Tide to go instant and effective stain remover

Abigail Usiyevich

I have a habit of accidentally squashing nice things by sitting on them–especially when I am wearing my favorite pair of white linen pants.

Things that stain, that eat you back, long after you’ve finished your meal. Turmeric. Paprika, pomegranates, oil, dark chocolate and worst of all, blackberries.

I hate blackberries.

Their succulence, their earthy undertones and naturally sweet reputation.

I hate them not for the things they are, but for the stains they leave when I’ve finished the carton, ruining the immersive tart experience by staining my favorite pair of white linen pants.

Maybe that’s the secret…The duplicity of all things sweet. It is a double edged sword that I prick my fingers on all too often.

Maybe the bitterness is what gives us the appetite for all things sweet.

Maybe the same hole carved into my soul by sorrow is the same hole I get to fill with joy. Like a child digging a hole from sand at the beach, only to then fill it with water and revel in success.

Maybe we must be hungry to be full.

Maybe we must be wrong to be right.

Behind every sweet berry is a bitter stain on my favorite pair of white linen pants.

Abigail Usiyevich is from Edison, NJ, and majoring in cognitive science. She expects to graduate in 2025. In her free time she likes to write and cook.

This piece was written in a creative writing course taught by Professor Jacob Suskewicz, who selected it for inclusion in WHR.