By Joyce Brucato Arnold
She looked out into the bright sunlight, it would be a warm one today. Walking slowly to the refrigerator, she carefully pulled out a bowl of fruit. Taking out one large perfect orange , its cold skin felt good in the palm of her hand. She turned to her dog, “Come on Frankie, lets enjoy this morning before the heat takes over.”
He followed her onto the porch, where she sat in her favorite chair, as he lay at her feet. They looked out at the orange grove, both lost in their thoughts. She spread a napkin on her lap and began to peel the orange…her nails breaking thru that first tough skin, it held back, not wanting to let go of the richness inside. The sweet citrus smell escaped into this new morning, as she broke apart the fruit. Putting the first piece to her lips, she tasted its sweetness, the memory of his morning kiss.The morning was sunny and it promised to be a warm day ahead. It would be a good day to begin harvest.
The trees hung low with fruit. He called them “sweet ornaments”… she smiled, breaking another piece of the orange, the juice squirting sweet its nectar and mixing with the salty tear that trailed down her cheek. She took out of her pocket, a folded piece of paper, as she did each morning and once again read his words:
Piece by piece taste the sweetness, savor its juices, let the flavors burst with each bite suck out every sweet drop and share the peelings with the soil to nourish and renew.
Peel back life with me, my love. Piece by piece.
“Come on Frankie its time, the harvester will be here soon, lets walk thru the grove one more time.”