The Fruit Basket

The Fruit Basket

Fruit. Nora weighed the tangerine in her hands. Judging its character. Not quite an orange she thought. Small and undersized, much like her in this life. Her friends and family knew her as the woman who would bend over backwards to do anything for them, even the unpleasant things. That's how noble she was.

But Nora saw this picture in a different light. She didn't see herself as the woman everyone could depend on. A sigh escaped her, as she ran her fingers across the surface passing a dent. She saw herself as obligated, too quiet to speak up. I can't even say this life is mine. It seemed to belong to everyone else but her. She placed the tangerine in her basket of miscellaneous fruit.

And when she spoke up about how she felt, they asked her...how do you think this makes me feel? She lifted another tangerine. Scrutinizing it, she adopted it into her basket of fruit. Adopted just like me. She understood that whether you were adopted or born you usually couldn't choose the family you were entered into. Just like the next tangerine she lifted couldn't choose which person took it up and brought it home to devour. To nourish the hungry ego's of a persons stomach.

It was bad enough people made it out that she owed her life to them. Afterall, they did buy her for more than 30 grand. They did save her, gave her a roof over her head, gave her an education. But not acceptance, not unconditional love. And for this fact she owed her loved ones her soul. Heh she thought. Sometimes she felt like they took her in just to receive some sort of medal. Just to use her. They bought her. And with that check they bought her life and placed expectations that her soul was expected to follow, even if she desired to be someone else. They own me.

She wondered about the specific tree she had come from. What would the woman who gave her away have to say? Or better yet, why did she abandon her? Did she have any biological siblings? How many? Did they know about her? Did they want to know her? She wanted to meet them, she had to meet them. What little genetic idiosyncrasies did she have in common with them? Did they have similar body shapes? Would they understand her? Or would she be as much a stranger to them as she was to her own family now? She sighed adopting into her basket another tangerine.

"Aurora?" Nora's thoughts interrupted, turned her eyes towards the woman who had placed her hand on Nora's arm. The woman's face lit up with a sort of relief and contained melancholy. "Yes! It is you--"

Nora couldn't recognize the woman. "Do I know you?"

"It's me Sally--"Man it's been forever since I've seen you Rory, you know how many years?"

"I'm not--" Maybe she's got the right person but the wrong name. Nora tried to place Sally's face, searching for any recognition. Maybe she was a friend of her mother's. The woman continued on despite Nora's obvious confusion. Nora attempted to smile still trying to place her. No familiarity.

"10 years! It's been 10 years! I thought you moved. I had heard at least that you got a job offer in Norway. But I wasn't sure, you know how rumours go. For all I knew you coulda been dead, but you're not...you're here, you're here, and I'm glad I ran into you, you're just the woman I've been thinking of lately, you know--" she took in a breath Nora took her chance.

"Where did we meet?" How do I know you.

The woman let out a nervous chuckle. "Sally, Sally Burns...I was one of the kids you used to baby sit."

I never baby sat anyone. I don't know this woman. Nora's face dropped. Sally's eyes darkened slightly as if interpreting Nora's expression as sudden recognition. She cut in quickly afraid Nora would talk. "Man you still look good for your age you know, far better than some people could pull off. Me, I just don't age very well at all. The doctors say its stress---hey you remember when I was little and you used to watch me, they all thought I was the weirdest little kid, but you were real great with sticking up for me, remember that?"

"I'm not--"

"Well, I remember it. Well anyway it's such a coincidence that I'm running into you here, because I didn't even plan on coming out you know. I've been swamped, and I'm sure you're swamped too. Do you come here often? I've never seen you here before, heck! I've never been here before. It was just by chance, you see my cousin Wally he told me there was this awesome fruit stand called The Fruit Basket, and they had some herbal remedies that could help me with some mental relief, and they have a good selection of herbal teas...but you know I was just wondering if any of them were poison, those fruits over there look real good." she motioned towards the tangerines Nora had just picked out from.

She lifted one bringing it close to her nose taking in the scent.

"Lis--"

"Don't you just love the smell of fruit, beautiful and serene, just fills me up inside." the woman continued on talking. Bits and pieces of a life Nora had never been apart of. Every pause she managed to muster, Nora tried to cut in, but would quickly be cut off. So she gave up.

It seemed like forever had passed before Nora noticed a silence. The woman before her stared at her expectantly. "Well?" she asked. "How about it, it's getting about the time for lunch, would you like some? I'll treat."

"You've got the wrong idea--"

Again Sally cut in. "There's a place right down the street from here, I'll walk with you there. I'm so glad we could do this, it's just been so long since we last saw each other. We have so much to catch up on!"

For the first time Nora noticed the lines in Sally's face, her aged eyes. She looked a lot older than she claimed to be, with graying hair. Sally's lips twisted in a well practiced smile. She had spent ages practicing in the mirror, practicing for this moment, the slim chance that she might get to meet Nora.

She continued talking, rambling on as if her very life depended on it. The whole time leading Nora towards a restaurant where they were seated.

"Can I get you anything?" asked the Waiter.

"What would you like?" Sally turned her eyes towards Nora waiting.

Nora shook her head. "Nothing I'm--"

"Oh alright..." Sally's eyes darkened temporarily, she turned towards the waiter. "Just tea and water I guess...we'll get back to you on that."

He wrote it down before walking away. Sally looked back to Nora, an awkward silence passed them when suddenly Nora realized she could speak again. "Listen Sally, I'm sorry but I---"

"Wait, before you speak." Aurora pulled her wallet from her pocket, opening it, she pulled out a picture, and then handed it to Nora. "That's me and you Rory."

