Crab Legs On A Summer Day

Anniya Davidson#5

Food Memoir

“Whewf" I said as little water beads that were once trickling down my neck, now bounce and puddle, as I sit down in the shade of the huge oak tree in Marcus Garvey Park.  Buzz!  Bzzz!  Slap!  “I’ve got Icees,” mom says.  I jump up and run to her in under 2.5 seconds.  “Whoa!,” mom exclaims as Khyla, Akira and I trample her like a herd of bulls.  As my bestfriend Akira and our 2-year-older friend, Khyla sit on the old picnic blanket, we take off our shoes to feel the soft, dewy grass between our caramel-colored toes.

Bing!  A thought popped into my head.  “Race ya to the swings!!”  I squealed as I was already flying towards the swing set.  “Anniya!!  Not Fair!  Waaaait Up!!!”  Khlya and Akira yelled in unison as they also both bolted up towards the swings.  “Wheeeee!!”  I shout as I leaned back in the swing, letting my braids and beads hang in the breeze.  We swung for a few minutes, taking in the sweet afternoon air.

“Hey Akira can you believe next year we will be in the fourth grade and Khyla in the sixth?!”

“No I can’t.  Khlya is going to graduate and leave our school.”  Akira whispers back.  I look over my shoulder just in the nick of time to see Akira swipe away a big fat tear that was rolling down her cheek.

“Well anyway, let’s keep playing and enjoy being together while it lasts!”  Khyla exclaimed, trying to cheer up Akira and lighten the mood.

         After going a few rounds of tag, chasing after each other on the hard gray concrete, we ran back to the tattered blanket.  We were just in time to watch my mom light up the grill and see the little heat waves rise up.  Mom begins to grill different foods.  Sizzle!!  Sizzle!!  Sizz!!  “Mmm guys, look at those juicy burgers.  They smell like the first day of summer,” Khyla softly exclaimed, staring at the grill.  She looked like she was daydreaming.

“Huh?!!,” Akira and I said while slightly cocking our heads to the side and scratching, looking around dumbfounded.

“Never mind guys,” Khlya said, rolling her eyes around in a circle.

“Hey guys do you smell that?”  I asked, quickly changing the subject.

“What the burgers??,” Akira responded.

“No, it’s something different!”  I searched and spun in a circle, until I found what I was looking for.

“Hey over there guys!”  I pointed and screamed running towards the park’s fence.  There was a picnic table set up with a red and white tablecloth and a basket full of blue looking claws.

“Hey mom can we get some of those?!,” I asked with thrill in my voice.

“Sure!” my mom replied with the same excitement.  My eyes felt like they were bulging out of my head.

Psssssssh!  A thick cloud of smoke surrounds us, as Mr. Mike aka “The Crab Man” plops the steam basket of crab legs into the scorching hot pot.  Tap!  Tap!  Tap!  “Wow it's really hard to wait for these” I think to myself.  Patience isn’t my thing!!!  A few minutes of waiting suddenly seemed like days.  But before long, a huge smile, like a Cheshire cat, spread across my face as Mr. Mike carefully seasoned and bagged the crab legs.

At this point, I’m practically dragging my mom and friends back to our blanket in the park. I just couldn’t wait to see if these crab legs tasted as good as they looked and smelled. “Whoa!!!  Slow down!!,” they said very heavily and gasping for breath.

“Well then hurry!!,” I said becoming annoyed.  Finally, we arrived back to our spot and plopped down.  I pulled open the bag, carefully but swiftly, to release the smell of crabs, salt and  old bay seasoning into the air.  I instantly felt a shooting pain in my index finger as I reached my hand into the bag!!  “Man, crabs sure are pointy!!,” I thought to myself.  But I didn’t care; nothing could stop me from tasting this delicious smell.

Lick!  Lick!  Suck!  “The seasoning is amazing!  There are so many flavors!!!  It’s salty, sweet and spicy all at the same time” I said, sounding like it was my first time tasting food.  Little flames danced in my mouth as I sucked the spicy seasoning from the hard shell.  I used my teeth to crack into the crab leg, until I reached the salty, soft meat, hiding inside.  I slurped on the crab juices.  I ate another crab leg and another.  Then, would you believe?  Another??  And maybe a few more, until sadly….there were none left.  I guess I could always ask mom for more tomorrow…..