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</font><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><o:p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></o:p></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><u><font face="Times New Roman"><font size="3">This is a good look at Indian life<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></font><font size="3">as a picker. <o:p></o:p></font></font></u></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><u><font face="Times New Roman"><font size="3">It’s also a good moral story<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></font><font size="3">about when to be a whistle</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font size="3"> </font></span><font size="3">blower and when not to. <o:p></o:p></font></font></u></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><u><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman">It tells some of the story about the good thins that went
on in the camps and <o:p></o:p></font></font></u></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><u><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman">some of the bad things.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></font></font></u></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><u><font face="Times New Roman"><font size="3">It told of<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></font><font size="3">the hardships.</font><font size="3"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></font></font></u></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><u><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman">It told of some of the injustices. <o:p></o:p></font></font></u></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><u><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman">Overall a good look at that life style. <o:p></o:p></font></font></u></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
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</font><p align="center" class="yiv7574016180msonormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><a name="OLE_LINK2"></a><a name="OLE_LINK1"></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt;">Turning Red Cherries into Red Winter Sweaters</span></b></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p class="yiv7574016180msonormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p class="yiv7574016180msonormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt;">Lisa reached for the
cluster of deep red cherries just above her head. They were so pretty
against the green leaves. She wondered if she could afford to buy a warm
red sweater for school that color. Grandma would say it wasn't a
practical color for a ten-year-old, but perhaps mama would say yes. After
all, Lisa would be buying it with her own money. Mr. Hodges had said they
would get twelve cents a lug and Lisa was still light enough to reach some of
the higher branches where the adults on ladders couldn't go. Her small
nimble fingers worked fast too. She was sure to have enough money to buy
one impractical thing just because it was pretty. Red was her favorite
color. A cherry red sweater would go well with the plaid wool pleated
skirt she had her heart set on in the fall Sears Wish Book. <o:p></o:p></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p class="yiv7574016180msonormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p class="yiv7574016180msonormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 1in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt;">Of course, she would
first have to buy some snow boots. Last winter, they had to share two
pairs of boots between the three of them. One had to stay inside and
watch from a window, while the other two played outside. This year, they
each needed a pair of boots of their own, because her youngest brother, Ryan,
would be starting first grade. She also needed heavy winter under
things, like long-johns and wool socks.<o:p></o:p></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p class="yiv7574016180msonormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 1in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p class="yiv7574016180msonormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 1.5in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt;">Thinking of them, made
her feel itchy. She scratched at one of the dozens of mosquito bites on
her thin arms. There were no screens on the windows of the sheds, where
the pickers slept. It was so hot and humid at night, that she kept
kicking off the thin cotton sheet and then, those awful pests bit her to
pieces. At least, Lisa got a top bunk. The straw the farmer
provided as mattresses, sifted through the planks. Anyone sleeping on a lower
bunk, had it raining straw down on them every time the person above them turned
over. She was glad her brothers, Mike and Ryan shared the bunk below <o:p></o:p></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p class="yiv7574016180msonormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 1.5in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p class="yiv7574016180msonormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt;">hers, because if she had
been in the one over where Grandma slept with her baby aunt, <o:p></o:p></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p class="yiv7574016180msonormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><u><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p><span style="text-decoration: none;"> </span></o:p></span></u></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p class="yiv7574016180msonormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><u><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt;">Baby Aunt.<o:p></o:p></span></u></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p class="yiv7574016180msonormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><u><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt;">.<o:p></o:p></span></u></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p class="yiv7574016180msonormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt;">three-year-old Abby, she
would hear about it each time she wiggled the least bit.<o:p></o:p></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p class="yiv7574016180msonormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p class="yiv7574016180msonormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt;">Good,
her bucket was full. These maraschinos were smaller than the Queen Anne's
they picked yesterday. It took a lot more of them to fill a bucket and
she needed six of her buckets to fill one lug. She wished she was big
enough to wear her bucket on a strap over her shoulder like the grown ups, but
a full grown up bucket would have pulled her over backwards she guessed.
