Apple and Orange - Episode 3

Apple and Orange by vino4d - Episode 3

God. How do I choose name without knowing sex.

I pinned at them. They biting and eating pellets while, several names crossing my mind. Finally, I selected.

Apple and Orange.

Like traditional naming ritual, I like to whisper the names three times to their ears, but turtles not had ears like other pets and us. So, I assumed the red mark on side head was the ear and whispered.

A bigger one was Apple. Another one was Orange.

"Wow, is this tortoise?" A neighborhood kid questioned me, was looked the turtles closely, "where you are get this?".

"From aquarium—pet store" I said.

"They also sell this!" the neighborhood kid immersed in amazement.

Then, he ran out and coming back with packs and gangs of kids, they rounded up the turtles and goggling them. On that minute, I'm not sure I'm was in my room or in any national zoo. They watching my turtles pedaling into the water and snatching its food, in wonder. 

"Let make this home to a tortoise exhibition. Atleast on that, you earn money.." my sister said, invaded into kids crowd to get her hair clip.

"Ok. Shut up" I said. 

The kids still engaged with pets and murmured something among them. Some child inquiring me about this creature. Few gazed my cinema villan typo hairstyle—two or three shy kindergarden cuties on that few are even scared. 

***

Days running, my cycle appended the pet care. Apple and Orange became more friendly and lovely with me. I thought they thinking me as their mother. They always next me on bed and I always on bed.

" you are behaving like a girl who gave birth to child" my mom sneered.

Followed by mom, "I don't know why he born as boy" my grandma teasing me from the kitchen as washing vessels.

Why they said that. Is caring and loving was only the girly things?. Who the f**k was teached these to them?. Sh*t.

"What's your problem" I snapped to them.

"How long you just stay at home. Go out and work." Mom said.

I was impassive.

"First, cut your hair and shave your beard." She grabbed my long hair and continued, " Can I drim your hair. Is look nice?"

I moved her hand off from head.

"Why you growing hair?" 

"Like girls" grandma teasing again, from kitchen.

Again. Who define the long hair was for girls. F""*. F** the stereotype.

"Just mind your business" I said to grandma.

"First, answer me. Why you doing like this?."

I was ignoring my mom and playing with turtles.

" Leave this turtles to some ponds tomorrow or I will throw this from window" my mom said firmly.

"Ma, just go.. ma.. " I said calmly.

"What just go.. " she still stood infront of me.

"Go.. mom.. " I pointed the kitchen, said "look rice was flowing out from pot. Go."

As muttering about me, she went out from the room.

My family still not accepting turtles at home. Incase they accept if, I said folly stories—like humbug lucky stones ad, money burglary astrologers and fake samiyars—about turtles instead of explaining science.

***

Smelling others' butt was always interesting for some humans. My neighborhood too had those humans.

"Is this turtle?" a lady from neighbourhood asking as watching my pets swiming into the tray.

"Yeah" my sister said and continued the film "Periyar" in laptop.

"Real turtles?" She said as scared—her look was squeezing out the eye balls.

"Yes, real turtles. I pet them." I said strongly as paused the film.

She stared the turtles from the room doorway.

They smelled my butt and passed the comments to our house owner. He acting positive for those comments. He told to my parent that turtles are not allowed here, it was bad omen, same stupid things. My parents informed and roasting me with his statement.

I am not expecting and believing this—maybe he influenced by the butt smellers—from house owner. He was a man, and a entrepreneur, was running a textile company at own. I hoped he will understand if I explain.

 "I will talk with house owner" I said and concluded the argument.

***

Blanket covered my body, warm sunshine from window was warmed my butt. 

" Useless moron.. See.. Still sleeping.. " a groaned yell annoyed my sleep. It was my parents. Whenever they upset, they are scolding and frying me.

"How he eat and sleep at home without doing anything" the frying continued.

Most of the mornings was like this. At times, I thought, I will also do frying my parents—excatly with same words— when they are become useless in future.

"How cruel you are" my brain expressed its sore.

"Not so, I just giving back what they did" I told to my brain and turned my body and sleep.

***

My pet home had fifty-fifty ratio of water and land on five inches heightened tray—large enough for baby turtles. A cardboard platform setting up with colourful pebbles for basking.

Orange was hyper active, interactive and social,  was mostly spending the time at basking on the platform.

Apple was opposite to Orange, was shy, calm and strong. She— not yet knew the sex and I love feminine so I called— was cute. 

Every Morning, both waiting for me. They knew I will feed them. As seeing me, they crawling up against the wall, stretching out their peanut head and looking at my eyes. Whenever I woke up, my first sight was my both kids looking and awaiting for me. 

And both are very clever, whenever I took the food pellets, both chasing eachother to me. Cutes. I always love to play with them. 

One day, I noticed apple wasn't swim well, was checking her legs by made her walk. She racing under the furnitures and wardrobe. I stopped her by arm.

"You ran faster than me then why you didn't swim well" I talked to her, as zooming my vision.

She lifted up her peanut head and stared me.

I thought she was talking with me.

She fixed his little sparkling eyes on me.

I closed my eyes, was trying some telepathy mind talk—was witches and freaks doing in sci-fi fantasy movies.

Apple, are you hearing me?... Are you okay... Apple… Reply me…

"Are you become mad.. " my sister said, as crossing me.

"You distrubing my concentration, mental" I snarled and tightened my eyelids.

I got no response from Apple. 

"Read her body language instead of self talk " My brain suggested.

I opened my eyes, and looked down.

"Where is Apple?" I screeched.

"It's selling in markets. Go n buy it" my sister from living hall.

I turned on the cellphone torch and searched, was found her under the wardrobe.

"Fire ants are living at there. Don't go there. Their bite was painful" I warned and leaved her into hers home.

***

To be continue...