it's not like it seems

Childhood isn't just a bunch of years we spend enjoying innocence and free time after school. It is the the inspiraion of great decisions we make in our lives.

Steve and I got the chance to know each other since we were 1 day old.

We were born in the countryside where neighbors are part of the family. His mother and mine were best friends, we could just call them sisters.

They believed it was a sign of a delightful life ahead that both of them gave us birth at the same day and exact hour. For them it was a proof of their pure love and friendship and they assumed we would have an honest one too.

They made us share a special tradition. That is no matter what happens or where ever the track of life takes us, Steve and I have to participate in the apple picking season together.

And we kept that promise.

During Fall, apple picking taught me about the wild child I was climbing the high trees, getting injuries and sharing great memories with my only friend Steve.

Apple trees were the first to witness my bipolar mood, that I exposed in Steve's face when I was a teenager. By the time I started realizing that my body was getting a new shape, the shape of a grown woman, with new curves that I couldn’t accept at first and a new strength making me more powerful than Steve who was struggling carrying the apple boxes.

I was bossy but i made a great company.I was angry but optimistic.

I was a lover but ... a friend.

We spent the evenings tasting the new born apples that looked and felt just like me: beautiful, fresh, energetic, soft but hurtful if they fall on your head without paying attention to them( that’s how Steve described me back then ).

He was confused but wise. He was angry but forgiving.He was a friend but more.

I could argue with him, even get in a fight with him over silly things after spending a really nice evening under the sunset. And he would get mad because he couldn’t understand why I did that. He was right. There was no reason but bad hormones time.

There was this one time, i decided to get a new haircut, wear a red lipstick and beautiful dress. At that time i didn't know what i actually was thimking.I just wanted him to think i'm pretty. I didn't ask for anything and he never said a word. So i started throwing apples back at him and screaming '' i hate you ¨! i realy do ! i wish i had a smarter friend'' then i left the champ without an explanation.

Between the trees I learnt the real meaning of love.

That when you love someone you deeply accept him the way he or she is. Because despite our fight, Steve met me the next morning with a smile on his face as if nothing happened. And that taught me how to apologize. Because no ome on earth would handle my anger waves like him.

We grew up watching each other’s both sides without complains. We grew up between the apple trees, our paradise, our only peaceful place to share secrets and cry on each other’s shoulders, to laugh and fight, to love and get jealous, to build the best friendship and without ... confessions.

Last year we had to goodbye each other for the first time in 24 years. We both had an amazing opportunity of work but in different cities. It was the first time because even when we got out of the country for college, we went to the same university. We simply couldn’t live but together.Since day one everything we did was about ''us''.we litterally lived every second of our life together and ''together'' is a word you hear so often if you want to know more details about our story. We ate together , we partied together, we danced, we intented funerals, we smoked and we quitted, we got into fights, we sat for exams, we gossiped, we slept and woke up and everything we did we did it together.

Yesterday was the first day of our season. The Fall.

we came back for apple picking.

We put on our special apple picking clothes and went straight to the trees.

Weirdly none of us was tired from the 5 hours trip on the plane and waking up early. We were both excited for this moment. The moment of our real existence. But this time Steve had a different look. A look i hadn't seen in years.

We arrived at the Apple Champ. We gazed at each other with a big smile like we were newborns who had not learn how to speak yet.

We choosed to pursue our walk in silence. That reminded me of the moments when I had to apologize from him after a silly argument. Except this time, I knew it was his turn to speak.

We said nothing for three hours of hard work, clumping ladders and smiling until the break time came.

We sat under a big apple tree to rest and enjoy the field as usual.

''You know...'' we said at the same time. And we both laughed on that.

''You say'' I told him.

''I missed you, it was very boring without you. It was...''.

''Sad ?'' I interrupted.

''Yes! Very very sad''.

''I know, I missed you too''.

We ate our share of apples without saying more. But I knew he had more things to say, he seemed nervous.

When I stood up and flicked the dust on my dress to get back to work, he stood up very suddenly and weirdly, like he was gathering his courage for years and said to me ''would you marry me Rosie ?''.

I couldn't answer for ten minutes. I kept wondering his face until he asked again: ''Rosie! Are you still here with me?''

''Yes! Double yes! A yes for your last question and a big yes for your first one''.

Going back home to announce our love and relationship was not very surprising for our families, especially for our mothers. They smiled cleverly like they have planned everything. We lived together for 25 years just for this moment.