APPLE OF PARADISE

While picking  apples we could remember the apple of paradise: That which has the mark of a bite on one side to commemorate the bite of Eve. In the narration below, we shall see an effect of an Eve- bite!

 Names of sportspersons are modified by media to suit their convenience. An Indian tennis star whose initials were HG was expanded and he was always referred to as Hugo. His wife was also a tennis star and was referred to as Shirley. They lived in a spacious house near the city of Dehra Dun in India which had a room full of trophies. After an early start they gave way to others in the game and were now literally sitting on their laurels with the money they had earned in tennis. The mansion they lived in was built by Shirley’s father who had been a real estate developer. Her mother had also been wealthy and both had passed on, leaving their considerable assets to their only child Shirley. She in turn had left her finances  to be managed by Hugo who proved a very shrewd investor. It was he who had bought a fairly large but ailing apple orchard nearby, turning it into a big money spinner.

Hugo’s  relationship with Shirley had been good, but lately there were quarrels. She had become short tempered and there had been serious exchanges between the two. That morning, Shirley drove in after her tennis play and relaxed on a sofa with a cup of tea. Hugo joined her and said “Late from the club today.”

She was silent. He said “I’ve been waiting for you so that we could’ve have breakfast together.”

Again there was silence and he said “Didn’t hear what I said?”

She said “I don’t have to explain my movements to you. The cook is at our service and you could’ve your feeds any time with or without me.”

Hugo was very angry, but he realised he had no say as she was by nature very arrogant and over-bearing. He knew that if provoked further she would turn even more hostile. He softened his tone and said “I’ve imported high-yielding apple plants which would......”

“No need to keep me informed. You bought the apple orchard and you’re responsible for running it. No need to explain to me.”

He was silent for a while and then said “Shirley, of late you are turning against me. I wish........”

After some silence she said “You know what I’m angry about! We’ve no children. I chose to marry you thinking  we would produce tennis giants. But....” She turned her face away but he could see the tears streaming down her face. Wiping her face she added “We visited that fertility specialist just two days ago after tests, and he said you weren’t heir conditioned!  All that medical talk by him only meant that.”

 The doc had said that due to a rare medical condition Hugo wouldn’t be able to father a child. He said “So you’ve started hating me.”

She said “Not exactly. I know you’ve accepted the fact. You’re ready to adopt a child. But I don’t want a baby produced by someone else.”

“Okay. But remember what I had said: Produce the baby yourself  through the help of specialist doctors. Our doc said he was prepared to help.”

She was so contrary that she laughed derisively and said “You’ve married me and ask me to produce some stranger’s child. No way!”

“Wait a minute! The doc said you could choose the donor.”

“Do you know the choice is not without risk? There’re so many cases where there’re mix ups. I don’t want to produce the donor’s baby even if I knew him.”

He was silent and thoughtful. After deep thinking he said “That means we separate and you marry someone else to produce a baby.”

“That isn’t the only way. We’ve been married and have been happy together. The only problem is we don’t have a baby. So to make the baby.................”  She stopped abruptly.

He said “I don’t quite understand you. Can I assume that what you want is to make the baby with whomsoever you choose. I’ll only be the titular father. In fact it would be termed adultery.”

“Not if you consent to it.”

He said “In other words........”

“No other words. To use plain words I choose the man and go to bed with him to make the baby.”

He said “It’s a preposterous proposal! Give me time to think till tomorrow. ”

He thought a lot about it and sat talking to her the following day. Hugo said “Shirley, suppose I agree to what you’ve proposed, whom would you choose?”

“If I name somebody, would it make you angry?”

He said “Under the circumstances, no.”

“Tennis star Charlie Yang.”

 He knew Yang the present king of the court. He was of mixed descent and was tall and handsome. Though his Korean admixture would point to a snub nose and slant eyes, he lacked those mongoloid features.

She said “May be my longing to produce such a champ could be realized through him. I know him well and I’ve also played his sister Simson Bok, a very nice woman and a very good player too. They’re a family of tennis stalwarts.”

“How do you propose to go about it?”

“Yang will come if we invite him. He could be lodged in the bungalow in the orchard. You and our staff would all be at the bungalow............”

He said sarcastically “You mean we should watch? ”

“No, no! Your being with me will give the message that there’s no doing apart from normal. I hope you understand. Besides, it will give anonymity to my venture: Folk there will be busy with apple picking and no attention will be paid to doings of the owners.”

“Why bring him to the orchard?”

