Hot Apple Cider

  VROOM.

 “Are we there yet!?” shouted two small children. The pair sat in the backseats of an SUV.

  “Not yet children,” answered a young caucasian woman in the passenger seat next to the driver, a young woman as well; an African-American.

  “How about now!?” exclaimed the agog and yearning dark skinned girl in the seat behind the driver’s seat.

  “Be patient Annie,” replied the driver in a mellow tone as she briefly peered into the rearview mirror.

 The young caucasian boy stared out of the window with his head resting on his knuckles and his elbow on his thigh. He watched every passing car and every tree in the rural neighborhood of upstate New York. The caucasian woman looked at the downcast boy via the rearview mirror and said, “aw, cheer up Percy. In a few minutes we’ll-”

  “We’re here!” the girl- Annie- shouted effervescently. 

 The boy- Percy’s- mood quickly changed. He smiled as he very gleefully gazed upon the aged sign: “Welcome to Maskers Orchard.”

  “We’re here, we’re here, we’re here!” Annie cheered.

  “Haha, calm down back there Annie,” said the driver. The woman drove the car up the slightly askew dirt trail of the vast apple orchard. She quickly found a vacant parking space and occupied it. 

  “Now we’re here,” she said with a smile. 

 Annie and Percy were the first out of the car. The jubilee younglings were ready to race off before they were quickly halted by the sound of the driver’s voice saying, “hold up now young ones.”

  “Oh come on. What now?” Percy complained.

  “Some ground rules,” stated the other woman, “we’re not just gonna let you run off without establishing any.”

  “Ugh, mom,”the antsy little boy whined.

  “The sooner we get these rules over with, the sooner the two of you can go and have your fun,” suggested the first lady.

 Percy crossed his arms over his chest and frowned.

  “Okay, rule number one,” began Percy’s mom, “no wandering too far from the trail. You two can go and pick apples from as many trees as you’d like, as long as you remain close to the dirt trail.”

  “Rule two,” said the other woman, “Annie, you’ve gotta leave the book in the car.”

  “What? No!” exclaimed Annie as her book got confiscated from her, “aunty Michelle, no!”

  “This is the outdoors. Go have some fun.”

  “My dream of reading my favorite book underneath an apple tree is my idea of fun.”

  “Absolutely NO apple throwing,” Percy’s mom added.

  “Mom!”

  “Yes Percy. No apple throwing. Final rule, no climbing the trees.”

  “Yeah, we cannot stress that enough,” Annie’s aunt said.

  “But why not?” Percy complained.

  “Once upon a time, a young girl went and climbed one of the apple trees. She wasn’t up there very long before she fell and dislocated her shoulder. Today she is telling you not to climb the trees.”

 Percy rolled his eyes.

  “Okay. You two are free to go. Use the bags that the lady gave us at the entrance and collect as many apples as you can,” Annie’s aunt said.

 Percy and Annie turned and started toward the elephantine group of apple trees.

  “Let’s go throw some apples,” Percy suggested.

  “Percy!” his mother called.

 The alerted young boy quickly turned to her. “I was kidding,” he ejaculated. He then turned back and repeated, this time in a whisper, “let’s throw apples.”

 Minutes later, Annie and Percy were strolling through the orchard. Annie trailed behind Percy due to her brimming bag of apples. “This is nicer than I thought,” she claimed, “Percy, where’s your bag?”

  “It flew away,” Percy responded without even turning to look at her.

  “Wait, so you haven’t been collecting anything?”

  “Nope.”

 Annie’s attention was briefly stolen by a quaint tree. The apples were huge and blood red. She reached up and began picking more apples. She attempted to fit them all into her already full bag but to no avail. “Aw man. Percy, can you help me hold these please.”

 Percy did an about-face and went to help Annie. The two continued on. Annie looked at Percy and asked, “what’s your plan?”

  “My plan?” Percy replied.

  “While we’re here. If you’re not picking apples, what are you planning on doing?”

  “Oh, I plan on picking apples.” Percy reached over and yanked an apple off of a branch. “I just wanna throw them and see the huge explosion when they hit the ground.”

  “But your mom said no apple throwing.”

  “Come on. ‘No apple throwing’? That’s crazy talk.” After guying his mother’s rule, Percy cocked his arm back, leaned back, and flung the fruit high up into the air. His intention of having it fall back down somewhere right in front of him did not work out. Instead, the apple fell and landed on the opposite side of the tree in which the kids were standing in front of.

  “HEY!” shouted a voice that sounded like a crabby, curmudgeonly old man.

 Annie stood still. She became yellow at the sound of the yell.

  “Annie, come on,” Percy called to which Annie did just so.

  “Percy!” said Annie, disapprovingly.

  “I didn’t expect that to happen,” Percy said.

 Annie just rolled her eyes and said, “ugh, boys are so reckless.” She then looked at Percy and could see that he was already looking for more apples to throw, perhaps ones greater in size. “Percy, why don’t you just eat the apples.”

  “Because that’s boring.”

  “Then eat them in a different way.” 

  “What do you mean?”

  “For example, when I get home, I’m gonna ask my aunt to help me make apple pie with a sweet crumble.”

  “That does sound pretty nice.”

  “Yeah. Maybe even apple juice. Or even better, apple cider.”

  “Apple cider?”

  “Yeah. Some hot apple cider.”

  “Never had it.”

