How to grow a pineapple plant

The faucet finishes filling the soapless bathtub. She closes it and looks at her trembling hands. The doorbell rings again. She exits the bathroom and wipes her eyes with her purple fleece sleeve, but tears have long stopped running. Slowly she unlocks the two locks and takes a deep breath before she opens the door as far as the door chain allows. Two grayish blue eyes in an old unshaven gray face stare at her for a silent second.

“You are home,” the man states while trying to straighten his back a little.

“Who are you?”

“Nobody else is home. I nearly gave up!”

“It’s Christmas, of course nobody is still here.”

“You are.”

“What do you want?” she asks, closing the door a little.

He holds up a frozen pizza for her to see. He tries to smile but can barely lift the corner of his mouth before his eyes are starting to get watery.

“My oven broke and I have nothing else to eat. Can I use your oven, please?”

She looks down at the frozen pizza, hesitant.

“It will only take fifteen minutes. Marvelous things, those frozen pizzas,” he says, looking down at the thing, “my wife never allowed me to eat those.”

This time a smile does appear on his face. She closes the door and his shoulders drop. Then the door chain slides off and the door opens.

“Go ahead,” she says while pointing in the direction of the oven in the open kitchen next to the door.

He nods three times and enters. His eyes glance over the messy dining table before observing the oven. He manages to turn the thing on and looks at her with a faint smile.

“Thank you.”

She nods and turns away when he keeps looking at her. His face drops a little bit, making him look even older. Then he straightens his back again and points at her.

“Do you still need to eat? I have a second one.”

She stares down at her bare feet.

“I don’t have to eat anymore.”

“Yes, yes,” he continues, ignoring her answer, “I will grab the second pizza from my apartment. I will be back in a minute!”

The next day the doorbell rings again. She unlocks the two locks and opens it just enough to see who’s standing there. It is the old man again, this time showing her a pineapple.

“I want to give you a little ‘thank you’ for allowing me to use your oven.”

“That’s a pineapple.”

He lowers the pineapple, looks at it and whispers ‘yes’.

“I don’t like pineapples.”

“I see…”

He takes a small step back and falls silent. Then he raises his head while a little twinkle appears in his tired eyes.

“You can grow a pineapple plant from it!”

The door closes, leaving him stranded in the empty corridor. His shoulders drop and he turns around to walk away. Then the door chain slides off and the door opens again.

“How?” she asks while folding her arms.

“The top!”

He shows her the small green leaves on top.

“You just cut off the top, but leave a little bit of the stalk attached to it. Then your remove some of the lowest leaves and you let it dry for a day or two. Then you plant it and it will grow a new pineapple plant.”

He hands her the pineapple.

The doorbell rings. She unlocks the two locks, opens the door a little and sees the old man again. She takes the door chain off and looks at the half empty bag of potting soil and the shiny red pot in his hands.

“I figured you probably don’t have anything to plant your pineapple plant in. Is it ready to be potted?”

She shakes her head and looks at the pineapple still standing on the kitchen counter, right next to the bin.

“I don’t know how to take care of a plant,” she says quietly.

“Just water, sunlight and love.”

“But I like to keep my curtains closed.”

“Why?”

She looks at him, her jaws pressed together. Then she takes the potting soil and the pot.

“I will try.”

He nods at her with a soft smile and she nods back before closing the door.

His doorbell rings. He opens the door and looks at the pineapple leaves sticking out of the red pot. She pushes it under his nose.

“You lied! The leaves are turning brown!”

He stutters and looks at her face. Her eyebrows are pulled down and her jaws are pressed together, but her eyes are don’t mimic that anger.

“That is normal. Every new growth is difficult. Just keep going.”

She shakes her head violently and pushes the plant to his chest.

“It’s not growing. I don’t want it.”

He reaches for the pot, trying to push it back to her, but she releases it. It tumbles to the ground, breaking on impact and launching the leafy stalk in a trail of potting soil through the hallway. She drops down next to it, nearly silent tears running down her face. She covers it with her hands. He walks over to the plant and picks it up. He squints his eyes, inspecting it closely before smiling.

“It grew roots! See! You did well.”

She looks up with surprise and, only visible for a millisecond, a twinkle in her crying eyes.

The doorbell rings, she unlocks the lock and opens it.

“It grew a new leaf!” she says when seeing the old man.

She lets him in and walks towards the plant that’s standing in the living room on a white plastic table in front of the window.

“Do you want something to drink? Coffee? Tea?”

The old man slowly follows and smiles.

“Just a glass of water, thank you.”

He stops next to her and looks at the pineapple plant. It still stands in the broken red pot, held together by duct tape. Most of its old leaves are brown and dried out. Some have have survived and slowly start to grow but they are overshadowed by the new fresh green leave that spurts out from the top.

“This must be your weirdest Christmas gift ever!” he says, still inspecting the plant with a smile.

