The Peach Of My Life

I remember I had a thing for peaches when I was a really young kid (3-4th grade). They were more expensive than apples, and since we were a low income house, we saved where we could, and this meant less peaches. I don't know that I even liked the way they tasted, but you know, I'm sure as well as I do, no matter who you are; that you want what you can't have. If only for the simple reason that you can't have it. Admit it, it's true. We all do it.

We got free lunch so we never packed lunch, but I had always wanted to pack my lunch, with a PB&J, a fresh peach, applesauce, and a little napkin. Don't ask why, but I remember a few times when I did pack my lunch, and I used an apple, I tried to pretend it was a peach. Maybe it's the same way I used to want a certain kind of pencil, because your pencil says some things about you. A yellow pencil, meant you got whatever was cheap and worked. A black one (if anyone even remembers the black ones we used for map testing) meant you wanted high quality pencils, and payed slightly more for them. And though, only a few dollars more, a mechanical pencil was the Rolex of pencils. And the peach was my Rolex of lunch fruits.

Well, I remember one day we got a big pay check after my dad started working on the road and my stepmom went out and bought all of the small things she knew we'd wanted, but hadn't been able to afford in the past. Like fruit roll-ups, push pops, ice cream, and PEACHES. She brought a bag of peaches home, four of them. I looked at them the whole night, wondering if they were just for eating, or a pie, or something else. I didn't want to get my hopes up, but definitly wanted to know if one of those precious little golden globes would be gracing my lunch box with it's presence. I tested the waters several times. I began immediatly that night, by taking them out of the bag. If I was allowed to take them out of the bag, this meant they were probably going to be used seperatly. So now, I just needed to find out if each of the four little peaches already had pre-destined fates, aside from my lunch box, that is. I waited until my step mom was in the room and began touching the peach I liked best. I swear it was a picture perfect peach. It had the crease right were they're supposed to, the perfect hues of peachiness, and of course, just a tiny bit of stem poking out of the top. I made sure she was looking and began casually talking about my day at school and rolling the peach around. She told me to quite playing with the food, that I was going to bruise it. So I set it over by my things, on the counter of course. She didn't say anything, and this is what sealed the deal for me.

This peach was going to be in my lunch tommorow. I pre-packed my lunch, despite my step mom's warnings about my PB&J getting 'weird' if I make it and leave it overnight. The next morning I woke up extra early, you know, to make sure I get my peach, and no one else does. I went into the kitchen and placed it right above the sandwich, beside the apple sauce, with the stem facing right up at me. Then I delicately placed a folded napkin on top and close the lid, and went to wait on my bus. Why wait on my bus so early, you say? Well, I don't want anyone asking about the peach, that's why.

I finally get on the bus and settle down. Then, it occurs to me, peaches BRUISE. So now everytime we take a turn, I check on my peach, and at every light, stop sign, bus stop, and of course when we park. Lunch time finally rolls around, but I have to find somewhere good to sit, because I have my peach, and this is such a good day. So after I've found my spot, I have to decide what i'm going to eat first. After an insane amount of anxiety over what's best for the peach, I decide to save it for last.

So all I have left in my box is the peach. I'm trying to decide where to bite into it, but I just can't. It's too perfect, too pretty. I'll save it for later.

This same deal goes down for about a week, until my peach is turning...into something else not quite peachy anymore. Now I can't eat it.

So where am I taking this? Why the ridiculously long stroll down memory lane?
Because I'm expecting a daughter any day now, and I feel like I did about this peach. I want her here so badly it hurts, and I imagine how everything will be with her here and cannot wait until she is, but once I get her, she'll start growing up. I just hope she doesn't rot before I enjoy her like my peach did. Or rather I hope she doesn't rot at all, and that I enjoy her before she's all grown up and I've missed out!