”People hardly put mandarin in salad,” I say, our terrace sunlit.
“They don’t?”
I shake my head. “It’s usually apple. Or grapes.”
He holds a piece of mango between his fingers and studies it. “I’ve seen salads with mango.”
“Regularly?”
“In fruit salads, yes.”
I nod. “Pineapple and mango, but the basis is usually grapes and apples.”
“It is?”
I think about pre-packed fruit bowls.
I look up pre-packed fruit bowls.
“Here. This one has kiwi, strawberry, cantaloupe, apple, and grape.” I keep scrolling down the virtual aisle. “This one is just a melon mix. And this one is pineapple, watermelon, raspberry & blueberry.”
I look at him. “First, I thought about regular salad, with cucumber, dressing, croutons, and stuff. But mandarin isn’t even used in fruit salad.”
“Odd,” he admits.
“Nobody’s rooting for mandarins anymore. I should start a petition.”
He looks up, his hand blocking the sun from his eyes. “Why start a petition for mandarins and not oranges?”
“Oranges can fend for themselves. There’s Fanta Orange. Chocolate with orange flavor. Orange juice. The list goes on. Mandarins are placed in their shadow. There’s no mandarin juice.”
He thinks about this for a while.
“So would you sign it?” I ask.
“What?”
“My petition. Would you sign it?”
“Of course, sweetheart. Mandarins are a good fruit.”
“Better than oranges?”
“Definitely,” he nods. “Oranges are a hassle.”
“A sticky hassle.”