November 23, 2007

Bearing fruit

An orange!

Long-time readers know that I have an orange tree in my living room, a tree planted by Shaggy Hair Boy about twelve years ago at Blonde Sister's house. The tree belongs to Shaggy Hair, but I'm the one who waters it. And I have to prune it pretty often because the branches brush against the ceiling. The tree has lots of glossy green leaves and sharp thorns, but it has never actually produced fruit. Until now.

The other day, the boys were jamming in the living room, and I was in the midst of my annual pre-holiday cleaning binge, which involves pulling out stuff piled in corners of the house and yelling at the kids to choose what crap they want to keep because I'm going to get rid of it all right now, this very instant. Usually, the kids avoid me when I'm doing projects like that, but instead, Boy in Black and Older Neighbor Boy began yelling for me to come and look at the orange tree.

I figured it was some kind of a joke. I came and stared at the branch they were pointing at. I couldn't see anything.

"Right there, Mom," said Boy in Black. "Look closer!"

Then I saw it: a little green fruit, the size of a golf ball, hanging precariously from the tip of a branch. Fruit! On our orange tree!

Everyone in the house came running to look at it. Then I looked into the branches near the ceiling, the ones that get pushed up against the window when the musicians shove the tree out of their way. There I saw another small, misshapen piece of fruit. And this one was even orange!

Since Blonde Sister was in Big City Like No Other, we made a video on my daughter's cell phone and sent it to her. Yes, we made a video of an orange that was just hanging on a tree, doing absolutely nothing. We do lead exciting lives.

Of course, family members who haven't seen the fruit yet are skeptical. One sister came up with the theory that someone sneaked into the house at night, ignored the four laptop computers in the living room, and quietly super-glued fruit to the tree. "You need to start locking your doors," she said.

When we talked over the phone yesterday to the family gathered in the city, Blonde Sister insisted on talking to With-a-Why, to hear the story from him. I don't think she's really going to believe it until she sees the orange with her own eyes. Or reads about it on my blog.

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wow, inside! It sure looks like a tangerine from way out here in southern California.

Rev Dr Mom said...

That is so awesome!!

Are you going to eat it?

susan said...

I'm a long time not totally attentive reader, in that I didn't know you had an orange tree in your house--but it doesn't surprise me. How cool.

zelda1 said...

I had a miniture orange tree and one year it had ten or so little oranges and they were so cute but then she died. Yep. Hope your tree survives her birth or reproductive cycle. How does that happen, I mean without the bees?

duopastorale said...

That is amazing. And you didn't notice a flower or anything? Wow!

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Cathy said...

We are so easily amused....

It does look like a tangerine - or it could be a very easily confused orange being that it is not in a sunshine state but in some place where it snows.....

Unknown said...

I'm so tickled by this!

Anonymous said...

nude fruit? ; )

skatey katie said...

so, i'm just wondering, and feeling ignorant asking:
why haven't you put the tree outside, to see the sunshine and photosynthesize and talk to all the other trees???
and i'm also wondering if it would bear fruit better if it was outside doin' all the natural orange tree things??
curiouser and curiouser.... X

skatey katie said...

yes. well. ok.
the orange tree can still absorb sunlight inside (sometimes i wonder how much of a hindrance i am to my children's education...)
but it can't feel the breezes or dance in the moonlight or share the love with the buzzy bees.
i am working myself into rather a frenzy over your orange tree.
X

jo(e) said...

kate5kiwis: Uh, we've got snow on the ground here. The orange tree would die pretty quickly in this climate.

Michelle said...

Today I bought a Meyer Lemon for my sunroom. My mother planted some years ago in California, and the leaves and the flowers remind me of her so strongly! Perhaps mine will bear fruit, too!

Lilian said...

Oooh, how nice! Who's going to get to eat them? Well, I guess it should be Shaggy Hair Boy since it's his tree... but, wait a minute, you're the one who cares for it!

Well, I'm sure you guys will share them... :) It's such a momentous event for your family!! :D

Interesting word verification: vgirgn

Oh, doesn't this tree have a twin in your sister's house? Is their tree bearing fruit too?