Among the Orchard

“Almost nothing has changed in this town wouldn’t you agree Olivia?” Connor says as he walks alongside her through the orchard.

“ Honestly, I like that it hasn’t changed. I feel we can go back to our past and escape the city life when we’re out here”. Olivia responds as she grabs another apple from the tree next to her which she then adds to her growing collection. 

Connor smiles in agreement and looks for more apples to pick.

The sun has begun to set and they seem to be alone in this portion of the apple farm with no one else in sight. They both smile at each other and Olivia motions with her head ever so subtly. The two gradually embrace without another word and Connor soon has Olivia wrapped around him. They are both without a care in the world and now seem oblivious to their surroundings. This intimacy lasts several minutes and would have continued for much longer had Olivia not given a sudden scream as she glanced at Connor’s arm. 

She pulls back from him and looks concerned at her boyfriend. 

“Olivia? What’s wrong? What’s happened?” 

“The blood! Your bleeding!”

“What? No, I’m not? Wait what is this…”

Sure enough, the side of Connor’s shirt seemed to be smeared with what was clearly blood but as he inspected himself for an injury he found none. This was a relief but only helps to confuse the situation further. 

“It’s not my blood that’s for sure but then where did it come from? Oh, stop fussing over me Olivia I swear I am fine.” 

As they both looked among the orchards Connor now spots what they were looking for. He finds wet blood on some of the leaves they had just passed and notices with deep alarm that most of it seems fresh. They are not alone he thought.

“Connor let’s get the hell out of here...this is freaking me out! If it’s a crime scene we should call the cops and let them deal with it. Connor? Are you listening to me?”

“Shhh, I think I heard a voice. They might need help let’s hurry!”  

They both look around urgently and then follow the trail of blood that covered the leaves they had just passed.

Connor rushes through the foliage while yelling

 “Hello?! Is someone there? Tell us where you are so we can call the ambulance and help you!”

Connor now looks back at Olivia who appears very anxious next to him but then changes to one of surprise as she points ahead. 

“Look I think that might be a shoe or something!”

Sure enough, as they rushed over to what she’d seen, there was a single beaten up shoe that was smeared all over with blood. Right across from it and leaning against one of the apple trees was a man. He lay there seemingly lifeless with his tattered clothes covered in blood. His face had several cuts with one eye appearing completely swollen and his upper lip was busted. He seemed to be in his mid-fifties and under normal circumstances would be considered of good looks. Both his eyes appeared closed so Olivia whispers “You think he’s dead?”

 Connor ignores her and as they both approach him he says “Sir can you hear us? Where going to call an ambulance for you now. Can you tell me what…?”

“You’ll do no such thing!” the man yells abruptly as he opens his one good eye and looks up at both of them.

 “I intend to die here whether you like it or not and I…”

As he stops mid-sentence his expression changes from one of anger to one of surprised realization.

 “I know you, don’t I? And to think there is no such thing...cough cough… as fate in this world.” He is now staring at Connor who is shocked by this response and looks at Olivia who is equally confused.  Before either of them could respond the man continues while appearing more calm than before.

 “Your Nathan’s son aren’t you, Connor is it? Small town it seems haha… cough cough”. 

This time blood comes out each time he coughs but he seems to ignore it. Olivia then approaches the man and takes out her water bottle

 “Please, Sir! Let us help you, just what kind of people would we be if we left you like this!?”

Connor has stayed put and asks “How did you know my father? He died when I was a boy. And better yet how do you know me? I’ve never seen you in my life.”

Olivia now looks up at Connor in complete astonishment and anger. 

“Are you serious right now!? Who cares how he knows you or your father! We need to get him to a hospital right now! Come on help me carry him.”

As she gestures for Connor to help, the man sadly shakes his head and raises his left hand indicating for Olivia to stop. 

“It’s too late girl don’t you see? Besides I’ve done my part in life and the thugs who did this to me will eventually pay the price. They all do in the end.”

The sun was now very low and darkness was beginning to surround them. The chilly winds were harsher now which gave Olivia another reminder that this man would not see tomorrow's sunrise. She lets out a small sob for this poor man who they can’t help. Connor is now very uneasy and doesn’t want to anger Olivia further but his twisted curiosity gets the better of him. And so he looks straight at him and asks again “How did you know my father…and also what happened to you? At least answer me this and we will let you die in peace.”

The man nods in agreement and looks to Olivia reassuringly. “Well for starters your father and I worked in the same coal factory that shut down more than a decade ago. He and I, along with many others were involved in a major industrial accident which left many dead including...cough cough...your father. This of course leads to the place being shut down for good.” Connor is now completely fixated on his words.

“This is what they tell you all but in truth the accident was intentional. It was a planned catastrophe meant to kill all the union workers who’d turned on the mob.”

“What are you talking about my father was never involved in that stuff that’s impossible!”

“Why would I lie to you, Connor? I am a dead man after all.” He continues but his breath is now more labored than before.

“We were going to testify all at once and it would have been the end for the mob in these parts. Unfortunately, they got to us first and were able to whip everyone out, except me of course.” He grimaces and continues “I’ve been under witness protection for the last decade until I got a tip that there was hidden evidence right here in this orchard. I was going to dig for it but those damn thugs found me before I got the chance...cough cough.”

Both Olivia and Connor are entranced with this new information and there is a long silence that follows. 

Finally, Connor responds “If we find this evidence who do we take it to”?

