GRoK This!

Looking for short story

I was eating some spicy beef jerky that I bought this weekend, when I remembered a bit of a short story that I had once read. I can?t find it on the web, but maybe you guys can help me. Here?s the story as I remember it. I?m pretty sure it?s a fiction story.

It?s told from first person view. This guy walks into a restaurant (in Mexico? Texas?) and orders some food and some chilies to go with it. The food comes, but the chilies are not hot enough for him, so he asks for something spicier. The waitress brings back some spicier ones. Still not hot enough, so he asks for even spicier. She brings them back and he starts eating them like they?re not spicy at all. The waitress decides to introduce him to the mayor(?), who?s known for being able to eat really spicy chilies. They decide to have a contest. Lots of townsfolk come to watch. The two sit down at a table with chilies and some bread. The loser is the one who reaches for the bread first. After the first few, sweat starts breaking out on their forehead. Finally, the both eat this one chili that is just a jolt of pain. Both eye the bread because they are barely able to stand it. Finally the guy grabs the bread and eats it. He thinks that he might have been able to win, but he had looked around at the townsfolk and realized that the mayor?s reputation was on the line and decided not to ruin it. The mayor looks thankful and relieved. Townsfolk cheer for the mayor, everyone?s friends. Happy ending.

The real story is told much better than this. Please let me know if you find it.

(Crossposting to LiveJournal, tribe.net and WordPress using Crossposter)

Posted at 09:15PM Jun 16, 2009 by Gary Kephart in General  |