Michael wasn’t sure how he was supposed to react. Does she have to be here and make a mess out of things? Could she not have stayed at home with the cats instead of following us all the way here?
Michael gritted his teeth as he reminded himself to teach her a lesson when he got home—someone had to rein her in or she’d just keep pushing the limits!
The village was built on high terrains and now that it was September, it was the season for naturally-farmed watermelons. People would usually drive in from the city just so they could get their hands on the seasonal produce, but the number of visitors had lessened significantly ever since the road closure had been implemented for the filming of ‘Where Are We Going, Dad?’.
The watermelon field that lay before them was the best stretch of sand the village had to offer, thereby producing the sweetest watermelons during this season. Sophia’s motorcycle was parked off to one side of the field; she was wearing a sun-protective jacket that was aptly melon-colored, a giant straw hat, and a pair of sunglasses that perched on the bridge of her nose. Her skin had turned a light shade of caramel under the hot sun and sweat was dripping down her temples as she squatted by the booth, much like an actual watermelon vendor.
Sophia had played the role of a cell phone vendor, a lotus root vendor, a lollipop vendor and presently, she had assumed the role of a watermelon vendor. The switch-up had been so quick that she was probably already worn out by now. Bearing this in mind, Michael wanted to get whatever they needed from the market so they could make a move. It went without saying that Sophia was here to keep an eye on both her husband and daughter—the sooner they left, the sooner she’d head back to the hotel.
Michael hastily picked a small watermelon but Carmen’s gaze was glued to a much bigger one. He counted the money in his hand as he thought about how much they could eat as a father-daughter duo, coming to the conclusion that the watermelon was far too big for the both of them to finish, even if they were to split it for two meals. It would inevitably go bad by tomorrow and the price went beyond their given budget.
“Come on, sweetie. We’ll get the small one,” Michael said frantically, fearing that Carmen would become attached to the bigger watermelon.
Indeed, Carmen pointed to said watermelon and said, “Daddy, I want that one.”
“But we won’t be able to finish it,” Michael countered hurriedly.
Hearing that, Carmen pouted. “We can always give some to Piggy.”
Michael glanced over at the piglet that Carmen had somehow picked up along the way and cursed inwardly, Sh*t! Where the hell is the pig’s owner? How could they not have noticed that they’ve lost a pig?
Michael didn’t dare imagine what would happen if this piglet were to follow them back to Bayside City. Knowing Carmen, she would feel sorry for the lonely piglet in about two days’ time and go in search of a partner for it. From then on, it would only be a matter of time before a litter of piglets came popping out, and soon after that there would be a whole family of them! If that was the case, Michael would very likely come home to not only a bunch of crap-colored ginger cats, but also a house full of pigs!
No, he thought with grim determination. I can’t let that happen! He’d have to wait for Carmen to fall asleep before giving the piglet back to its rightful owner. Right now, he had to persuade her into giving up on the watermelon. “That melon’s too expensive for us. If we get it, we won’t have enough money for our meals tomorrow.”
Carmen pouted resentfully but just as she was about to give up on the watermelon, Sophia swiftly nipped the vine off said melon and beamed at the both of them. “Let the kid have it! It’s not expensive at all, only ten cents for a pound! We’re famous for our melons—if it’s not sweet, we won’t take your money!”
Michael was rendered speechless as he stared blankly at his wife. Then, he turned to look at the cameraman and muttered, “Cut this scene out.” Ten cents for a pound—Sophia was practically making a joke out of the watermelon and the cameraman’s intelligence.
After taking the watermelon and weighing it with a serious look on her face, Sophia promptly declared, “Right; the big watermelon is about three pounds, so that’s thirty cents.”
Michael was rendered speechless once again. The watermelon weighs far beyond that!
Carmen happily took out fifty cents and received twenty for her change. Then, as if she hadn’t already butchered the melon market, Sophia gave Carmen the smaller melon that Michael had initially wanted, saying, “You’re the 20th customer to visit our booth today, so you get a free melon!”
Overjoyed, Carmen held onto her change as she walked away with the melon tucked under her arm, tugging the piglet alongside her.
Michael rolled his eyes in frustration. He shoved the big watermelon into a borrowed carrier bag and tightened his grip on the heavy grocery basket, traipsing after his daughter. His thin, white undershirt was soaked through with sweat as it clung onto his body and accentuated his well-toned physique—so much so that one could even see the deep grooves that ran over his hip bones. The filming crew was ecstatic as they hurried to capture this on camera. With footage like this, they wouldn’t need to worry about the ratings for the second season at all!
The director leaned in close to Michael and asked in a low voice, “Do you know the lady who was selling the watermelons back there?”
Michael focused on carrying the melon as sweat ran down his temples. “No; I don’t,” he answered flatly.
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