Mama started working in the pastry shop half an hour from our small house in the country, not far from my little elementary school.  Mama told me to go there with my brother after school, to the shop, so that we could go back to my house after the shop was closed up and the pies were all done.  The walk is only half a mile on this thin little old country road.  We walk fast hoping to get there as soon as possible so that maybe mama would give us a snack if she had some let over but we both knew that was unlikely.

I remember when she got the job at the shop.  She was ecstatic about finally getting a real job and a great job at that.  Ever since papa died last year it has been really hard for her to keep up with our small garden, school, and to have enough money to buy clothes for all nine of my siblings.  Mama then tried to get a really job but no one was hiring her because of some nit-picky detail.  When she went in for the interview Mrs. Rose said that she was perfect for the job and mama just light up like a Christmas tree she was so happy.  She loves to work there and is actually happy to go there every day.  We kids now are in charge of the garden and helping her knit but it’s worth it to see her so joyful every morning.

We walk around the corner and heading to the little bakery.  We can see the colorful cakes in the window and we start to get a little jumping from excitement.  We walk in there and the smell hits us like a brick wall all at once. The smell of sugar and dough come off of everything in the small one room bakery.  The fragrance alone is enough to make us go absolutely crazy from the growling coming in the bottom of our stomachs.  It’s hard not to give in and eat everything in the room but mama told us to stay out of the pies because they are for the customers tomorrow.

Before long the perfume coming off of the cherry pies is all that I can think about.  I could smell the cooked cherries, the sugar, the dough and I couldn’t take my eyes off of the beautiful pies.  We haven’t had anything to eat since lunch at our school and our brains knew it.  My eyes were mesmerized and the smell- oh the smell of them was so fantastic.  I couldn’t handle it anymore I needed to taste them.  Just a small bit, no more, I promised myself.  I turned to look at Peter to see if he was watching me.  He’s eye met mine and I could tell he was going mad from the fragrance of the pies to. I slowing walked up to the pies trying not to make any sound, so that mama would come in here.  In one swift motion I suck my finger in the pie and ate just the smallest bit.

The pie tasted just as good as it smelled if not better.  The sweet fruit melted in my mouth and made it impossible for me to think of anything but the pies again.  I had to have more.  Before anyone could stop me I took my whole hand and put it in the pie and brought it to my mouth.  I turned to look and Peter, who was doing the same thing. I didn’t even stop to think for a second I just kept eating and eating the pies handful after handful.