The future is yellow

What’s sweet and juicy and yellow? Had you asked me yesterday, watermelon would have been the last thing to come into mind. Then my father bought some from a neighbor this morning; I sliced one open and there it was: Noynoy!

I had been down this road before. Purple cabbage. Red lettuce. Blood oranges. You know what? It seems that the more unnaturally colored a fruit or veggie, the more of an edge it has over its ordinary relatives: crunchier and with a longer shelf life (the cabbage), less waterlogged (the lettuce), etc. Don’t take that as scientific truth — but the yellow watermelon? Definitely sweeter than the red-fleshed types usually found at the market.

If I were a more religious person, I would make a point of holding up the watermelon as proof of God’s wisdom (or sense of humor, if you prefer). For something so juicy and thirst-quenching (watermelon contains up to 92% water) to thrive in a hot, arid climate certainly qualifies as evidence. And hot it has been lately, including the political climate. Come to think of it, was someone trying to tell me something, undecided voter that I am? Some folks take their cue from tea leaves. Could mine be watermelon?

Nah. When I think yellow I’m really thinking green. As in cash. From honest-to-goodness sales (my vote ain’t up for that — thanks for not asking). For me, the best thing about that melon was that it was grown locally. Think about that for a minute. I have. I’m a regular at the local market. There you’ll find a group of kids doing brisk business selling pineapples out of a truck. When someone asks if they’re sweet, they say, “Of course; they’re from Ormoc.” The lady across the road says the same about her Camiguin lanzones. And if that or the pineapple turns out not too sweet (or downright sour), guess what? Nobody blames Ormoc or Camiguin. It’s just that the vendor’s a fucking liar.

Now consider the garden-variety red watermelons. Do you have any idea where they come from? Probably not. You could ask, but why should you? They’re bland all the same. Sad fact is, they’re the only watermelons you’ve ever known.

Until today. Why — this watermelon’s yellow! And really, really sweet! Did you say they’re local? Why didn’t I know about this sooner? Imagine if more people knew! There’s a whole market out there raised on mediocre reds. There’s an even bigger market right now that would go for anything Noynoy. Like I said, I’ve been thinking. How does Maasin Yellow sound to you?