The Declarations of an Orange

Chapter 2
Bad Pineapples

~  Yes, that's what it was. A pair of eyes, beautiful and painful, both at the same time, and it ignited a heavy storm in my insides, as if someone has shaken all of my seeds at once, and it was that moment, our crazy truck driver drifted the giant vehicle towards left, and the Peach's attention caught me   ~  

I never imagined that I would experience feelings of love for any fruit. I used to like Grapes a lot when I was small, but they always stayed in groups and I could never get a chance to talk to Girl Grapes.

Now, the Peach probably blinked towards me, and then kept staring at me. The truck was surely on a bumpy road, but the Peach never lost the sight of me. She wanted me to wave at her or maybe say something first but we weren't close. Our boxes were at a good distance. I could have said something, in fact so many things, but I wonder shyly, could these winds carry my words to her? 

We both were being shipped to unknown lands, and I'd no idea for how long they are going to keep us in these boxes.

I am neither a philosopher nor a poet, but I know one thing, Love can surely bring the memories of sweetest things we have experienced in life. I can still remember, Peach's smiling face was before my eyes, and yet I was looking into infinity. Isn't it strange that something so close in distance can also be looked at the infinite lengths? The remaining insignificant world dissolved in the air and only she was there, the most beautiful fruit of the planet, and the way she looked at me, it drowned me in the ocean of nostalgia. 

The smell of fresh grass, the big rotating windmill, small kids chasing butterflies and the deep stares of cats and squirrels, filled my mind as if someone has poured a red red wine in an empty vintage glass.

I specifically remember that I saw a big board, freshly painted in yellow and then there was a critical turn on the road, and probably our driver wasn't good with turns and twists, so he bumped his truck on a jeep. It caused deadly stampede amongst us, as more and more Oranges rolled over each other and the boxes fell. So many fruits got out and there was a full chaos in the back. I was almost dead beneath the weight of hundreds of stinky oranges but I somehow got out. I didn't have time to remove dirt from my body because I had to look out for my Peach. 

It's funny that I called her 'my' peach rather than 'that' peach because, at that moment, I felt that she belonged to me like innocence belongs to a child.

I was in Panic, and I couldn't see my friends anywhere, but strangers and only strangers, fruits which I have never encountered in my life, and to my horror, I saw Pineapples. They were taking control of the situation, trying to catch more and more Oranges and berries, and saving them from falling off the truck but those idiots were only harming them. I hate Pineapples and I won't hesitate in calling them Ugly and Dangerous.

They have preternatural hugging instincts and they are least aware that their thorns could hurt our delicate skins. It's a popular belief, in our community, that if a Pineapple touches you and you aren't hurt, you actually have a longer life but it's very rare. Isn't it strange that a normal pineapple is arranged in two interlocking helices, eight in one direction, 13 in the other, and it forms a Fibonacci Number?

It's an interesting fact because plants love mathematics and Humans love it when nature surprises them. You might have a good chance of getting the sequence in the five seed chambers when you cut across an apple or the 34 or 55 spiral whorls in a sunflower head.

Yes, it happens, and especially during the moments of utmost stress, I turn into a nerd. I somehow focused my thoughts on finding my lady Peach and there she was. At first, I thought nothing would happen to her as Mr. Pineapple was just an inch away from her. All he had to do was to push her up, as she was hanging on the extreme end of the truck bed but he didn't. He just stood there like a statue and she fell off the truck.

I held my breath and jumped above all the stupid oranges and Chikkus, and reached the tailgate, and looked down. Peach was lying motionless, covered in Juice and blood all over her body, her skin dreadfully torn apart from bruises and she was sobbing.

'You were supposed to save her, Idiot!'

I lost my temper and cried at the arrogant Pineapple.

'Really?'

'You were helping everyone!'

'She is a Peach. We don't touch her. The Peaches are notorious fruits, they bring misfortune-'

'So you let her die?'

'She ain't dead, boy!' The Pineapple laughed as he heard the truck's horn. It was about to start again, 'If you are worried, why don't you take a jump and save her?'

'But-'

I couldn't say anything. Pineapple stared at me with stern eyes, and my family of oranges watched me from the distance. They were shocked to see me standing up for a Peach against Pineapples. Some of the oranges were already cursing me. I dared not to look at her, my Peach, who was lying all bloodied and wounded on the road, but I couldn't.

I looked at her and she was looking back at me. The truck had already started running, and I felt a deadly jolt inside my heart as if someone was separating me from my own soul. I didn't know many things but one thing was confirmed, I was in love with the Peach.

I tried not to think about my parents, friends and my community, as they would have stopped me from doing what I wanted to do.

I closed my eyes, counted till three and jumped.

I jumped and the perplexity of the situation began to interrogate my mind, as it asked me a question whether that jump was towards my own death or was aimed at my life?

Posted on: Aug 11, 2017

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