Image by
Alexa from
Pixabay“So, the thing is, when you pop popcorn on the skillet, you really gotta listen for that first pop! – that first kernel to go, because that means that all of the corn just about ready to go BUT the early ones will burn unless you keep that pan moving.”
Days-short-of-18 Vanna Trent was showing her most unlikely student how to make popcorn after church.
“Well, see, I can't reach the stove, but, see, I have a real tall soul and I want to eat popcorn so I need to know in case when I get tall and get my muscle shirt next week Miss Vanna doesn't feel like doing it, because, see, 18 is like when you are grown and old and old people get tired because, see, they have so much stuff to do, so, when I get big next week I'mma be helping everybody cook around here until I get to West Point and get my job as the chief general of food, and our troops deserve good popcorn so I gotta learn how because I'm just gonna eat all this here, but, I'll make some more next week, because, see, that's just fair!”
Lil' Robert Ludlow, five years old, was very attentive for someone who could not even stand next to the stove and see the top of the range, but he had really good ears.
“I just heard it!” he announced when the first kernel made a soft pop.
“Yep,” Vanna said. “Now that was a small kernel with a small pop, so your ears are really good, Rob!”
“Like I said, I gotta get good at this,” he said. “Ears today. Eyes, height, and muscles soon!”
“Next week, though!” Vanna said.
“Next week, though!” Lil' Robert said, and listened attentively as Vanna slid that pan back and forth on the heat, then off the heat for 30 seconds, then on the heat again until the pan was so full the popcorn was pushing up the top.
“Now we get to the part I'm really good at: sampling!” Lil' Robert said.
“Yep,” Vanna said as she took out a little paper cup and scooped out some popcorn for the little boy, sprinkled a bit of salt on it, and handed it to him.
“This is good – I need more, but, I'mma wait so everyone can have some. I don't need seconds … just leave the thirds, fourths, fifths, and sixths to me!”
“That little boy is in there doing ordinal numbers?” Vanna's cousin 16-year-old Tom Stepforth said.
“Oh, if we can find a way to relate calculus and rocket science to food, Rob will have that down next year, though,” Vanna's younger sister eleven-year-old Velma Trent said.
“Well, rocket science is kinda like popcorn,” Tom said. “Leave the top off the pan and find out what happens -- and don't ask me how I know that. I gotta be able to go home to my parents sometime.”
