Apples

Once upon a time there were 2 best friends, lets call them B1 & B2. (ehe..bananas in pjs?)

B1 loves to eat bananas and he only eats bananas, while B2 loves to eat apples most, but he still eats other types of fruits..just that apples are his favourite..

B1 does not like any other fruit except for bananas..

B2 would often ask B1, "would you like to eat apple, B1?"

B1 would reply,"Nope..thanks, but i don't like to eat that.."

B2 has an apple tree at home that will grow lotsa apples..so whenever the apples are ripe, he'd ask B1 if he'd like to eat some.

The first time B2 offered B1 an apple..B1 would kindly reject.

The second time when the apples are riped again..B2 asked..B1 still declined to eat one..

B2 tried a third time, thinking maybe B1 would like some. . but B1 still rejected his offer.

The 4th time onwards.. B2 stopped asking, cos after all the attempts of offering B1 an apple, he declined time and again..

Till today..B2 still doesn't understand why does B1 feel so reluctant to try eating an apple.

He's been eating bananas for so long..maybe if he tried to eat an apple, he might actually like it?

Or maybe B1 doesn't like Red or Green colors? Since apples come in those 2 colors.

B2 is still wondering why..

B1 didn't tell B2 the reason, and B1 did not ask too.

B2 thinks that if B1 wants to tell him the reason..he'd do so himself. There are certain things that doesn't need asking..He knows B1 so well that he knows B1's not someone who expresses himself explicitly.

Whereas B2's more of an outspoken person, he speaks his mind ever so often. He's more of a straightforward type, or could be tactless at times. But of course, he means no harm.

Despite the difference in characters and fruit preference, they're still best friends over the years... always hanging out together. They attended the same high school.

That's where they got their nickname B1 & B2.

A little background about how their friendship started..

B1 & B2 got to know each other in high school. B1 had just moved into the neighbourhood and enrolled in the same school as B2.

It was the first day of school for B1 and he was trying to make his way to his psychology class. As B1 was unfamiliar with the school, he had difficulty finding where his lecture theatre was.

He walked around the school for a good 20 minutes, and finally decided to get some help when he realised that he's running late. It's not that good to be late on the first lesson.

THe person that he seeked directions from was B2, Who happens to be walking in the direction towards B1. That was the first time they spoke to each other.. and they soon became fast friends.

A couple of years passed..now that they're in University..they started to hang out with each others friends..B1 joining in occasionally in the rugby games with B2 and his friends, and B2 joing B1 and his friends' in their baseball practises.

As time went by.. B2 realised that all of B1 is similar to his friends, that is they only eat bananas.
And after every baseball practise, they'd all sit around by the grass patches and eat bananas.
All of B1's friends thinks that bananas are the best.

B2 could not withstand his curiosity, and decided to find out the truth.

After much sounding out, he realized hat B1 was afraid that he might not be accepted in his group of friends if he did not eat bananas.

He wanted to 'blend in' with his group. Doing things that they liked..which includes eating things that they liked. Its always B1 who suggests that they eat bananas after the baseball practises.

He never mentioned that they tried other fruits, say..oranges, or pears or even apples.

Or maybe because he's never tried other fruits before, he actually don't know which to choose from, other than bananas.

B2 feels that Bananas might not be the fruit that B1 really likes to eat..and he's eating them just because his friends are

doing so. B1 has never tried any other fruit, how is he to know that he doesn't like the other fruits if he's never even tasted it before?

There's so much other fruits to try eating, mangosteens, durians, mangoes, watermelon, strawberries etc! Who knows, B1 might just like the taste of other fruits if only he tried eating them.

If he could take the trouble of peeling the skin of mangoes, only then would he know how sweet the mangoes tastes.

If he could take the trouble to rip open the durian shells, only then would he know how nice the fragrance of durians smell.

If he could take the trouble to squeeze the mangosteen between his 2 palms, only then would he realise how cooling it is to eat mangosteens after consuming durians.

If he could take the trouble to pick the strawberries from the strawberry farm under the sun, only then would he realise its a great feeling eating something so freshly plucked, and hand-picked by himself.

If he could take the trouble to cut open the watermelon, only then he'd find out what a thirst-quenching fruit the watermelon is. Especially good when it's eaten cold.

Bananas are easy to eat, that's why its the preferred choice over the rest of the fruits.

But then again, if he'd never tried the rest, how does he compare it with bananas, being the only fruit that B1's eaten.

Its not very fair to base his judgement on that isn't it? No?

Furthermore, all the fruits are different. Which criteria do you base on to select which is the "best" fruit?

If the baseline was set as which fruit is the most hassle-free-to-eat fruit, bananas would win hands down.

Thus, it shouldn't use this same criteria to select your most favourite fruit. Cos the other fruits need some work to be done before you can eat it.

Its definitely not about the cost. Bananas itself are not cheap to begin with.

B2 was amazed to discover the truth from B1.

While B2 enjoys different kinds of fruits, he was saddened by the fact of B1's choice in eating only Bananas after all these years..

B1 can't possibly please everyone in his baseball team by adhering to their views.

Maybe one day if he stepped out of the box and suggested something else, people might actually look at him in another light.

Its not neccessarily to always say/do the "right" things, in B1's case would be: "bananas are nice!"

It might not be wrong if he said, "There's a new fruit stall at the corner of the road, and its got juicy grapes!", just because his bunch of buddies are all banana lovers.


Until then, B2 shall continue exploring the taste of other fruits and tell B1 on his discovery of new fruits like cantaloupe.



~~~The End~~~
note: This story does not have anything to do with apples after all.