  “What? How are we even friends?”

  “Haha, I dunno. Is it good?”

  “Is it good? It’s amazing! The feeling of that warm cider smoothly going down your throat as your insides rejoice. There’s nothing better. And it’s that much more enjoyable when my aunty makes it, or anyone you’re close to for that matter.”

  “Maybe I’ll try it some time.” Percy quickly came to a halt and said, “Annie, look!”

 Annie looked to where he was pointing to see a massive, perfectly spherical, candy red apple. “Wow, that’s a nice one. Good eye Percy.”

  “Thanks. Now can you gimme a hand.”

  “A hand?”

  “Yeah, give me a boost so I can get up to that branch that’s sticking out and then use it to climb up and get the apple.”

  “Climb? Percy, that’s the ‘cannot stress enough’ rule.”

  “Oh come on Annie. My mom only made that rule because of that corny story that she told. She tells that story all the time and I’m pretty sure the details change every time. Besides, if we get that apple, we can make all the cider we want.”

  “I don’t know.”

  “Fine. I’ve got it.”

  “Percy, don’t.” 

 Percy did not listen. He handed Annie her apples and began to brazenly climb up.

  “Percy!” Annie called again, but to no avail.

 Percy dug the toe of his shoe into a crevice in the tree. He trusted the cavity enough to put his entire body weight on the bottom of it and haul himself up. Before he could let gravity take him, he reached up and grabbed the huge, patent branch. He held on as his legs dangled freely below him.

  “Can you please just come down,” Annie begged.

 Percy simply looked at her and then pulled himself up. He stood and balanced on the branch. Once he fully gained his sense of equilibrium, he started walking toward the ripe fruit. He took each step cautiously until he got to the apple and grabbed it.

  “Okay, now get back to the ground,” Annie said.

 Percy turned around and started walking back. “See? Not dangerous at all,” he teased, “besides, the tree isn’t even-”. All of a sudden, Percy’s left foot slipped.

  “Percy!” Annie called as her friend fell to the ground. He landed with a thud and Annie scurried over to him.

  “OW! MOMMY!” he wailed, “MOMMY!”

 Percy’s mom, as well as Annie’s aunt rushed over to the scene.

  “Oh my gosh, what happened?” asked Percy’s mom as she knelt down beside her crying son.

  “What were you guys doing here?” Annie’s aunt asked.

  “I-I tried telling him not to and then-”

  “Not to what?”

  “OOOW!” Percy cried.

  “Did he fall?” Percy’s mom asked Annie.

  “Y-yeah,” she answered.

  “How hard did he fall?”

 Annie looked at the tree, unaware of the fact that she even did so. Percy’s mom picked up on this and asked, “he fell from up there!?”

  “Ummm-” Annie began.

  “Ow, I think it’s broken,” Percy cried as he held his foot.

  “We need to get him to the emergency room,” Annie’s aunt urged, “come on. Pick him up and bring him to the car.”

 Percy’s mother lifted him into her arms and followed Annie and her aunt to the car.

  “M-mommy,” Percy said.

  “Yes, what is it baby?”

  “I-I’m sorry. I’m sorry.”

  “It’s okay sweetie. Just hold on, we’re gonna get you to a doctor.”

 The four of them got into the car and Percy’s mom sat with him in the rear seat. The engine turned over and they were off.

 Before long, the group had arrived. Percy was resting in a hospital bed and his mother was sitting beside that bed.

  “Mommy.”

  “What is it sweetie?”

  “Where’s Annie?”

  “She had to go home.”

  “Oh.” Percy easily gave way to tears, “I’m sorry. I-I ruined our trip.”

  “No honey, don’t say that.”

  “I did. I didn’t follow the rules and now we’re here and Annie had to go home.”

  “Hey, honey. Listen, I know you just wanted to have fun. I get that. The rules aren’t there to take that away. They’re there to keep you safe, okay?”

  “Okay.”

  “It’s alright sweetie.” She leaned in and comforted Percy with a hug. She then leaned back and said, “get some rest.”

 Percy did just so. He shut his eyes and quickly drifted off into a slumber.

  “Percy. Percy.”

 When he heard his name being called after his hour long nap, Percy slowly opened his eyes and looked at his mother.

  “Percy, you have a visitor.”

 Annie then walked into the room, holding a lunchbox. “Hey Percy,” she said with a smile.

  “Annie. I’m sorry for ruining-”.

  “Don’t,” Annie said in a comforting tone, “how’s your foot?”

  “Still hurts.”

  “Sorry to hear that.”

 Percy’s mother leaned in and said, “didn’t you say you have a gift for Percy?”

  “Oh yeah,” Annie replied. She placed her lunchbox on the side table drawer and undid the latch. She lifted the lid, revealing two small mason jars, each containing a brick red colored liquid.

  “What’s that?” asked Percy.

  “Hot apple cider,” replied Annie, “I made it to help you feel better.” She removed the lids of both jars and handed one to Percy as he sat up. Annie took a sip and Percy smelled the drink first. He then took a small sip and let a warm feeling come over him. “Bleh.”

  “Bleh? Wow, I’m hurt,” Annie said, “I’ll finish it for you.”

  “No, I want it,” Percy responded, “I may not be a fan of the taste but I do love the fact that it was made by you.”

 Annie smiled from ear to ear and the two sipped away at the cider.

THE

END.