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"Ahhh!" I yelled, and pounded the ground again with my fist. "Why was I so stupid? Why did I agree to this?"

Chapter 16

The Last Day

I stared up at the sky and watched the thin clouds drifting apart in the sunset. Now that I had stopped moving, numbing exhaustion wrapped itself around me. My arms and legs felt like they were growing into the ground. My eyelids sagged shut.

I was jolted awake by the slamming of car doors and voices. I sat up and Amy was still sitting calmly in front of me.

"What's that?" I asked, looking around wildly.

"I don't know," she said, turning her head slowly.

In the distance I could see figures moving in the orchard, dozens of them.

"Someone's in the orchard," I whispered loudly.

"Sam and Michael and the girls probably," said Amy.

"No, there's too many of them." I got to my feet, and my legs felt weak beneath me. The figures were getting closer, and I could see they were carrying ladders. They were calling to each other loudly, but I couldn't understand what they were saying. It wasn't English, more like Spanish. When they were close enough to see their faces, I didn't recognize any of them. They gathered around where Amy and I were sitting and set up their ladders next to the surrounding trees. Without saying anything to us, they started picking apples with very quick hands.

I looked at Amy, who had stood up. She looked as shocked as I was. From the darkening edge of the orchard, I saw another figure moving toward us. It moved slowly and alone. A hundred feet away I recognized Brother Brown. I dropped my picking bag and stumbled toward him. He stopped when he saw me and waited for me to get within earshot.

"Thought you might use a little help," he said in his raspy voice.

I looked at him not sure whether he was some sort of dream. I opened my mouth to speak, but no words came out.

"I hired this outfit through tomorrow. They finished up at my place a little early so I hope you still have a few trees left for 'em." He smiled with his whole mouth.

"I ... How did ... I don't..." My throat swelled up, blocking the words.

"I know. I know," he said in an almost tender voice. "Just put out any boxes you have left to fill and they can finish 'em off tomorrow." He took a last long look at me. "And get some sleep, would you." He turned and drifted off into the darkness.

I dropped to my knees. All the tears I had wanted to cry in the dark the weeks before came flooding out of me. I covered my face with my hands and sobbed until my face was streaked with teary mud. I rocked back and forth as all the pain and worry seemed to seep out of me. I felt something touch my shoulder and turned to see Amy standing next to me. I jumped up without even wiping my eyes and ran back to where the workers had their ladders.

I ran up to the first worker I came to and yelled at him, "Thank you! Thank you for helping!"

I got an embarrassed look in return. "Gracias!" I shouted.

The man gave a little nod and kept on picking.

I ran from ladder to ladder shouting "Thank you" and "Gracias." When I stopped to watch them pick, it was the most amazing thing I had ever seen. Their hands and arms seemed to move effortlessly and automatically, three times as fast as mine. I would have sworn they were angels.

As they filled up their picking bags, the workers moved to the empty boxes set out beside the trees. When they saw the labels of ORANGES and PEARS, they looked at me as if to say, "Is this really right?" I nodded and motioned for them to go ahead and fill them up.

All the empty boxes we had scattered around the trees were quickly filled, and the crew left their ladders and picking bags and walked toward their cars and trucks, which were parked next to the orchard. The last one to leave turned to me and said, "Mañana."

I nodded my head and said, "Gracias."

Amy and I ran and quickly told the younger kids what was happening. They were closing up the station wagon after loading up a few unsold boxes.