#125 One Thousand And One Nights: The Apple Latitudes

latitudes. isn't that a wonderful word? Joy Lee thought geographical words were splendid. splendid was a word she often used as well...every thing was very splendid. or quite splendid. or would be splendid.
loving Paulie was going to be splendid too. she just knew it. her big and very white teeth crunched the redly red apple with delight. this is a splendid apple!
Paulie was beyond intrigued about Joy Lee. she was the most loving and in love lady he had ever known. in love with love. exciting and sexual and sexy also. every guy friend he had which was six of them felt that way. except for her getting caught up in one word superlatives all the time. the last time had been sad. every thing was sad. splendid was at least upbeat. boy though. that Paulie had himself a different one all right. he was one lucky guy. only they lived so far apart. that was hard. long distance relationships are hard. every one agreed about that. they cost a lot.

only Joy Lee pointed out that they lived in the same latitudes. the apple latitudes was what she called them. they could both pick apples at the same time of the year. in october. that was a good thing. different apples in the main. but still the same time of the year. they both loved foods in season. especially apples.

relationships are built on very very odd likes and dislikes and ways to agree and disagree. on magnets and desires and discountings and rationalizations. and on sex naturally or not. rarely on apples. but apples it was for Paulie and Joy Lee. they even talked about having orchards. she in california and he in wisconsin. both in the north of their states. where the apples would grow. heirloom apples. no doubts about that. the ones people love to eat but not to grow. hard to grow them . on account of the fertilizers. and the insecticides. neither wanted to deal with the commercial stuff. they would only have wonderful old varieties and sell at farmers markets and organic outlits and so on. they talked about all this like it was real. neither had any money to start up with the trees and land and so on. but it was a wonderful dream of a sort. a splendid idea they both shared with almost a smug satifaction. they were happy thinking and planning about these things. these apples and love and how they were special and also splendid. because they were in love. unlike others.

there was a saying his grandfather used to say. his grandfather being from Ireland. the holy ground takes care of everything. it sort of meant that every thing and every body  ends. loves end. apple trees end. apple seasons end. long distance relationships have a hard time of it. Paulie and Joy Lee were sure they could beat what ever odds there were about this. they had love. sex. splendid sex. they had to admit that. and the apples ideas. how they were going to live. how they'd make their money and live well. they were pretty sure it would all work out. they had their dreams. the apples were just a symbol of what would be ok and even great about life together. they understood each other well. pretty well. things wouldn't end the way they did with other people. the holy ground idea didn't apply.

well of course. it didn't come true in the end. they went their separate ways. only little by little. in the apple latitudes there is always a winter of sorts. in her west coast one. in his midwest one. the apple trees have their harvests. the apples are eaten totally ripe and delicious. they are made into apple sauces and ciders. the trees slowly and then quickly drop their leaves. the houses are prepared for their winter. where she lived there was rain. where he lived there was snow. there was less light. there were quieter days. they were capable of trips to see each other. but not of seeing each other all of the time.

then he started to see his exgirl again. she laughed at the apple idea. she said that was a great fantasy. but not a real thing that could happen. he didn't have any money after all. she understood that about him. she understood him better than any body so far away could. she knew he couldn't change. she knew women couldn't wait for men to change. she won't wait. that is what she said. the holy ground takes care of everything. well it sure does.

Joy Lee married an apple grower in northern california two years later. Paulie never married again at all. he retired and went to work part time as a computer consultant. he showed no imagination what so ever. Joy Lee actually didn't either. but she showed a little bit more than Paulie. she was proud of her husband and his apples. when she said the holy ground takes care of everything. she meant something different than Paulie's grandpa had meant. she meant they had good soil. and the right climate along with it.

they were in the apple latitudes after all. there were splendid apples to be grown.

the holy ground takes care of everything.