The Bite
I stood with the Oreo poised between my teeth and closed my eyes. I opened them a minute later and saw Miranda and Eric watching me anxiously. Eric looked excited and Miranda frustrated. She made her classic Miranda “uhhh” noise, changing pitch several times.
“Just bite it, Toni! Come on! It’s not that big a deal!” She cried, ringing her hands. I smiled inwardly. She would never understand the difference between biting an Oreo and eating an Oreo. I had never bit an Oreo before, straight through, all three layers at once. I always peeled off the top cookie first, and then the methods would vary. Sometimes I ate just the cream next, scraping it up with my teeth. Sometimes I ate the cream with the bottom cookie next. Sometimes I just ate the bottom cookie next, and folded back the cream. Either way- I never just plain bit. “What’s going on?” Asked Larisa, looking up from her magazine and staring at me. We were in the cafe of Barnes & Noble, and I was attracting some curious glances, standing in the middle of the room with my eyes closed and an Oreo suspended in my mouth.
“She’s going to bite an Oreo for the first time.” Said Miranda, a hint of mockery in her voice. “Come on!”
I closed my eyes again so I wouldn’t have to see her leaning forward on the bench and shaking her arms. A minute later, the Oreo was growing soggy between my teeth. What would it taste like, I wondered? Would it have less flavor? Would the cream be strong enough? Would I eat the whole thing like that, or stop after one bite? And what about tradition?
For a second, I saw myself sitting at my old kitchen table next to my brother. I was leaning forward on the wood and my short legs were dangling far above the ground. I asked my mom how many Oreos we could have, glancing anxiously at the box. “Just two tonight, and brush your teeth.” I grabbed the two biggest Oreos and rushed off to my corner behind the couch to begin the eating. I savored each one, using any complicated method of peeling apart the oreo that I could think of. I made each of the Oreos last until lunch the next day when I would open the dessert my mom packed for me.
I opened my eyes and everything seemed suspended in mid air. Almost unconsciously, I felt my jaw close down on the Oreo, and then it was over. I heard Miranda’s distant yells of “oh my God!” The Oreo filled every corner of my mouth, rushing to the back of my teeth and gums. I chewed slowly. It dawned on me how good it tasted, and I was surprised. I began to chew faster, excited by the flavors and textures seeping through. My tongue, gums and teeth were alive with the thrilling mix of cookie and cream.
Five minutes later I seemed to float out of the cafe. The air outside felt fresh and breezy. Sixty Sixth Street was busy, dirty and noisy as usual but I felt an odd sense of peace. Everything seemed new and possible. The world was my oyster. I had never felt so free.
Antonia Bruno
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I stood with the Oreo poised between my teeth and closed my eyes. I opened them a minute later and saw Miranda and Eric watching me anxiously. Eric looked excited and Miranda frustrated. She made her classic Miranda “uhhh” noise, changing pitch several times.
“Just bite it, Toni! Come on! It’s not that big a deal!” She cried, ringing her hands. I smiled inwardly. She would never understand the difference between biting an Oreo and eating an Oreo. I had never bit an Oreo before, straight through, all three layers at once. I always peeled off the top cookie first, and then the methods would vary. Sometimes I ate just the cream next, scraping it up with my teeth. Sometimes I ate the cream with the bottom cookie next. Sometimes I just ate the bottom cookie next, and folded back the cream. Either way- I never just plain bit. “What’s going on?” Asked Larisa, looking up from her magazine and staring at me. We were in the cafe of Barnes & Noble, and I was attracting some curious glances, standing in the middle of the room with my eyes closed and an Oreo suspended in my mouth.
“She’s going to bite an Oreo for the first time.” Said Miranda, a hint of mockery in her voice. “Come on!”
I closed my eyes again so I wouldn’t have to see her leaning forward on the bench and shaking her arms. A minute later, the Oreo was growing soggy between my teeth. What would it taste like, I wondered? Would it have less flavor? Would the cream be strong enough? Would I eat the whole thing like that, or stop after one bite? And what about tradition?
For a second, I saw myself sitting at my old kitchen table next to my brother. I was leaning forward on the wood and my short legs were dangling far above the ground. I asked my mom how many Oreos we could have, glancing anxiously at the box. “Just two tonight, and brush your teeth.” I grabbed the two biggest Oreos and rushed off to my corner behind the couch to begin the eating. I savored each one, using any complicated method of peeling apart the oreo that I could
think of. I made each of the Oreos last until lunch the next day when I would open the dessert my mom packed for me.
I opened my eyes and everything seemed suspended in mid air. Almost unconsciously, I felt my jaw close down on the Oreo, and then it was over. I heard Miranda’s distant yells of “oh my God!” The Oreo filled every corner of my mouth, rushing to the back of my teeth and gums. I chewed slowly. It dawned on me how good it tasted, and I was surprised. I began to chew faster, excited by the flavors and textures seeping through. My tongue, gums and teeth were alive with the thrilling mix of cookie and cream.
Five minutes later I seemed to float out of the cafe. The air outside felt fresh and breezy. Sixty Sixth Street was busy, dirty and noisy as usual but I felt an odd sense of peace. Everything seemed new and possible. The world was my oyster. I had never felt so free.
Antonia Bruno
Antonia Bruno is an attorney at the New Jersey Office of the Public Defender, where she represents individuals who have been accused of crimes and cannot afford a lawyer. Her work as a public defender is rooted in her belief in abolitionism and racial justice. Antonia has a background in transnational organizing for environmental justice. Antonia is the co-author of the cildren's book series Josie Goes Green which inspires kids to take action on climate change.
