I gave him a look and he gave me one right back.Don’t.
Marlon reached out again, running his fingers along a cluster of grapes as we passed.
“You see the difference?” he asked.
I leaned in slightly. “Between what?”
He gestured to the row on the opposite side. “These.” Then to the right. “And those.”
I squinted, leaning closer. “They look the same.”
“They don’t,” he said. “These got more exposure. Soil holds water better. Those over there dry quicker.”
I stared harder like the answer was gonna suddenly reveal itself. “…still look the same.”
He huffed quietly.
“Here,” he said, picking one from each side. “Taste.”
I popped it into my mouth.
“Okay,” I chewed. “Still good.”
He handed me the second and I tasted that one too. My face changed immediately. “…oh.”
“Yeah,” he said.
“That one’s… sharper?”
“Less balanced,” he corrected.
I nodded slowly. “Okay. I see it now.”
“That’s what I check for,” he said. “Consistency. If one section’s off, it affects everything down the line.”
“Is this what you do when you disappear ? Walk around eating grapes?”
“I check quality,” he said. “Soil, growth, consistency. What’s working. What ain’t. I used to do it daily, before you showed up.”
I looked around again, taking it in. This was more than just a job to him.
“Huh. You actually like this,” I said.
“Yes.” He glanced at me. “It’s mine to take care of. And I like taking care of what’s mine.”
That sat with me for a second.
I adjusted my posture slightly, feeling more comfortable on Spades now.
Chewy ran ahead of us, darting between the rows.
“Chewy!” I called. “Don’t be in them people’s grapes!”
He ignored me.
“I hope a water hose trips his ass.”
“Stop hating on my damn dog! Let him have fun.”