“It is my only Christmas gift ever.”

His smile disappears and concern enters his eyes as he observes her. All he sees is a faint unrevealing smile on her face. She quickly turns around.

“I will grab you a glass of water.”

The doorbell rings, she unlocks the lock and opens the door.

“Can I borrow a cup of sugar?”

“Hi Frank! You should see the plant. It just keeps on growing! How big can a pineapple plant get?”

She walks toward the living room to show the plant. Frank follows her to admire the plant.

“Frank….”

“Yes? What is it?”

“I told you before that you can just visit me if you want to. You don’t need an excuse.”

He nods, looking at the rather big pineapple plant still standing in its tiny duct taped pot.

“Thank you, but I actually do need a cup of sugar this time.”

“Okay, I will grab a cup of sugar for you. What do you want to drink? Coffee? Tea?”

“Just some water, thank you.”

She walks into the kitchen.

“How big can a pineapple plant get?” she asks him

He runs his finger over the sharp edges of the fibrous long leaves.

“I don’t know. I think rather big if you look at the fruit.”

She grabs her phone and looks it up.

“Two meters in diameter!”

His doorbell rings. It takes some time before he reaches the door and opens it.

“Susan! What can I do for you, my dear?”

“I repotted the pineapple plant, so I thought I’d return your old pot.”

She gives him the duct taped red pot.

“Thank you?” he says, while taking the pot and scratching his gray head.

She laughs.

“You can throw it away if you want!”

Her laugh puts a smile on his face and he steps aside.

“Please, come in. What can I offer you to drink?”

Her doorbell rings and she opens the door.

“Hi Frank!”

“I haven’t seen you in a while.”

“I have a new job!”

She lets him in and walks towards the pineapple plant.

“Where?” he asks while taking his time to follow her.

She points at the larger pot that’s more suitable for the size of the pineapple plant. It’s a soft purple pot with a wavy pattern.

“That’s a lovely pot,” he says.

“I work there now. When I was looking for a new pot I noticed they had a vacancy. So I applied and got the job!”

“Congratulations, that's wonderful! We should celebrate! Let me take you out for lunch.”

“Great idea! But I’ll pay, I make more money than you now! What do you want to drink?”

She races to the kitchen while he keeps on staring at the plant.

“This was once a pineapple with some tiny leaves on top. Look at how it grew! I’m proud of you!”

She turns around and smiles, before asking him again what he wants to drink.

“Just water, thank you.”

His doorbell rings and he opens it to see Susan hidden behind the large pineapple plant.

“Hello, my dear!”

“Hi Frank! What’s that?”

She peers past the plant and points with her nose to the walking stick.

“Just a little aid that my old age requires.”

“You’re not old! You may look a little old, but I don’t think you’re old!”

“You’re too sweet, my dear. What can I do for you?”

“I’m going on Holidays. Can you look after our plant for a bit?”

She opens the door and enters.

“Frank, is everything alright?”

“Yes,” he responds faintly from his armchair.

She kneels down next to him to look at all the pictures he has placed on the coffee table in front of him. It starts with a picture of a handsome young Frank next to his beautiful bride, both smiling. The pictures of the two of them continue with a baby, child, and then a young man in their middle. Then it’s just the two of them again till they are both quite old. She points at it.

“That one’s already a while back.”

He nods.

“Shall we make a new one?”

He gives her a weak smile.

“Of me? Why would we do that? I’m just a bunch of wrinkles.”

“Of us! With our pineapple plant!”

He smiles, bigger this time.

“I would love that, my dear.”

She lays her hand on his shoulder and looks at his tired body resting in the armchair.

“I don’t think I can still lift that plant. It has become huge! Do you think you can still walk down?”

“Yes, If you help me, I can do that one last time.”

“I think it is going to flower!”

She opens the door and enters.

“Frank! How are you doing? I cooked some meals for you.”

There is no response. She walks over to his armchair. There he looks at peace, but she looks distressed. She touches his shoulder.

“Frank? Frank?! Wake up! Please! Don’t leave me here all alone!”

She looks at their huge pineapple plant standing in a large shiny red pot on a small wooden table. In front stands the picture frame of the three of them. In the middle of the plant the first purple flowers started blooming.

“You would have loved this, Frank,” she says while a tear drops on the letter in her hand.

‘Don’t open till our plant flowers!’ is written on it. She slowly opens the letters while wiping the tears from her face and reads it out loud so their plant can hear it too:

“They are beautiful, aren’t they? I read that the flowers are purple, your favorite color! Susan, I just want to say thank you. I never needed more than some water when I was with you, because you were the light in my darkest days and you brought me love as if you were my very own grandchild. Thank you.”

She drops to the floor, crying. Crying with a smile on her face. She kisses the letter.

“Thank you too, Frank, for saving my life.”