And So She Said:

We are huffing and puffing up the hill
Peter, N.C.R. and I
when she whips around to us and snaps her fingers
"What do you call a person who knows his wine?"

Peter and I are taken aback by the sudden shrill outburst
"Er, a connoisseur?"

"Yes!, yes!", she agrees enthusiatically
"Do you know where the best of them come from?Do you?"

"Er, France?" I say, tentatively, I'm suddenly very afraid of her
shiny-eyed-excitedness

"NO! You're wrong!I was watching the Travel & Living channel
the other day, and the best of them come from
Somalia!" she spouts triumphantly

Petes and I are sputtering in disbelief
"Somalia?" he says,
"In Somalia, they have nae money to buy food, let alone wine.."

Then it dawns on me,
and I am laughing so hard that I cannot breathe
clutching my sides and gasping for air, almost falling over
"Breathe Belle, take a breath through your nose"

"I don't think they meant come from Somalia, I think
it meant they are called Sommeliers"
I manage to choke out