Pomegranates

In November, pomegranates are in full swing.

At a Saturday farmers' market, I was looking for pomegranates.  One farmer had boxes, with different price stickers, full of deep red skin fruits.  The bigger the size of the pomegranate, the more price.  Customers picked boxes according to their preference.  One box labeled $ 0.75/each, and the other $ 0.75/lb, attracted the most people.  I dipped into the $ 0.75/lb box, because it contained the best juicy fruits - with cracks on the skin.  I call this crack a crooked smile, because it symbols an open mouth with teeth (the seeds) showing, and I know that fruit will usually be tasty. 




Pomegranates

 

Every customer picked and picked, until ...........

Customer A yelled out:  "Which is cheaper, $ 0.75/each or $ 0.75/lb?"

Other customers:  "Huh?"  "Is that a question?"  "Which is cheaper?"

All of a sudden, people halted and looked at each other.  The air was full of questions, loud and low.

Customer B suggested:  "Let's hear from the farmer!"

Farmer hesitated:  "$ 0.75/each is cheaper than $ 0.75/lb."

Other customers:  "Why?  Aren't they the same prices?"  "You are wrong!"

Many voices rose again.

Farmer:  "Because a larger size fruit can weight more than one lb."

Customer C looked furious:  "What?  We are cheated by picking $ 0.75/lb instead of $ 0.75/each?"

Farmer answered impatiently:  "Technically, yes."

Other customers:  "Say that again!"

Now people were puzzled.  Some weren't sure which box to go to.  They got in the way of others.  A fist fight might break out.

Farmer:  "Alright, calm down!  Let me say one more thing."  "The $ 0.75/lb tastes better than the $ 0.75/each."

Other customers challenged:  "Why do you charge the same price for both??"

Convincing the customers that quality mattered as well as price, was like pulling teeth.  The more explanation, the more confusion.  Meanwhile some people were having fun, while others had headaches.  Many outsiders surrounded the scene.  The atmosphere intensified.

Farmer frustrated:  "If I don't sell these fruits, I can always compost them!"

When the customers heard his words, they hurried loading up pomegranates and paid.  That's the end of the story.

I had a bagful of crooked smiles and walked away with a crooked smile on my face. 




Farmer/customer debate

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Chrysanthemums

At the edge of Chinatown, there's a house.  It looks funky because the white paint is peeling off its walls. A small garden sits between the sidewalk and the front of the house.  Every time I pass by, I'm always attracted to the garden.  Since the house hasn't kept up to date, the garden is a bit messy, too.

During the summer, squashes, tomatoes, green onions, herbs, etc. thrive.  Zucchinis have large wide leaves, yellow blossoms.  Tomato vines climb all over each other, with green and orange fruits hanging.  Green onions, they look like they don't get enough nutrients, though.  A short stone wall borders between the sidewalk and the garden, and a small wooden fence sits on the stone wall.  Bushes of chrysanthemums lean against the fence.


Now it's November.  I was delighted to see the chrysanthemums in full bloom.  They are not a fancy kind, but a common species.  I was attracted to its gesture, color, and smell.  Yellow blossoms completely brighten the garden.  A minority of purple flowers compliment the yellow.  The subtle fragrance of the flowers, and strong herbal hint of the leaves, uplift my mind.  The chrysanthemums show quality of endurance.  Skinny and long stems are burdened by many blossoms and occasional bad weather.  They still send out beautiful flowers to the world.


My friend and I passed by the garden.  An old lady was there.  I asked my friend to speak to her in Cantonese to get permission to visit the garden.  "She's not speaking the same dialect," my friend observed.  Fortunately, the old lady read our minds and invited us in.  She was very friendly and showed us around.  I pointed at the chrysanthemums and tried to tell her how much I adore the flowers.  She sensed my gesture and had a big smile on her face.  Yes, she's very proud of her chrysanthemums.

One day towards Thanksgiving,  I saw the garden from a distance.  The old lady and her husband (I assumed) stood in front of the chrysanthemums.  They bent down to smell the flowers, caress the blossoms, clean the stems, ...etc.  Even though their voices were not audible, I could imagine that they were discussing the chrysanthemums, which seemed to fill them with joy.




watercolor sketch:  the old couple & chrysanthemums

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