Chapter 1 : Little Fruit
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This morning, my mom and I left the house early, heading towards Grandpa’s garden, which is quite a distance away. Our car slowly meandered along the coastal road, with the distant view of the waves far off in the horizon. Not long after, we arrived at the garden, filled with a variety of trees planted haphazardly to the owner's liking.
“Grab that bag for me, and put these gloves on too,” Mom said.
I reached for the big red bag at the back and handed it to her.
“What are we doing at the garden today?” I asked while putting on the gloves.
“There are some fruits behind Grandpa’s house. You’ll find out soon,” Mom replied.
We walked around the old wooden house to the backyard and saw Grandpa busily picking something.
“Oh, you’re here. It’s going to be a bit of work today. Help me pick them all, okay?” Grandpa smiled with a gentle expression, looking at me warmly.
“Here, take a look at these little fruits. What do you think they are?”
“Cherries,” I answered, looking at the small red fruits.
“These are actually mini apples,” Grandpa revealed with a smile.
I was slightly surprised, feeling unsure about my answer. Tiny apples? I pictured the supermarket shelves lined with big, bright red apples.
“They are called apples, but they’re often mistaken for cherries because of their small size,” Mom said, breaking her long silence, almost as if defending my incorrect guess.
“Here, hold out your hand,” Grandpa handed me a few mini apples.
“People, if they can accept who they are, whether they’re cherries or apples, can still ripen into the fruits they’re meant to be.”
I didn’t fully grasp what Grandpa meant, but I knew I had to hurry and pick these mini apples before the morning sun got too hot...
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