“I thought I could make it. I really thought I could make it.”

As scheduled, I drive my truck to Joe’s watermelon greenhouse to grab my order. It’s my last chance to make some money with those melons. But unfortunately, Joe messes up my plan again.

“What do you mean they’re still not ripe? I ordered it last year and you told me you could make it.”

Joe spread hands” Sorry my boss, but you know that last year the typhoon ruined the greenhouse, and the seeds were planted later than usual, so…… ”

“Sorry what? You promised me that they will be on time. Those melons are going to the future market, the contract has been signed and today it’s our last chance to make it on time. You know, we can’t afford another violation. The whole business is failing and this is all your fault ! ”

“Is it all my fault? Fine, fire me then, I’m out” Joe said impatiently. “You are on your own now, you know that the supply chain is in trouble but you still signed that,and it’s you that didn’t make your backups, and that fking typhoon.”

He smashed a melon from the truck, “fk then, you are on your own now. Don’t pay my salary, I don’t work with idiots.”

I turned the truck on, and raised my middle finger at the back.

He’s kind of right, everythings has gone too abnormal recently, and I still have to do my last try on those melons, whatever in quality or quantity didn’t fit the requirements, to sell it to my customers.

But, think about it in a good way. At least I have some, and they, as whole in weight, didn’t deviate from the requirements too far. They’re going to the juice factory and, when they taste bad, nobody knows if it’s the assembly lines’ problem or the melons problem after they were smashed into juices.

“You can make it” I knocked to my head, “You’ve experienced so many troubles and you’re here, come on, for everything you’ve made.”

When we met at the spot, it’s noon.

The sunshines on the sky, not as bright as usual, made the temperature way colder. The guy coming with the treaty, starting to check with the melons.

He then picked one from the basket, and placed it on the scale. The stainless steel tray vibrated as the melon harshly knocked on it. And then, it was obvious that the man was not quite satisfied with the melon I offered. He squinted his eyes, put his ears on the melon, knocked the rind and heard the sound resonating inside. “Are you sure the prices on the treaty are right? Was the rind made with gold or are the seeds made with gold? ”

“Look around, there’s no other shops selling melons at this time of the season. Besides, I’d rather make it cheaper if it’s not the melon from the greenhouse. ”

I said that because I knew he didn’t want the delay of getting melons. They are doing expansions right now and they definitely have a treaty that needs to be finished soon, so as long as he doesn’t find anything here, it will be fine. He turned around with a grin, put the melon he was playing with back and waved his hand “sure, find a better one for me.”

I grab one from somewhere around my seat. He’s really a shrewd and fickle guy, and I know it at the start. Now, he’s deliberating looking for some fault on me, if there’s any, so that he could reject my cargo, and the violation fees could feed their losses. To be honest, I was frustrated with his vitriol words and choosy eyes, questioning my every suggestion and answer for his needs.

Ah, be patient. I talked to myself in my heart and put another melon on the scale. Not a big deal, for making money. “So that would be the end of the day……”

“Was it ripe?” That guy holds the desk and moves his body forward.

“Dude I sell melons, there’s no way I sell you unripe melons.”

“No dude, I’m asking” The guy looked at me and said that again and spoke slowly . “W-a-s i-t r-i-p-e?”

His just ignites me, “Are you deaf or you intentionally doing that? I swear to god you do that again I’m gonna kick your ass out of here. Give me your word, you want it or not. ”

He is still calm, with his annoying smile on his face. ”I want it, of course, if it’s ripe. But what if it’s not?”

“If it is not, I’ll eat it raw.”

I said it, without considering it. I know that he can’t open it right now. Everyone is looking here, and nobody is going to make deals with them anymore if they show they’re such paranoid customers.

Suddenly he stopped smiling, opened my scale and grabbed the magnet I put there in advance, just like he knew it already. “Magnet” He said, ”Besides, you are gonna eat it raw if it is not as ripe as what you said.”

“I know, and I won’t embarrass you, since everyone is here, if you confess. Let me just ask you again: did you make the deal?”

“I thought I could make it. I really thought I could make it.”