It Was Worth It

Sweat was sliding down my temples as if I had woken up from a night terror. My heart was over-capacitated with adrenaline. I couldn’t control the nervous urge to rub my thumb across the rest of my fingers. I have been on the deep end of a pool when I didn’t know how to swim, stared down a swarm of mourning bees, and jumped out of a plane to unsuccessfully overcome my fear of heights. Somehow, all of that seems like child play when it comes to this.

Normally taking someone else’s food is a senseless act. You think about it for a second and by the next second, you’re already nibbling on it. But this isn’t just anybody's food. This is St.Ann’s food and St.Ann doesn't play. She has the type of glare that can make a momma bear give up their cub. Her rage is equal to two suns colliding and ripping apart that fabric of space. But I’m hungry and just like fear and ignorance, hunger can make you make rash decisions.

This isn’t some bologna sandwich or a pitiful bowl of salad. These are seven homemade, glistening orange, heaven-touched chicken wings. If I asked you to picture the most picturesque image of wings these are what would come to mind. They’re so enticing vegetarians would have to think twice about the prior commitments. 

I know what you’re thinking, why didn’t I bring my own food? Why don’t you buy some food? Why don't I ask her if I can have a wing or two? Those are all reasonable questions. However, let me ask you this, if you’re in the middle of the wilderness without any resources and you see an animal of the wild leave some of its captured prey out in the open while it goes off and does whatever it does, wouldn’t you try to steal some of that prey or are you going to starve because you didn’t capture it?

You might also think my comparing her to a wild beast is a little uncalled for. She is a human after all and deserves to be respected as one. I do respect her. I respect her as she is, which is the same person that piledrived Joe the janitor through the breakroom table for asking if she was done with her meal. St.Ann not only didn’t get fired for that but it became policy to not speak to her unless spoken to during work hours. Jerry, the new janitor, didn’t get the memo until he was upside down inside of the garbage after asking St.Ann to stop leaving crumbs around after he came in to clean. 

In any other work environment, I’m sure this would've been unacceptable and resulted in immediate termination. But this warehouse isn’t the most legal of places. Put it this way, if anybody was ever to discover this place, there’d be more taxes owed than the nation’s debt. If I say anymore I’d have way more problems than hesitating to eat wings that don’t belong to me.

I only had enough money to get home which is why I couldn’t just buy some food. We still had another five hours until the end of the shift. My stomach felt like it was touching my back, I knew I wouldn’t last for much longer. I’m supposed to be on a smoke break but managed to sneak into the break room without anyone noticing. My eyes were glued to the wings in the fridge. My decision was made.

My conscience wouldn’t allow me to take them all so I only grabbed two. The moment I set them on a paper plate to heat them in the microwave, Jerry walked through the door.

“They let y’all on break early today huh?”

“Nah, I’m just stealing a few minutes.”

“I don’t blame you. The work they’re having y’all do is criminal.”

“This entire place is criminal.” Jerry laughed at the remark and then noticed what was on the plate in my hands. For a moment he stared at the two wings as if he was transfixed by them. His eyebrows were scrunched like he couldn't figure out the missing piece to a puzzle. Then his eyes widened.

“Those aren’t St.Ann’s wings are they?” My throat tightened. 

“Nah, why would you say that?”

“Well, I was cleaning out the fridge earlier because someone left an open cup of milk inside of it. I guess someone had slammed the door making the milk spill. Anyway, while I was looking to see if it had trickled onto anyone's lunch, I saw some of the most captivating wings I’ve ever seen. I couldn’t stop thinking about the taste of them until I saw the name on the top of the container. I just had to accept that I’d never know the feeling of having one for myself.”

I had two options. Lie and say these were my own or come clean and tell him the truth. Things might’ve been simpler with a lie but who’d believe I’d bring two lone wings for lunch? Then I remembered that St.Ann dumped him into the trash. Why would he tell her anything?

“I took them.”

“From,” he looked around “St.Ann?” I shook my head. “Is there any more left?”

“There’s five left.”

“Let's take them all.” I could feel the energy of revenge leaking from his body. I didn’t think it was a good idea to leave her with nothing but at this point, my stomach is producing small earthquakes.

“Alright, but we split them evenly.”

“That’s fine with me.”

The minute and forty seconds it took to heat the wings felt like an eternity. It was like we successfully robbed a bank but were waiting in the lobby for the getaway car to come. Our eyes constantly switched from the door to the microwave. At this point, my only regret was being indecisive. If I had acted sooner, I wouldn’t have had to share with Jerry. In the end, it was a small price to pay for a time of flavorful bliss. The minute and forty was over.

The scent of the wings gently glided into our noses. The sound of the sizzling mimicked rapid raindrops. We looked at each other and telepathically communicated that there wasn’t any more time to waste. That first bite…man. I will never forget it. They say perfection doesn’t exist but those naysayers have never tasted anything like this. I wish I could describe to you the taste but this medicine has me dozing off and I have to get to the end of the story.

In the midst of us debating who should get the seventh wing another person walked in. We were so caught up in our debacle by the time I realized it was St.Ann, stars were already forming in my eyes. Next thing I know, I’m in a hospital with the flavor of a mild sauce lingering on my tongue. Although there are many parts of my body I can’t feel right now, I’ll never forget the feeling of that first bite…I hope Jerry’s okay.