I did it to protect my good reputation in case anyone ever caught me walking around with crab apples in my cheeks. With rubber balls in my hands I could deny there were crab apples in my cheeks. Everytime someone asked me why I was walking around with crab apples in my cheeks, I'd just open my hands and show them it was rubber balls I was walking around with, not crab apples, and that they were in my hands, not my cheeks. It was a good story, but I never knew if it got across or not, since its pretty hard to make people understand you when your talking to them with two crab apples in your cheeks.
The speaker in the quote expresses a desire to maintain a good reputation despite the absurdity of the situation where they are perceived to be walking around with crab apples in their cheeks. By holding rubber balls in their hands, the speaker aims to deflect attention and create an alternative narrative that diverts from the absurdity, allowing them to deny the crab apples entirely. The imaginative strategy serves as a way to escape judgment and preserve their image in a bizarre circumstance.
This reflection highlights the complexity of communication when one's appearance may lead to misconceptions. The speaker acknowledges the challenge of conveying a message while dealing with the absurdity of having crab apples in their cheeks, signifying how difficult it can be to clarify one's intentions and identity in confusing or unexpected situations. The humor in the situation underlines the struggle between reality and perception, illustrating the lengths to which people will go to protect themselves from misunderstanding.