Nora's face grew pale. This woman is not me. A woman with Nora's face and eyes holding her arms around this woman Sally who was much younger than she appeared here now. No.

"Those were some memorable times, weren't they?" Nora nodded slowly towards Sally's question.

"Yes..." she shook her head suddenly her hand still gripping the photo as she offered it back. "No...this isn't m--"

"I know it's a real old photo, look at your hair! It's really changed, I swear it used to be so curly but now it's sorta frizzed and windblown, you were real good keeping it well kempt when I was younger. What's changed, some sort of midlife crisis maybe? Same here. Premature midlife crisis...guess that makes it just a life crisis in general." she let out laughter...the kind you laugh when you've said something serious but wish to blow it off.

"Sally--" Nora tried to make her voice sound sterner, Sally frowned slightly when the Waiter came up.

"Here is your tea and water." he placed a cup of hot tea in front of Sally and water in front of Nora followed by a basket of bread sticks. "Have you decided what you would like to order?"

Sally shook her head. "Mmm...we're still thinking, thank you."

The waiter left, and Sally cleared her throat noticing Nora's awkward expression. She fidgeted slightly twisting a lock of graying hair around her finger. "They always have great breadsticks here." she said reaching out for one, eating them. She couldn't seem to sit still.

This is too weird. Nora thought her eyes still on the picture.

"Are you going to drink that?" Sally asked.

Nora shook her head. "Sally, I really think you've got this all wrong." she finally spoke.

Sally coughed slightly, she took a sip of her tea to wash her breadstick down. "No Rory...I don't have it wrong. You know why I'm here don't you?"

Nora didn't reply.

"I've spent a lifetime in therapy, outside of therapy. Trying to get up the courage..." her voice faltered, she lifted her tea taking another gulp, before Nora could cut in Sally spoke again. "No...don't speak, I've spent a lifetime, a lifetime trying to forgive you. Trying to face you. When they told me you went up to Norway I was devastated...I searched for you, I looked for you and couldn't find you."

"What?"

"No. Don't speak, for once, let me say something. For once will you?" Nora swallowed hard. This wasn't a happy reunion between friends. She remained silent. "My whole life that you were there, you never let me talk. You made me be quiet about it. But now I want you to know that I remember. I remember everything."

Sally's face began to turn red. "I remember...what you did to me. It took me a long time to get up the courage to face you, you my victimizer who molested and humiliated me. Made me feel ashamed of my body." she said this in a low but strong voice. Nora's eyes lit up towards the accusation.

"I didn't--"

"And you are still denying it...to my face. God Rory. Why can't you just give me that much respect? Why can't you just admit it and tell me why. Why did you do those things to me? I mean it's done it's over but I still live with it. My body still remembers."

I didn't do this. Nora swallowed hard staring at this stranger who looked back at her with sad danger in her eyes. Expecting an answer from a monster that Nora wasn't. How do I tell her that I am not this woman? In that silence tears began to fill Sally’s eyes. It had taken her so much courage to face her past. So much courage for Sally to look her monster's reflection in the eye. How could Nora crush that. I could apologize...I could apologize for something I never did. I've done it before. I could set things right for her. But apologizing would never take back the pain this woman had obviously suffered, the years that could be seen in her face, in her bones. But it would be a start.

"I'm sorry." Nora finally spoke. "I was horrible to do those things to you. I was just...confused and angry I guess." Nora searched her mind for an excuse, for an explanation, for a story. She was supposed to be good at those, she needed one now. "I was craving for something...I used you, and I'm sorry it was wrong. I really can't take back what I did to you."

"No you can't." Sally's voice struggled to stay tall.

"I just hope that you get your life together. I could never face my past the way you have. I really hope you can come to find peace in this life, and that perhaps...maybe you will come to heal from all this." Nora stood up, the woman was now fighting tears. "There is no real excuse for what I did, and it would be an insult to give you one. I'm just..." Nora shook her head. "It was a very intimate reunion, I hope it meant something to you."

Nora walked away leaving Sally there at the table. Leaving the restaurant. Heading home with her fruit basket. Did I do the right thing? She wondered, was she wrong to lie. Was she wrong to give that woman some sort of hope, some sort of reconciliation? To face her past in some way. If she couldn't let go, maybe...maybe then she could come to make peace?

Nora reached home, placing her basket of fruit on the kitchen table, she went into the living room towards her phone. Pressing the button she checked her messages. One after the other she listened to her friends and family asking her to help out with parties, and treats. Oblivious to any trace of a life that Nora might have led.

She stopped as she reached one message, somewhere in the middle. "Hello...Nora Sivens, this is Ellen Smith. I'm calling in regards to your adoption." Nora bit her lip bracing herself. "You had an identical twin, Aurora Smith my mother. She was born and separated just as you were. She died not too long ago, leaving behind a family that would always miss her. She had told me she was adopted but had no interest in finding her biological family. But...I was curious, and I did some searching, investigation...and I found you. I went on a search and found out that my Mother had an identical twin who was born and separated and I would like...to meet you. I live in Norway, but I can pay for a ticket to meet you here, or there, please, call me back my number is---" Nora closed her eyes pressing her head against the cool surface of the wall. She went over to the couch plopping down against it she leaned her head back closing her eyes. What a day. She thought with the previous events swimming through her mind. What a day.