Yeh-Yeh peeled apples with the care of a surgeon, the slash of the pairing knife leaving a delicate twirl of blushed skin in its wake. It was because of this that I entrusted him with the important task of removing the lace cobwebs that marred my mandarin. He patiently de-shelled them, laying the fragile fruit in my small greedy hands. I held it to the light, admiring the glow of a precious jewel. I hungrily bit into the orange crescent, sanguine sweetness pooled over my tongue and fell off the edges.
They tasted better this way.
GDS commentary: Joanne’s piece takes familiar symbols – cut fruit as a sign of love – and with it, captures a single moment to suggest fully formed characters and relationships. We love the incisive imagery and careful restraint.
Joanne Fong is an emerging writer, creator and functional human. She is a journalist at KOS Magazine and is based in Melbourne. Find her on Instagram @joannefwrites
