All gone pear-shaped

The autumn was in full swing and the leaves on nearly every other tree had turned to brown and started to fall.

Everything was bathed in redy browns and leaves crackled under foot. Light reached you on tree lined streets in an orangey glow.

But I was headed to a different sort of tree and a wholly different sort of afternoon. I was making my way to a public farm, to pick my own fruit for the first time.

My brother had suggested it, he’d gone the year before and had really enjoyed it and got some cheaper fruit as a result.

I know it was only fruit picking, but I was excited. I had never done anything like this before and it seemed like the slightest bit of an adventure. Something different certainly.

I was anything but a country girl. Brought up in the city and dressed in jeans and trainers, even for fruit picking, I didn’t quite feel the part.

The farm was not quite what I expected either, it was quite small and focussed mainly on fruit and vegetables, not livestock. I did expect at least one cow, but there were none.

The farm was nowhere near Somerset and yet still I expected a Somerset accent from the farm manager when I arrived and was oddly disappointed when he spoke in a fairly standard southern one.

“Come for some cheap fruit, have you?” He said winking.

“Er… yes.” I said, a little embarrassed.

“Fill yer boots.” He said, passing me a sizeable basket.

I smiled, still a little embarrassed and took the basket.

“That way.” He smiled broadly, indicating with his hand.

I followed his hands direction down the path and pretty soon found myself dwarfed by pear trees.

There were ladders reaching up to each tree and I could see one man already up in one of the trees.

I laid my basket at the roots of the tree next to the one he had climbed and made my way up the rungs of the ladder.

Just as I was becoming level with the pears in the tree, I heard a crack and the rung below me gave way and I slid fast down the ladder to an almighty crash on the basket below.

“Oh God. Are you all right?” Said the man’s voice.

“Ow.” Was all I could think to say.

“Oh shit.” He said and I could just make him out swiftly descending the tree.

I propped myself up on bruised arms as he approached.

“Anything broken?” He asked.

“My ankles hurt like hell.” I answered.

“Let me have a look.” He said and drew my feet out from under me.

His touch was warm and firm, but he did not cause any further pain.

“Ah. Just some sprains.” He said finally.

“How do you know?” I asked.

“How do I know!” He laughed: “I’m a doctor.”

“Oh.” I said, genuinely shocked.

“Sprains do hurt.” He said: “But you’re lucky, nothing’s broken. Let’s see if we can stand you up.”

He threaded his arm across my back and helped me up.

“Ow.” I said, as the pressure hit my feet.

“I think I may need to help you home.” He smiled.

“Lucky me.” I said, a little sarcastically.

“What? Don’t you like me?” He laughed.

“You’re fine.” I said: “But this has kind of ruined my day.”

“Here.” He said: “Have one of the pears.”

I took it and bit into it sulkily. It tasted delicious.

“Mmm.” I murmured, cheering up slightly.

“Good huh?” He asked breezily.

I looked at him properly for the first time then. Dark, handsome and above all a doctor. Maybe this day wasn’t going to be so wasted after all…