“Thumthump, thumthump, thumthump” the footsteps were getting louder and closer. “He is coming towards the kitchen”exclaimed Suzy at the sound of the boots hitting the wooden floor. “Haaaa!! He is back! No not again! Don’t!” The shadow of what seems to be an enormous human hand closed down on us and snatched my friend Charlotte from the group. Charlotte was the sweetest; she had been picked recently so she was fresh like many of us youngsters. We weren’t as prominent in size, but we all looked beautiful, and we looked forward to life on the kitchen counter, just like our parents.
I was a peach, and my parents always told me we peaches were immortal. My mother prided herself in having lived a thousand lives. But, there we were, about to be exterminated and the adults didn’t seem to care the least. I was afraid; “it could be me next time” I thought.
My mother, seeing the fear all over me, rolled toward me and with a solemn but reassuring whisper, as if she was divulging the secret to life, said: “You know Suzy, we will all be eaten somehow; it’s our purpose. But don’t be rattled for it is not a bad thing, quite the contrary.” She continued, ignoring my bewilderment.
“When humans eat you and me, because we have seeds inside of us, when they throw us away and we get lucky to findsoil, we grow into beautiful trees that carry many other peaches. So see, you get to live many other lives.” She explained.
To be honest, I had never thought about what it was like to be a tree. I remember growing on one, and I remember my tree being revered among us, but being eaten to grow into a tree sounded cool, heroic. It was prestigious martyrdom, and I wanted that. “I want to be a tree! I want to be tree” I squealed, making mother regret telling me. I liked being a peach but becoming a tree resonated better.
It had a purpose to it, a destiny. That night, when the house lights went off and the world quieted, I dreamed of becoming the biggest peach tree that had ever existed, multiplying and filling the surface of the planet with peaches. I dreamed that peaches took over the human world; there were so many of us, that mother and father, trees themselves, were very proudof me. We were all multiplying in a never ending cycle.
In my dream, I was the king of all peach trees, and I was plotting the conquest of other planets; I could fly, aided by my majestic leaves and I had a sword. Our kingdom had many spaceships we would use to conquer the universe. I had subjects, some peaches and other humans. Most humans though were our subordinates.
Mother told me that morning, she had to wake me up as I was screaming “Attack! Attack” waving my fist in the air”; Ilaughed because only I knew what was becoming of the world, after I transformed into a tree. I had great plans. So, the next time when we heard the person in the kitchen, I made sure he saw me first. So I rolled to the front of the basketyelling: “Me, me pick me! I am the juiciest! Pick me!”
