crying was. The man told her that "the infidels came begging for candy, and that he had
put them in their rightful place".
The woman was furious, and told him that he was
a naughty animal, and had acted shamefully. She
went back into the curtained off area, and returned with a large bag full of honey taffy, apologising for
the man, and saying that she had been entrusted with the recipe, and thus, was free to distribute the candy as she saw fit.
I explained that I had only wanted a small taste,
but she insisted that we keep the whole thing,
and gave us a blessing for our health.
My boyfriend and I left the tower, and each had one piece of candy. We gave the rest to people we saw working in the fields, who were too busy to
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