Chocolate Cake Ice Cream

The most popular ice cream flavors vary from time to time

With vanilla and chocolate leading the way
But research does not reveal chocolate cake
On any list of favorite flavors that I could locate

This story relates back to the two summers
I worked as a Good Humor truck driver
Between my first two summer semesters at law school
No other job available to me could produce earnings that were higher

My route centered around the city of Thompsonville, Connecticut
Where shade tobacco was grown, on a farm several miles away
Which means the tobacco plants were grown under netting
Which product was used as the outer layer of cigars, very important to its taste

The shade grown tobacco farm was not on my prescribed route
But I often took the liberty of adjusting my route to produce greater revenue
For example I modified my route, to spend more time in the poorer areas of Thompsonville
Where there were more children, and many porches where people often gathered late

I became aware of the shade grown farm where
The men worked in the field, the women in sheds, processing what was grown
For some reason several asked for the sweetest flavor, which I decided was chocolate cake
And these tobacco workers decided this was the best flavor they had ever known

During my two summers as a Good Humor man, I visited this farm
The pay for the workers was very low
And the vast majority were broke, shortly after pay day
So pay day, and the next day, were usually the only times I would go

The day came which was the last day I would work for Good Humor
It was a tough job with long hours, and this was a pleasant thought indeed
My mind was focused on returning to law school
And I didn’t properly focus on what ice cream I needed 

To make a long story short, I forgot to order a case of chocolate cake
And when I showed up at the tobacco farm without chocolate cake
To say the least, the workers were very upset
And began shouting numerous obscenities, and I feared what turn this would take

I started to drive away, and was chased by many of the workers
Harm to the truck or me, was what I could foresee
And prayed the truck would not stall out
As periodically it would do, though infrequently

I’m willing to bet that this was the only time
The absence of a particular ice cream flavor
Almost caused a riot by frustrated customers
Who were outraged by the absence of what they most savored