She said “Good question. You can’t ignore the fact that we’ve many live-in staff in our mansion. There could be gossip.”

“What happens if the person chosen by you is  disinterested ?”

“Leave it to eve’s ingenuity to breakdown disinterest if any. He will leave after a good time and won’t be concerned with after effects.”

“Suppose he insists on using contraceptives?”

“I’ll lie to him saying it isn’t necessary as I’m on the pill.”

“Okay. Do you realize that to produce a baby just one attempt with a donor may not be enough?”

She nodded and said “That’s why I’ll request him to stay a week at start.”

He said “I’m ignorant about  the time required. Of course you should also take into consideration  your  body’s readiness for your plan. Make up your mind quickly. We will start picking apples  very soon. You see the ladders, benches, ropes, slides and so on coming into position under the trees. If there is delay, the anonymity you seek will be lost.”

She felt happy at his acquiesce to her plan but felt a bit guilty as she said “I hope I haven’t hurt your feelings too much.”

“No. I’m going along with whatever you propose.”  However within himself he had decided he would divorce her in due course if she slept with Yang.

The invitation by Shirley and Hugo was accepted by Yang. He arrived one morning a couple of days later on his way to Switzerland, and was put up in the bungalow within the apple orchard. It was a sunny day and there was frenetic activity under apple trees with men and women workers picking and moving apples through slides and chutes. The foremen were shouting  guidance  such as “Don’t pluck that! It isn’t ripe yet” and “Don’t drop them to baskets from that height” and so on. Hugo took Yang around on a guided tour of the orchard. That evening Hugo excused himself on grounds of urgent work which left Shirley alone with Yang. They sat in his room under a dim light as they sipped aperitifs. Shirley asked “How is Simson Bok?”

He said “Tragedy has befallen her.” He sighed and said “My brother-in-law was ill treating her. When she was pregnant, he kicked her and the kick landed on her abdomen. She had a miscarriage and lost the baby. Now they say the effect of the kick was such that she may not be able to produce a child again. She was so eager to have the child – her first--but it seems he didn’t want one as it would spoil her figure.”

He paused to rest his glass which was half full on the table beside him, when there was the sound of a gunshot through the open window. Yang’s glass splintered scattering the contents following a bullet strike. Shirley screamed and some staff came running to help.  Shirley said “Charlie I’m sorry about the gunfire. Fortunately it has missed you.” Her suspicion was that Hugo had tried to kill Yang.  Hugo who had gone elsewhere returned. Police took over the case. Orchard security caught the would-be assassin – an ex-soldier- who lay hidden there. He had smuggled himself in, in a van carrying supplies. He had worked in the orchard as a supervisor and had been sacked by Hugo for insubordination and theft. He confessed to having made the attempt to kill Hugo in revenge for his dismissal. He had seen Shirley through the window. Assuming that Hugo was with her he had shot at him but had missed.

They had a late dinner when Hugo explained the matter to Yang and apologized to him. Yang said “This kind of incident happens everywhere. I was lucky the bullet missed me. I was then about to tell Shirley that I’ve to meet someone in Mumbai and would like to leave tomorrow. I came now because I didn’t want to decline the first invitation to me by two of tennis’ greats. I’ll come again next month when I will be able to camp here a week as suggested by Shirley. This seems a nice hospitable place and I like it here.”

Shirley nodded and said “Hugo you must arrange Charlie’s ticket.”

“It will be done.”

They had finished dinner when Hugo said “It’s already 10 in the night. I’ve to leave. Shirley you could stay in this bungalow tonight. ”

She said “I’ll also go with you now. We can see Charlie off tomorrow.”

Shirley’s response surprised Hugo. After they had got into their car, Shirley apologized to Hugo and with tears flowing, sought forgiveness from him. She said “I don’t know what came over me. May be it was the shock that I wouldn’t be able to bear a child through you. I’m very sorry for all that I had spoken and done. You’ve never been violent towards me or threatened legal action despite my provocations.  In after- thought I realize my behaviour has been childish. I’ll never again embarrass you:  I now realize that seeking to have a baby with another tennis champ for whatever reason is shameful. It must’ve occurred to me just to spite you.”  She paused and added with anger “You’re also responsible for allowing me to lower my dignity with shameful thoughts and actions:  You lacked the guts to prevent my going ahead to do something which I would forever regret.” That was typical Eve-speak!   Hugo and Shirley were reconciled. That year they picked a harvest as never before in that apple orchard.

END