“The Smell Of Snakes”

A friend invited me to Thanksgiving dinner. The food looked great and smelt yummy. Before dinner, we sat down and had drinks while the hostess was doing the final laying of the table. I sat in a room with people I did not know. They were all taking about the food and how delicious it always taste. One woman whispered to me that every thing is tasty, but she doesn’t eat the turkey. I told her I love turkey and I cannot wait to get a slice of the one that is on the table. It looks really delicious.
“Wait until you are sitting at the table, looks, can be deceiving at times.”
I looked at her with a frown. This woman was a close relative of my friend, so I found her comment to be a bit strange. We sat at the table and the dishes were being passed around. I took a little of the vegetable rice, baked macaroni, lasagna, collard greens, potato salad and steamed corn. The food on my plate smelled good and my tummy was growling… Suddenly, a fresh smell flowed through the air. I wondered where that smell was coming from. My mother and father always told us, if we get a fresh smell, a snake is around. A feeling of fear came over me because I was thinking that my friend had a pet snake. I looked around the room, but there was no snake in sight. Every one was eating and not bothered by the smell. My friend’s husband offered me a piece of the turkey, and he put a thick slice on my plate. The smell was now on my plate… My stomach suddenly got full, and the lady who didn’t eat turkey, looked at me and smiled…