Priscilla: Apple Picking

Vanness's sick, and I took care of him till around 10am in the late morning. After that, it was Ken turn to do his rounds. Freed, I return to the kitchen to get a drink.

Just then Jerry came in.
"Hi." He said.
"Hi." I replied.
"So free?" I asked.
"Ya. Such a day is very boring. Although ya, feel like sleeping, with such windy and cloudy day.." He said. I felt as if an idea just hit me.

"I know what we should do!" I exclaimed. I brought two big apple basket and took the golf cart towards the orchard.
"The apples are in season. We can pick them. Some of them will just fall to the ground and it will be really wasted." I said, as I drive through the garden.
"Then, what do you usually do with so much apples?" He asked.
"We use them and the rest, we sell them." I said. "Our gardeners usually will pick them and send the best to the kitchens, and to the hotel side, nowadays. The second best and the rest, we sell them at the market; creating revenue." I replied. "We're here." I said. The apples were bountiful. Some were on the ground. Some were still up on the trees, rosy red.

"Uncle Chew Beng!" I shouted.
"Missy!" Uncle Chew Beng waved his hand.
"Picking for your family?" I asked.

"Ya. Trucks of apples were taken for the hotel and for sale already, but there are so still so many good apples around. So I thought maybe pick some for my daughter and mother." He said.
"True. Go ahead. I'm apple picking too. To distribute some to my lecturers tomorrow. They have been asking me for free apples ever since that time." I said.

"That time?" Jerry asked.
"Oh.." I almost forgot I had him around.
"There was this time when the weather turn a bit more hot then usual, but the funny thing is the apples turn bigger and sweeter. There were so many around but couldn't keep for very long. So I took some for my lecturers. They love them." I replied. Walking back to my golf cart, I unloaded the baskets and put it around myself. It's like those baby carriers where you carry them like your haversack's in front, except it's a baskets.
"Let's go." I said.

We went on apple picking and sometimes we simply throw the apples at each other (but miss, it's too painful when hit). Anyways, we enjoyed every single moment. We pick some 2 basketful of apples and over spilling, loaded it onto the cart and headed back to our house.
"It was really fun." He said, helping to unload the baskets. "Ya!" We laughed, happily.

He took his towel and wipe my forehead. I too, took mine and wipe his forehead; and we caught each other's eyes again. We blushed.
"ha.." We both laughed again. He help heaved the two baskets to the kitchen, where I started to peel some apple to make apple tarts and he, apple juice; AND we still have more than a basketful left.

When I started to make the dough, we started a flour fight. We both ended up becoming 2 snow mans. Haha~~ That was really fun, of course, we had to clear up the mess.
After some time, the whole kitchen is filled with the apple tarts that are baking in the oven. I also took this time to cook some porridge for Vanness, and it's almost time for medicine.

DING! The tarts were done.

"Can you take the tarts out to cool while I send some porridge up to Vanness?" I asked him.
"Sure." He said, and so I did. I told Ken to call Zaizai and go to the kitchen to have some tarts, while I went on alone to give Vanness some porridge.

"Hi, Van." I said. "Are you feeling better?" I asked.
"Ya." He said.
"I brought you some porridge." I said.
"Thanks." He said. I sat while he had his porridge. I touched his forehead. His fever seemed to have gone down. I nodded.

"Pris, can I talk to you about something?" He said.
"Sure, Vanness. You can talk to me about anything." I replied.
"It's about Qiu." He said.
"What about her?" I asked.
"Is she your real sister?" He asked.
"No, why?" I asked.
"Nothing really. It's just that she's so different from you, so different from Mr and Mrs Ridges as well." He said.
"Oh, it's a long story." I said.
"So," I asked again. "Is that IT?"
"Huh?" He said, still eating his porridge.
"Is that's all you want to ask?" I said.
"..." He didn't reply.
"It's alright, you know. I know about it already." I said.
"I can tell. It's in your eyes." I said.
"What?" He asked.
"You like her right?" I said. Again he didn't said anything.
"It's just that," He hesitated, "She gave me a different feeling than with any other girl." He said.
"Like...?" I asked.
"She made me feel ORDINARY." Oh no, not that word again.
"In what sense?" I asked.
"Like that time when I met her outside the house, I gave a hand and she just thank me like any other people who will help her. And at another time, she just treats us like friends and friendly and frankly taught us wakeboarding and gave us some tips." He said.
"Uh.. Hmmm..." I agreed with him.
"It's very hard to find somebody who will do that when I'm like.. like celebrity and she's.." He drifted off.
"I understand..." I said.
"She's a great gal, no doubt. And you don't have to doubt your feelings too. To like, or to love someone doesn't need any reason. You just have to admit you like or love her." I said.
He gave me a surprised look, as if been enlightened.

"You just got to the point to what I actually feel. The feeling," He said, " It just comes." He finished.
"Just treat her nice, I won't object you." I said.
"What...Never mind..." He said.
"I'm finished." He said.
"Now, take your medicine. Here." I said, passing his medicine to him.
"Thanks, Pris. Thanks for everything." He added.
"You're welcome. Glad I'm able to help." I said, picking up the tray.

"I'll bring you some apple juice later." I said.
"Thanks." He said.
"Oh, I just want to say something." He said.
"Ya?" I said.

"Jerry share the same sentiments about you as I am towards Qiu." He said.
"Thanks. I already know about it." I said.
"Really? He confessed already?" He said, surprised.
"No, like I said, It's in your eyes. I see it in his eyes too." I replied.

We smiled and agreed with each other, and I left the room, leaving him to rest. I went to the kitchen to see three guys finishing all the tarts I made.

"WHAT? You guys finished everything?" I asked.
"They were great, we can't help it." Zaizai said, with half a mouthful.
"Never mind, I'll made another dozen." I said, setting Vanness bowl and cutlery in the dishwasher.