my mother loved the summer but not for the weather she loved the mid season plums june july august sweet ones my father kept them plenty always stocked in our pantry some ripe and some well past peak till she was too sick to eat still at my childhood home the only home that i ve known i spent her last few weeks there watching her fade and wither i know what i should have done i should have buried those plums somewhere they wouldn t be found let them turn pits in the ground so he wouldn t have to watch them wilt too cause my mother died in mid june and i knew oh i knew he couldn t look at the fruit no he would just let them prune no he would just let them prune my mother died in mid june and i knew oh i knew that day my father died too that day my father died too