Hot Tamales

Have you ever had Hot Tamales? No, not the ones made with spiced meat and wrapped in corn masa but the chewy, cinnamon flavored candy.

When I was in second grade I went to St. Joseph’s Catholic school. It was in a big, old building in a poor, Hispanic part of Denver; 6th and Galapago if you know the area.

For a second grader there were only two reasons to venture up to the second floor. One was the vending machines that had pens, pencils and something called a Composition Notebook. I didn’t even know what that was but I always wanted one. The second reason was a counter at the end of the hall that sold candy.

One day I traveled up to the second floor with the candy counter as my destination. It was a big day; I had some money and had never been to this place before. As I walked down to the end of the hall I saw one of the Catholic nuns and her young female assistant behind the counter. As I got closer I looked at the vast selection, looking for the box I wanted. I asked, “Do you have Hot Tamales?” The nun and the girl looked at each other and laughed.

Their reaction to the misunderstanding of my desire planted a message deep in me. I turned and got out of there as quick as I could. I never went back to the second floor.

Philip