When I was a boy, I lived on licorice whips. I used to go to the corner store and take a wad of licorice whips from behind the counter when Pete wasn’t looking. The whole store was arranged so that Pete couldn’t ring up a customer and work the soda fountain at the same time. The counter and the soda fountain were on opposite sides. So, naturally, Pete’s was known as the type of place where you could steal real easy, if you needed to. When I was stealing the licorice whips, I always knew God was frowning on me and cursing my name, but I was young and I had time to pray to him to forgive me. Grandpa Morris used to tell us you could get in a quick sinful unmarried fuck if you’re young enough. Stealing from Pete was my unmarried fuck. Outside Pete’s, I would eat my licorice whips under the sun and think about how unfortunate it is that so many people suffer.