Before Her Harvest

Both the doctor and her mother acted as though they had seen some type of freakish monster. Avril was brave. She wanted to get rid of this period if it does this to her. The doctor examined the new teardrop freckles, flakes of skin that drop off (but they look like something), her extra weight, the lumps on her head and new type hair, sweet sweat, and the green nails. The doctor had never seen anything like it and was a bit stumped. She did ask Avril if she had been with a boy as her stomach area was hard as though a baby was inside. Innocent Avril cried as she thought she somehow became pregnant, because of her menstrual cycle- no boy involved at all. They did a pregnancy test and an x-ray. The doctor asked if they could return the next day as she needed to consult with her colleagues. Both mother and daughter agree. 

The next day, Avril’s father accompanied the ladies to hear what the doctor had to say. She was very glad that he came. The doctor explained, “Mr. and Mrs. Mellon, this is a very unusual case, but one of high honor. I needed to do much research. Your daughter, Avril, has eaten watermelon seeds and is now growing watermelon”. Both parents begin shouting. “Please, please” says the doctor, “let me finish. It seems that during her twelfth year she ate the seeds prior to the beginning of her menstrual cycle or her harvest as the mythical tale goes.” “Mythical tale?” her father asked. The doctor 

explained that the Mellons and Waters families were to breed and the first born daughter would help nourish the world with the fruit that is also a vegetable- a watermelon, their namesake.