In my early 20s I had my first bar back job in a large restaurant. I was responsible for cleaning and stocking the bar - cleaning or dusting the bottles of alcohol. Basically a busboy for the bar.
So many of the bottles contained brands of booze that I had never seen or heard of. So as I was cleaning the bottles I would also take the pourer off each bottle and smell the booze to see what it was like.
I did this with one particular bottle and immediately my legs started giving way and I thought I was going to vomit. Got lightheaded and had to sit down - I swear I thought I was going to start crying.
It was a bottle of Blackberry Brandy.
The stench of that woman came right back to me, I was right back in that classroom scared out of my mind. I never knew what is was she reeked of besides for cigarettes until that moment - it was Blackberry Brandy.
You’re a damn fine writer.
Jeez, sounds like that teacher did one hell of a number on you. Sorry to read about that.