one pocketful of chocolate and one pocketful of buttered rum

For the longest time I thought Aunt Kitty wore her apron inside out. I was too embarrassed to say anything–embarrassed for her, I mean. Who wants a 12-year-old girl telling them their clothes are inside out or upside down? Like when a boy walks out of the privvy with his barn door open. Do you say, “Hey, boy, your livestock’s gonna get loose!” or do you just let it alone. Well, for me that just depends on the boy. If it was that boy across the creek, for instance, well I’d have no problem at all seeing him get red in the face.

But here we’re talking about Aunt Kitty and I’ll tell you it was a real dilemma for me, her putting her apron on inside out every day. Then one day, there it was, hanging off a peg in the pantry, strangely weighted to one side, and what do you think I found? Well, I’ll tell you. Pockets full of chocolate and buttered rum candies, that’s what! All this time I was worried about Auntie’s feelings and what do you know but she’s stashing treats in hidden pockets. Hiding them from whom, you might ask? Well, I can guess.