eating watermelon

well, my mother would prolly be the first to tell me that i didn't eat enough fruit.
it's yummy ... my favourite fruits are pears. normal pears, nashi pears, ya pears, you name it, i love it. :)
but for my father, the watermelon is his favourite fruit, followed closely by oranges. there's been many a night, when, after dinner, he'll happily sit on the sofa and peel himself an orange.
as for me, i've been put off watermelons. i mean, i still eat a slice or two when offered, but i wouldn't go around looking for watermelon to eat.
you can blame my dad for that. :P
see, when i was a wee lil girl, the parents and i were eating watermelon after dinner one night. munch, munch, dribble some juice. :P
dad suddenly remarks, "oh, em, be careful you don't swallow any watermelon seeds."
"huh? why not, dad?" munch, munch, slurp."
"coz if you do, you'll grow a HUGE watermelon belly." that was said with a completely straight face.
okay, i was a gullible lil girl. i think i was only six, then! but i BELIEVED him!
that night, my mother headed upstairs into my room to say good night to me. however, she found me in FLOODS! of tears! "oh, em, what's wrong?" she asked me.
i blubbered @ her, "oh mum, i didn't mean to, but i accidentally swallowed a watermelon seed! i didn't mean to, i promise! but i don't want a big watermelon belly!"
mother tried to tell me that dad was joking, but i was inconsolable. finally, she headed back downstairs, slapped dad awake (dad usually snores on the sofa after his dinner) and ordered, "michael, go upstairs and tell your daughter that you were lying!"
so poor sleepy dad trudges upstairs and reassures me, "oh, em, dad was only joking. i promise you won't grow a watermelon belly, okay?"
so i went to sleep. but lemme tell you: everyday for the next three weeks, when i awoke each morning, the first thing i did was run to the bathroom and examine my belly, to see if it had actually grown any bigger. and it wasn't till i had checked everyday for three weeks without noticing any signs of growth that i conceded, "righteo. guess dad was really joking. no huge watermelon belly for me."
fast forward about fifteen years, post brain injury. one afternoon, mother remarks to me, "oh, BTW, em, be careful not to swallow any apple pips when you're eating an apple. else, you'll grow an apple tree out of your ears."
i roll my eyes. "yeah, whatever, mum," i reply. "dad got me with the watermelon thing more than fifteen years ago. your apple thing isn't gonna work on me." XD
anyways, next post here should come on thursday - bookclub! unless sth mega interesting happens toms, which i doubt. until then~
cheers,
em. ^^