Queen Anne's were easier to bruise and Mr. Hodges was real particular about not
damaging the fruit. He made Mike cry yesterday, by dumping out one of his
buckets on the ground because he said the fruit was no good. He said it had too
many leaves and green cherries in it.<o:p></o:p></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p class="yiv7574016180msonormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p class="yiv7574016180msonormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt;">Ryan
was not much help. He ate as many cherries as he picked and gave himself
a tummy ache the first day. Mostly, he looked after Abby under the trees
and grandma said she would give him 50 cents a day for minding his aunt
Abby. Uncle John, Aunt Martha, and Uncle Ben were also picking to earn
money for school clothes. They helped pay for gas for the car and food
while they worked the crops for the farmers. As she scrambled down the
ladder, Lisa wondered if it was lunchtime.<o:p></o:p></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p class="yiv7574016180msonormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p class="yiv7574016180msonormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt;">
There was a scream. Lisa spun around to see Aunt Martha hanging upside-down
with her foot caught in the crotch of the tree she had been picking.
Uncle John tumbled to the ground beneath the tree, where his fifteen year old
sister hung. He rolled around giving out great snorts of laughter.
His father, Elijah, came hurrying from the direction of the counting area.<o:p></o:p></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p class="yiv7574016180msonormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p class="yiv7574016180msonormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt;">
"Get up from there and stop that braying like a donkey! Sugar girl,
are you alright?” he called.<o:p></o:p></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p class="yiv7574016180msonormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p class="yiv7574016180msonormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt;">"Get me down
pa," cried Martha.<o:p></o:p></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p class="yiv7574016180msonormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p class="yiv7574016180msonormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt;">
"Hang on. I just need to shift this ladder," said Elijah.
"Now I've got you. Let us work that foot loose."<o:p></o:p></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p class="yiv7574016180msonormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p class="yiv7574016180msonormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt;">
Soon aunt Martha was upright on the ground testing to see if everything still
worked. Her pretty face was flushed with embarrassment and
irritation. <o:p></o:p></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p class="yiv7574016180msonormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p class="yiv7574016180msonormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt;">"Oh no, I've gone
and split the seam up the back of my pants," she wailed.<o:p></o:p></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p class="yiv7574016180msonormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p class="yiv7574016180msonormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt;">
"Here aunt Mattie," called Lisa as she hurried over, holding out her
long sleeved flannel shirt. "I wore this in the morning because it was
a little chilly when we came out so early, if you tie it around your waist, it
will cover up the rip until grandma can sew it tonight."<o:p></o:p></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p class="yiv7574016180msonormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p class="yiv7574016180msonormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt;">
"You are an angel Lisa, unlike some I could name!" she said, glaring
at her older John.<o:p></o:p></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p class="yiv7574016180msonormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p class="yiv7574016180msonormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt;">
"I'm sorry Sis. You looked so funny hanging up there! I couldn't
help it. You aren't hurt are you?"<o:p></o:p></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p class="yiv7574016180msonormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p class="yiv7574016180msonormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt;">
"No, but I could have been, for all the help you were!"<o:p></o:p></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p class="yiv7574016180msonormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p class="yiv7574016180msonormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt;">
"Now young’uns, it’s time for lunch, your ma has set things up back at the
sleeping sheds. Let's not keep her waiting."<o:p></o:p></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p class="yiv7574016180msonormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p class="yiv7574016180msonormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt;"> <u>A transition
would be nice here. <o:p></o:p></u></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p class="yiv7574016180msonormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><u><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p><span style="text-decoration: none;"> </span></o:p></span></u></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p class="yiv7574016180msonormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt;">
Lisa sat tentatively on the end of the three legged bench. Yesterday her
uncles had both jumped up together. the bench had overbalanced dumping her on
the ground. She wasn't going to let them pull that one again.<o:p></o:p></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p class="yiv7574016180msonormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p class="yiv7574016180msonormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt;">Grandma Emma thumped
down one of the sandwiches and a glass of Kool-Aid in front of her eldest
grandchild. <o:p></o:p></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p class="yiv7574016180msonormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt;">
"Now eat this up quick and get back to picking. If you eat all this
I will make you a sugar sandwich for dessert.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p class="yiv7574016180msonormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p class="yiv7574016180msonormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt;">
Lisa knew that grandma did the best she could. There was no icebox and
the wood-burning cook-stove had to be shared with all of the other pickers, so
she usually used their turn at a burner for heating water for oatmeal, making
coffee at breakfast, or canned soup at supper. Today's sandwich was
