Sugar

"Well, now, sugar in the morning, sugar in the evening, sugar at supper time..."

Spotify (trademark) blasts out this line, sung by Johnny Cash. He was right. But not a teaspoon a day per person. It is not enough. At least, not when your household is as large as mine.

We already had to quit taking sugar in our coffee and tea. And in our hot cocoa. But hot cocoa without sugar is just plain terrible to drink, if you have to use skimmed milk.

They all scream out of radio and tv: that drinking milk is making you too fat. Eating meat is not good. And now they limit the use of sugar, to one teaspoon a day, per person.

Taxes on lemonade and soda went sky high. I can't afford it anymore. My kids drink tea, or water. They get grumpy. Bread turned out tasteless without the use of sugar. It is rotting away as they don't eat it anymore. And cookies?

The only rare days are when I can buy fruit. Once per week, I am allowed to pick up our quota of fruit - just enough for one day. "It gives people a sugar rush when they eat more", is what the government and health institutions perscribe.

But I have enough. Enough of the grumpy people around me. Enough of being able to buy just five grams per day, per person. I quit being a mom. I am going to start a protest action against this ridiculous system.

~!~

The next morning I picked up my identity card, and my bag. Closed the door behind me and started walking. More people in our neighborhood seemed to have the same plan, as they all follow me. Straight to City Hall.

I could not believe what I saw over there. The reception area was filled with jars. Sweets in all possible colours were hidden in these jars. I just stood there. Watched. Nothing happened.

The Mayor came down. He looked just as grumpy as we all did. He faced me, but did not say a word at all. Then he turned around, facing the reception area.

“Attack!”

Within a few seconds, all the jars with sweets were taken down, people started to go out and shared their wealth with the people who did not dare to enter City Hall.

Only the Mayor and I were still standing there, watching what happened.
And in my ear I heard the words of this lovely song..."sugar in the morning, sugar in the evening, sugar at supper time... be my little sugar and love me all the time" I smiled from ear to ear, as I knew my silent protest worked well.

In a press conference later that day, the Mayor announced to remove the sugar ban in his town. His words started a nation wide revolution against the sugar critics.

“One teaspoon of sugar is not enough. For people who like to stay healthy and happy we definitely need more sugar. The ban is lifted on sweets, fruits and sugar worked in breads and beverages. We need sugar in the morning, sugar in the evening, sugar at supper time. For every person the amount of sugar will differ, but just one teaspoon is not enough.”
~!~

Now, a decade later, people are happy, work hard and made a prosperous life for themselves. They have forgotton the negative aspects around the sugar crisis, but I never will, as I wrote it down. It is part of our soul, our town, and our history.

593 words