Lizzy's Sweet Discovery

Short story. Fiction

I pushed the cart into the fresh fruit and vegetable aisle. The sweet aroma of the watermelons, pears and carrots filled my nostrils. Lizzy, my little sister, was sucking on a cherry red Popsicle that had stained her pink and white dress; making her chubby hands sticky. I hear my mom's heels clicking on the white tiled floor behind me as she approached the basket with a handful of bananas. As mom and I filled the old black basket with healthy green vegetables and colorful fruits, Lizzy's little innocent eyes found the bakery.

“Cookies and cakes,” she says while rocking against the basket.

A tall man in a white suit was bringing in a cart carrying luscious pies, tempting cakes and delicious cookies; all of which were making Lizzy's mouth water.

“I want cake,” Lizzy says, rocking against the basket and smiling with anticipation.

“No Lizzy not today,” Mom says still putting the vegetables in the basket.

Lizzy's brown eyes begin to swell up with tears.

“I want cake,” Lizzy shouts.

“No,” Mom scolds.

Lizzy rocks against the cart trying to push her way to the bakery.

“Stop it,” Mom grabs the cart.

“I want cake,” Lizzy starts crying and kicking.

I see people looking at us. I pretend I don't notice mom and Lizzy; I push the basket to the frozen food aisle. Once we start moving Lizzy stands up in the basket and starts stomping.

“I don't want fruit! I want cake,” Lizzy's stained red cherry face gets red with despair.

“Mommy, please,” she pulls on mom's blue collar begging her to turn back.

“Sit down Elizabeth,” Mom, still standing her ground, sits Lizzy down.

“Mommy,” Lizzy cries while pushing her head back into the cart screaming to the top of her lungs.

Mom ignores her. Lizzy's blood curdling screams echo across the store and nearly break my eardrums.

“Lizzy stop screaming, have a fruit, they're good for you,” I say smiling at her.

“I don't want nasty fruit! I want cake,” Lizzy's pink barbie shoes kick across the vacant air.

“Fruits are not nasty, they're sweet like cake,” I say rubbing her sticky hands.

Lizzy watches me pick up a peach and bite into its juicy soft flesh. The peach's juicy sweetness conquers my taste buds. Juice spews from the peach. I wipe the juice off my mouth.

“Wow, Lizzy, I do say, this is the sweetest thing I have ever tasted. No added sugar; it is even sweeter than cake,”

For a moment, Lizzy looks at me with confusion and disbelief.

I put the peach to her lips. “Want to try?” I coax.

Lizzy smells the sweet peach and bites into it. Light beige peach juice now rules her face as it runs down her chin.

“See,” I say smiling.

“This is sweeter than cake,” Lizzy says with a smile.

Lizzy's cries now turn into laughter. She continues to devoured the peach.

Lizzy picks up a peach and feeds it to mom.

“Isn't it sweet?” Lizzy says.

“Hmmm, Yes.” Mom wipes the juice from her mouth.

Lizzy eats away at another peach. Her desire for cookies and cakes has been cast away by the juicy soft peach.