Thursday, March 15, 2012

The Initiation Challenge


   By Francis Vizcaya

   The time was 2pm, lunch on a beautiful Monday afternoon at the Grossman residents and I was not prepared for what was to come. As I sat there at the kitchen table discussing some future plans and strategies for Amazon 5000 with Mickey, I noticed he was eating a red pepper that I had never seen. As I commented on my ever dying love for spicy foods, I could see the excitement pouring out of Mickeys face. In a flash he was out of his chair showing me all kinds of spices and sauces he had collected over the years. There is such a sense of pure happiness when he begins to tell his stories, there is no telling what he will say next. Still smiling, Mickey sat back in his chair and offered me a bite of his Ghost Pepper and so it began. 
  For those of you who have never heard of the Ghost Pepper, the word "dangerous" doesn't begin to do it justice. This particular chilli pepper was recognized by the Guinness World Record as the hottest pepper in the world. I proceeded to cut a piece and take a tiny bite to test it out. The taste was rich in spice in a subtle -like tease, with wide eyes and a smile I fell in love. I dropped it into my bowl of food and stirred it hoping the flavor would catch on. Enjoying our meals, we continued chatting. As I looked down I noticed my bowl was left empty without a trace of food. I quickly noticed I had chewed and swallowed my part of the pepper! In an instant my eyes glossed and it felt as if I had a live fire starting from my lips clear down to the depth of my throat. I couldn't speak, I could barely breath the flames were so excruciating. My "ever dying love" was now turned to ashes and there was only one thing I could do. That day I consumed more milk than I ever thought imaginable. Mickey, with a grin on his face, leaned back in his chair and said "welcome, you are now a part of my team".

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