Inside the canopy of an edible fruit tree

Danielle Corrie

Two large green leafy trees, with four petals on each stem are planted on the corner at the top of the street. Each petal is creamy white in colour underneath while on top there's a red tinge. They have bright red stamens, similar in appearance to a Fuchsia.

I crawl underneath the canopy and climb up onto a branch where no one can see me. I am hidden from passers-by, the cars whizzing by one by one, from the sound of traffic lights beeping as pedestrians cross the road and the church clock chiming.

Looking up to the heavens I notice not just flowers but fruit waiting to be picked and eaten. Oval shaped fruit, green on the outside, a pale shade of yellow on the inside. I stand on tippy-toes stretching my arms to the sky, clutching at the fruit before it falls to the ground. As I touch the fruit many drop into my hand and, not long after, my bag is full. The tree is a Feijoa tree (aka pineapple guava). I grow Feijoa trees in my garden, and, after a number of years, my Feijoa trees are now flowering and I'll have Feijoas fruiting too.