PICKING APPLES ROMANTICALLY

Monica locked her seductive brown eyes into Pedro’s dark hazel eyes as they both sat in the alluring pink painted restaurant together with its Caribbean interior and best quality sturdy yellow cane chairs and shiny mahogany benches and tables drinking fine Mexican coffee.

Monica somewhat youthful looking at the age of twenty-five fairly attractive with her well developed upper chest region with no hesitation in walking gracefully like any other young pretty Mexican woman.

Pedro on the hand with an athletic build with a lush brown beard and mustache, handsome and well educated, seductively innocent with his muscular thin round face, standing at six foot three inches tall which as most people know is extraordinarily tall for a Mexican male.

“Monica, you know for a fact that I have been looking for a girlfriend for a long time with a view dating in the first instance and probably later get married if  we’re suited to one another, and this being our third date I don’t know what you want?” Pedro said, stroking his beard with both hands rapidly in anticipation of Monica’s reply..

Arthur an Orchardist with his serene blue eyes, silver hair slightly balding and at the age of forty-six was slowing down a bit to what he used to accomplish in one day. Arthur being wealthy and a patriotic American with property in both the United States and Baja California.

Pauline married to Arthur for five-years slightly plump with ocean green eyes and a strapping lass for a thirty-five-year-old aristocratic with shoulder-length natural blonde hair.

“Do you know what I would like to do?” Monica asked Pedro.

“Well maybe get married and have kids,” Pedro said as he swirled the last of his coffee in the cup.

“Well that is on the cards somewhere down the track, but I would love to go on a date picking apples?” Monica said.

“Why in the hell would you want to go on a date picking apples?” Pedro asked

“I think it would be quite romantic!” Monica replied.

“People only go picking apples to make money and I have heard that the American orchardists like to pay migrant workers pittance for their hard work and they take advantage of the migrants children as well and you want to go and pick apples,” Pedro said.

“Who said anything about working to pick apples, I said that it would be very romantic to pick apples on a date,” Monica said.

“And how do you propose we get across the border into California?” Pedro asked.

“Oh come now Pedro, we are both intelligent beings, I’m sure we can wrangle something and perhaps bribe the American sentries,” Monica said.

 “You have to be joking don’t you?” Pedro said playing with his beard as Monica looked at him seriously.

“Well it’s time for the apples to be picked, and if you don’t want to come with me, I will find someone else,” Monica stated.

 “Well I don’t know where the labor is coming from with the Covid-19 being so rife this year,” Arthur said, staring at Pauline as she handed Arthur the latest electricity bill.

“Well I was hoping for some more Mexican’s coming aboard this year but even with the lot we have it will be hard to pick all of the apples this year,” Arthur said.

“Pedro, I have been reading a lot about apples did you know that they are related to roses,” Monica said as she opened the door to the grey colored Volkswagen Vento.

“Well, I have heard that the workers at several famous farming companies in Baja California are protesting about the amount of money that they make in a week, and are asking for more money,” Pedro said.

“Oh, you have some idea what our poor cousins have to put up with then,” Monica said.

“Yes, a little so why would you want to go and pick apples,” Pedro replied.

“I have never said I wanted to go and pick apples that was your idea; I said that I wanted to have a date on an apple farm!” Monica retorted.

“Whoa ease up women not so sharp with the response, I have been trying to please you and come up with a solution how we can get out of Mexico and probably into the United States and pick apples, and if we can’t do that I am brainstorming to try and find where we can have a date or get paid for picking apples within Mexico,” Pedro said.

“Well are you going to start this car or are we just going to sit here and argue?” Monica said. “Probably both,” Pedro said as he started the keyless car.

“Pedro, I want to go home I’ve had enough of today, it’s not turning out like I was hoping it would,” Monica said winding the electric window down, letting the fresh air blow her hair sustainably over the backrest of the seat.

“I’ve got it, Pedro said banging his open palms on the steering wheel! “Got what?”

I have just remembered I have an uncle and aunt who have a few acres and they have apples at their place and I haven’t seen them in years, so I can give them a ring and see if we can mosey down to their place and have that date picking apples,” Pedro said excitedly, as Monica opened the door of the car ready to walk up to her apartment.

“Well I see that the Mexicans are boycotting us this year wanting more money for their labor, and then the damn covid-19 virus isn’t helping either as we know how they live they would all have the disease,” Pauline said.

“Well looks like we will have to, hang on I know I will give my Mexican nephew from my first marriage a ring, he lives in Baja California and I am sure he would like some extra pocket money, besides I haven’t seen him in years, Arthur said, placing his pipe on the shiny mahogany bench.

(c) Brian Hastie 2020