“Trust no one is this town especially not the sheriff, alright?”

He now takes a small piece of paper out of his shirt pocket and hands it to Olivia. “Take it to the Feds if you can, anything lower is a risk as the mob’s control is very strong.”

 She looks it over and then reads the note out loud “The lone Oaktree and thirty steps north.”

“You best get to it then before it gets pitch dark..cough cough…here take the shovel I brought with me. It’s propped up against the tree to my left.” His voice has gotten worse and his one good eye is beginning to close.

Sure enough, there was a small rusty shovel right where he said it would be. Connor takes it and looks at the man whose silhouette is now barely visible under the fading light.  Olivia looks at the dying man with her eyes filling with tears and then looks back to Connor who’s trying to hide his emotions. In truth, he feels broken in knowing his father’s true fate but also feels hopeless that they can’t help this poor man.

As he then looks at Olivia with his sad eyes he hugs her gently for reassurance. Connor then looks at the man and asks if they can at least know his name. When he doesn’t answer they both realize the inevitable has occurred and the man has passed away. They are alone once again.  

They stand there for a few minutes in silence until Olivia looks to Connor and says “This man along with your father; they didn't die for nothing” She looks around her surroundings “let's find that evidence and make this right.”

Connor simply nods silently as he follows her with the shovel. He looks back at the body one last time and then pushes forward. It’s now completely dark and they begin using their phone flashlights to make their way through the orchard. It takes them a while to pinpoint the oaktree which would have been visible in daylight. Even so, they eventually reach it and they now look at each other with anticipation. Connor soon finds the way north and begins counting their steps as they maneuver through the trees in the dark.

 “Twenty-eight, twenty-nine, thirty” Connor stops and looks down to find a medium-sized boulder right on the spot. “This seems to be it I guess.”

 Olivia nods in agreement. Without another word, Connor begins moving the boulder as Olivia shines her light on the area so he can see. Once that's dealt with, nothing else remains but to begin digging. They both start taking turns as it proves to be a hard terrain. As is expected in mid-October. The digging continues for about fifteen minutes yet with no luck and they both start to worry. 

“Maybe we counted wrong, I think we should start from the oak tree agai…” 

Thunk! The distinctive sound of metal hitting metal is heard and they both look to one another with a hopeful gaze.

 “This has got to be it!” Connor responds eagerly. He now doubles his efforts and in the next five minutes, they begin clawing at the soil around the container. It seems to be an old metal lunch box. Now they lift it out of the deep hole in which it was buried and place it next to them. Connor stares at it for a bit hesitantly and with a nostalgic gaze.

 Olivia shakes his arm “Connor what are you waiting for let’s open it.”

Her voice snaps him back to the present and he begins looking for the opening

He then turns to her and says “My father had this exact type of lunch box, I guess the memories of him seemed to rush back to me by seeing it.”

Olivia nods in understanding and gives a reassuring hug. Connor now fiddles with the small lock that keeps it shut and can open it but with some difficulty. He now opens the lid.

What’s inside shocks them both as they are now staring at neatly stacked wads of hundred dollar bills which seem to be packed in the lunch box to the very brim. Now they stare at it. Both have their minds going a mile a minute as their morals begin to be questioned. 

Olivia’s voice cracked as she whispers 

“That’s blood money, Connor, we can’t take it. Check if there are any files or a USB or something.”

With a gentle nod, he lifts the stacks of money out of the lunch box and places them carefully to the side. It is soon apparent that there is nothing else and as the realization sits in. They both avoid each other's gaze. 

“What now?” Connor says 

“We can’t take the money Connor, it would be wrong and you know it.”

“Says who?” He turns to her with slight annoyance “This is rightly ours. We found it, we take it. It’s plain and simple. Besides what do you want us to do just leave it here? And just think of what we can do with this kind of money!”

His eyes shined bright with ambition.

Olivia is hesitant and insists once again

"Connor the mob might be after this money, they will come looking for us! And they'll treat us no different than that poor man."

Connor now looks at the money and back at Olivia with a defeated look as he recognizes the logic in her argument. His frustration is now evident as he looks to Olivia in a pleading tone.

 “We can leave the big City altogether and start a completely new life, away from these dangerous people and somewhere where they will never find us! Come on this our chance to be happy!”

Olivia puts her arms around his waist while bringing him close and whispers “Aren’t you happy now? A few hours ago before all this...” she gestures to the money. “You told me you felt complete bliss being out here with me. We don’t need blood money to make our lives complete no matter how much it may be. For me, it’s already complete as long as we’re together. And Connor?” she now stares at him with her emerald green eyes.

 “Ya?” He stares back transfixed in her look. 

“I’m not going anywhere that isn’t with you unless of course, you take that money. In which case consider me gone, understood?”

Connor hesitates but only for a bit as he now stares back at her piercing gaze and smiles.

“You certainly can’t buy happiness so why bother.”  

He then nods towards the money and takes out his cigarette lighter. Olivia smiles back and a part of her is very relieved. She’s seen what money can do to people and this was one of those rare moments where they were truly tested. 

As the bills begin to burn in front of them Olivia now looks to her boyfriend with newfound respect. 

Connor stands up from lighting the last of the bills and finally says 

“This is the toughest decision I’ve ever made but I’m happy with my choice.”

He then wraps his hand around her waist and they both stare transfixed at the small fire they’ve just created. It is now midnight and they are both as happy as they’ve ever been.

The End.