Illicit!

The thrill's in the hiding. Clandestine trips late at night, the need to be as quiet as a cat. One has to keep appearances too. And when caught, feign innocence and curiosity.

Oh, the things I would do just to have a taste of simple pleasure - of exquisite richness that I go back to, over and over and over again! It doesn't matter that I earn the scorn of my darling mother - all caution to the wind I throw!

Swirls of peanut butter on a banana! It's decadent because I eat the banana like one normally would and after each bite, I spread another teaspoon of peanut butter on top.

My brother and I discovered this snack as children. We always experimented with food. He was more adventurous, combining different condiments on his plate or mixing them with eggs for frying, sometimes even adding orange juice or anything he fancied. We came up with different snacks such as tomato and cucumber sandwiches, chocolate rice and whatever our young minds (usually his) could think of.

We used any type of peanut butter we had, usually Lady's Choice - the sweetish creamy kind, typical of what we have in the Philippines. However, a week ago I found a bottle of chunky Skippy in my mother's pantry. Mom doesn't like it on bread, preferring the easy spread variety. The poor neglected peanut butter. Hmmm... it was deviltry!

I sought the bottle every chance that I got. Another discovery! The chunky kind goes better with banana! What contrasting tastes! What contrasting textures! It was like re-inventing an old classic. And best of all, I wasn't castigated for eating too much greasy food because mom didn't even go near the chunky Skippy. She didn't know I was almost halfway through the vessel in three days. I was in bliss... until guilt showed on my face. Two pimples!



שּׁלוס