canned corn beef hash with mustard, on Wonder Bread. She wished it was
peanut butter and jelly, but they had run out yesterday and wouldn't be able to
get more, until they moved on to the next farm. Still, brown sugar and
margarine on a slice of bread would taste good for a treat.<o:p></o:p></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p class="yiv7574016180msonormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p class="yiv7574016180msonormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt;">
Cherries were ever so much nicer to pick than green beans, where the rows
stretched forever, under the hot sun. Worst though were picking cucumbers
for the pickle companies. You had to wear long sleeves and jeans to keep
the prickles on the vegetables from getting on you. They really itched
and there was no shade in those fields either.<o:p></o:p></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p class="yiv7574016180msonormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p class="yiv7574016180msonormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt;">
Lisa had just finished her Kool-Aid, when Tom Hodges stormed into the area
where the pickers shacks stood. His round face was red with anger.<o:p></o:p></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p class="yiv7574016180msonormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p class="yiv7574016180msonormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt;">
"You folks get out here!" he roared.<o:p></o:p></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p class="yiv7574016180msonormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p class="yiv7574016180msonormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt;">
About fifty people came from all directions. Some were slight brown
people, who kept to themselves and spoke Spanish. Others were tall slender
Chippewa, like Lisa's family. There were some Potawatomi and Ottawa
Indians too.<o:p></o:p></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p class="yiv7574016180msonormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p class="yiv7574016180msonormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt;">
"Which one of you lazy good-for-nothins split my tree right down the
middle of its trunk? I will lose that tree because someone too heavy for
such a young tree tried to climb it!" Mr. Hodges glared around at
the silent group of pickers. No one would meet his furious blue
glare. Grandpa Elijah was the tallest man there. He stood six foot
eight and towered over the farmer. He swept dark eyes over his family,
noting that his youngest son was shifting from foot to foot. His stern
gaze settled on the farmer in a way that made the man uneasy. Mr. Hodges
turned on his heel and stormed away grumbling.<o:p></o:p></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p class="yiv7574016180msonormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p class="yiv7574016180msonormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt;">"You
are all a bunch of worthless, sly, shiftless, thieves and lay-abouts.
Decent folk, hold down factory jobs and earned good money. But, what can
you expect from a bunch of Mexicans, who can't even speak English, or
reservation drunks. Well, they'll pay for my loss, one-way or
another!"<o:p></o:p></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p class="yiv7574016180msonormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p class="yiv7574016180msonormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt;">Lisa
wondered how he thought his fruit would get picked if it weren't for the hard
working people clustered around her. As the pickers drifted back to their
rows in the orchard, Elijah laid a hand on his youngest son's shoulder.
"Ben, do you know anything about that damaged tree? He asked quietly.<o:p></o:p></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p class="yiv7574016180msonormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p class="yiv7574016180msonormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt;">"Ben dropped his
eyes in respect. He sighed. "I saw that girl Carmen Ortega,
standing near it crying. She can't weigh much more than 90 pounds. I
reckon she thought she could climb it."<o:p></o:p></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p class="yiv7574016180msonormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p class="yiv7574016180msonormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt;">
Elijah shook his head. "Those folks have it pretty bad I
guess. The car they come-in, looks on its last legs. there were 10
young’uns crammed in it, besides the four grown folks. Kinda looked like
a clown car the way they were packed in there." Elijah straightened
his shoulders and rested his work worn hand lightly on his 13 year-old son's
head for a moment. "You were right not to say anything. You
didn't see her damage the tree and those folks have enough trouble on their
hands I think."<o:p></o:p></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p class="yiv7574016180msonormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p class="yiv7574016180msonormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 1in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt;">Lisa watched as two
pairs of dark eyes exchanged a look of understanding. Her grandpa and young
uncle moved off to their section of the orchard. As Lisa return to her
tree, she took note of where Ryan and Abby were settling down on a blanket
grandma had spread under the tree she was picking. Ryan was trying to
convince Abby to take a nap. His chubby-cheeked six year-aold face was solemn
with the responsibility of keeping Abby from getting into mischief. Lisa
reckoned that he was earning the fifty cents a day he had been promised. She
smiled to herself, remembering how Abby had taken all of the labels off of the
canned goods in the carton of food stuffs last week. Grandma had to shake
cans and try to guess what was in them. They had some pretty strange
meals, when she was wrong, until the unmarked cans were used up.<o:p></o:p></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p class="yiv7574016180msonormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 1in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p class="yiv7574016180msonormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 1in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt;">
Well enough wool-gathering, she had a lot of cherries to pick, if she was going
to earn enough to buy a cherry red sweater for school!<o:p></o:p></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p class="yiv7574016180msonormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
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</font><p class="yiv7574016180msonormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman">I <span style='font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";'><o:p></o:p></span></font></font></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
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