ORANGES AND APPLES

Rayne Ishaq

‘What’s gotten you looking so glum, kid?’
          Tess glanced over her shoulder, catching the eye of her co-worker – Honey – who rumour had it was ‘retiring next month’. But apparently she had started saying that thirty years ago. Tess believed that the woman would probably keep on going until she was dead or in a wheelchair. She couldn’t fault the older woman’s work ethic. 
          ‘You got that look on your face,’ Honey continued as she pulled an orange out of the front pocket of her apron. ‘Havin’ boy troubles?’
          Technically, Tess thought to herself miserably. But she did not feel like getting into that whole drama. She wasn’t sure Honey would be so sympathetic if she heard the full story. 
          ‘No,’ she responded simply and took another sip of her irritatingly lukewarm water. 
          ‘Ah. I see. Girl troubles then,’ Honey responded. She took a seat opposite Tess and began peeling her orange.
          Tess wondered how long the older woman had kept that orange in her pocket, but she thought better than to question it. She politely declined when a segment of the orange was offered to her, she was much more of an apple person. She thought that oranges had too many stringy bits and found them chewy.
          ‘No, no,’ Tess shook her head and exhaled stiffly.