44s

On a hot summers day sunlight beating down black asphalt radiates the sun’s burning heat with the stink of diesel fumes and the screech of air brakes the tractor painted white pulling a trailer oh so long they called and gathered us to form a line so long pushed up the rolling door threw out a 40 pound case cases heavy and white smelling of citrus sharp filled with fruit orange called out 52’s started a sing song chant with every case they threw we pass them down the chain each case caught and then thrown on sweating in hot sun light young muscles with effort strained as the chant went on till called out 44’s the older men did stop the endless cases thrown with smiles they gathered around us youth gathered behind the case they opened then with oranges so large filled each one they did pass on till each of us had one an orange so big had I never seen before and soon I was to learn the very reason why every orange in the case we ate each and every one till the 44’s were gone and then we continued on a lesson I did learn of oranges never seen and never found in stores a case of 44’s