Read Online Ana of California by Andi Teran - Free Book Online Page B

batch.”
    â€œWhy are you separating so many?”
    â€œWell, we’re going to have to toss a few, but this is a good start. Come over here.” He motioned for her to join him on the other side of the table. “See how these over here are dark black and yours are more red and purple?”
    â€œYes.”
    â€œWell, we want the black ones, not the others. And these over here have a little bit of fuzz on them? No good.”
    â€œOh. I didn’t know.”
    â€œIt’s okay. It’s your first time out.”
    Rolo shouted something Ana was sure was meant for her as Manny, René, and Vic all shushed him. He continued in Spanish, adopting a female voice and batting his eyelashes. Ana wasn’t sure, but she thought he mentioned something about her hair, something about the curls, and the back of her neck. Instinctively, she checked to make sure it was covered, not realizing that at some point while she worked, she must have swept her hair up into her hat in the sun’s heat. She pulled her ponytail back down again; covering the area she was sure he had seen. He made an ooh sound, and without hesitation, she turned toward him.
    â€œ
Cállate
, Roly-Poly!”
    There was a silence before Manny, Vic, and the rest of the workers who had since gathered along the fence all erupted into laughter as Emmett approached.
    â€œWhat’s going on here?”
    â€œAna’s reminding Rolo to watch his mouth,” Manny chuckled. “And his gut.”
    â€œRoly-Poly!” one of the men along the fence shouted, to another round of laughter.
    â€œGood advice,” Emmett said. “How’d she do?”
    â€œHow’d you do?” Manny asked, deflecting Emmett’s attention in Ana’s direction.
    Ana looked at the ground.
    â€œShe did just fine,” Manny assured him. “Kept a good pace.”
    â€œWell, it wouldn’t hurt everyone to kick it up.”
    Â â€¢Â â€¢Â â€¢Â 
    T he rest of the morning consisted of picking more berries, some sprouts, and a row of carrots. Ana was baffled that the carrots she yanked from the earth were sometimes yellow or purple and misshapen, unlike the perfect orange ones in grocery stores. She stood at the end of a long row and stretched her back, surprised at the exhaustion setting in. A bell rang out over the fields. She followed the rest of the workers to the sorting station, bunches of carrots in hand.
    â€œLunch break, boys,” Emmett said as they approached, “and, um, girl.”
    Some of the workers headed over to Emmett’s pickup truck with Manny, bringing back peaches, water, and sandwiches made by Abbie. Ana knew they had come from her kitchen, judging by the white parchment wrapping tied together with red string. She joined Vic and a few others leaning against the fence and inhaled the roasted vegetable pesto sandwich. Emmett stayed in the driver’s seat of his truck to eat alone.
    â€œBoss doesn’t eat with us?” she leaned over and whispered to Vic.
    â€œBoss eats with boss.”
    She watched as Emmett fiddled with the stereo, the faint sounds of Neil echoing across the farmland.
    â€œ
He’s a perfect stranger, like a cross of himself and a fox.
”
    Ana wasn’t sure if it was the food, the lulling background music, or if she was hallucinating, but she did a double take as a giant purple caterpillar suddenly made its way up the road.
    â€œ
¡
Órale!
” the workers hooped and hollered as Emmett honked the truck’s horn.
    Ana wondered if this is what sunstroke felt like, because behind the caterpillar there was a spider, a metallic dragon, and a winking chicken lumbering along in stride. The creatures rounded the bend near the entrance of Garber Farm, coming closer into view, and Ana realized they were part of a parade of elaborate floats fashioned out of bicycles. There were single bikes and tandems powered by two or three people smiling