Stealing was the better option?
By Kandase
@Kandae11 (53679)
July 22, 2018 9:12am CST
Life is not easy for everyone - for some survival is a daily struggle. So as much as I can I try to lend my support to the needy and those trying their best to earn a honest living.
That is why I preferred buying my vegetables from the guy with the cart who came into our street every Saturday. I even bought ackees from him when my ackee tree at the back of the house seemed to be bearing very little. I should point out here that this incident I am about to disclose, happened during the time I was working 9 to 5 and was hardly ever home except on weekends.
One Saturday morning my neighbor and myself met at the cart at the same time to purchase vegetables. When we were through, the vendor went off whistling and my neighbor looked at the two dozen ackees I had purchased. What she said next really shocked me. "Are you sure you have not bought your own ackees? Several times I have seen that vendor in your tree picking your ackees but I thought you two had an arrangement"
Wow! - that revelation left me feeling deflated and disappointed, because instead of stealing, that vendor and I could have made an arrangement beneficial to both of us - instead, he thought stealing was the better option. How often have you been disappointed by a person's actions?
Note: I remembered this incident after reading the post by @Freelanzer titled: "The Strawberry thief caught on camera".
22 people like this
24 responses
? I have an orchard in the countryside where I gave up long ago the hope to eat my fruits
.@topffer (42156)
• France
22 Jul 18
@Kandae11 I have learned that the stealer was a neighbor, from another neighbor. The guy is in his 80's now, I have decided to not lodge a complaint, if he steals fruits I suppose he needs them to improve his daily lot... I hope he does not sell them
.
.3 people like this
@arthurchappell (45002)
• Preston, England
22 Jul 18
pretty audacious of him to take your fruit that way - if your neighbour is happy to be a witness you should report him
3 people like this
@arthurchappell (45002)
• Preston, England
22 Jul 18
@Kandae11 hopefully he has stopped stealing stock now
1 person likes this
@Kandae11 (53679)
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22 Jul 18
@arthurchappell If he went on to bigger loot he might have been caught and put away for a time.
1 person likes this
@1hopefulman (45123)
• Canada
24 Jul 18
Wow! That's a new one. He stole your fruit and then he had the audacity to sell it you. 
Of course I had never heard of that fruit and had to look it up.
Of course I had never heard of that fruit and had to look it up.
In Jamaica, the ackee fruit is a mixed blessing. Though originally native to West Africa, it migrated to Jamaica in 1778 and is now the country's national fruit. If improperly eaten, though, ackee can...
2 people like this
@1hopefulman (45123)
• Canada
24 Jul 18
@Kandae11 Yes, I enjoyed reading about it. I don't know if they have them here. 
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@Kandae11 (53679)
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24 Jul 18
@1hopefulman You might find them canned. They are in demand especially by former Caribbean residents who now reside in Canada, the US and the UK.
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@Kandae11 (53679)
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24 Jul 18
Ackee and saltfish is the national dish of Jamaica. It is also popular in the other islands. When it is picked before the pod is opened - only then it might be poisonous when eaten. Otherwise it is chock full of vitamins and minerals.When it is opened naturally like in the picture there is no problem.
1 person likes this
@DianneN (246838)
• United States
23 Jul 18
That certainly explains why your tree didn't give you your ackees. That must have made you feel awful while trusting someone so much and "helping" him out, too. So shocking. My parents had a live in maid/cook, who stole meats from the freezer, small amounts, of cash and jewelry. My father suspected her and had her empty her suitcase before she left for her days off. He fired her on the spot. and I remember her crying and begging for forgiveness. No dice.
2 people like this
@allknowing (130064)
• India
22 Jul 18
I have not seen ackees A picture would be fine
Surely that must be the last time that guy was seen around your area (lol)
1 person likes this
@allknowing (130064)
• India
23 Jul 18
@Kandae11 Thanks. Is it a fruit or a vegetable And those black things. Are those seeds?
Would you not like to confront him?
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@Kandae11 (53679)
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23 Jul 18
@allknowing Yes it is a fruit but I consider it a vegetable as well. The black seeds are removed and the yellow inside is cooked with saltfish, tomatoes, onions bell pepper. it looks and tastes a bit like scrambled eggs. To describe what happened later would take another post.
3 people like this
@Freelanzer (10745)
• Canada
22 Jul 18
I guess he didn't think you would recognize the ackee as yours and how could you? What a brazen thief indeed.
2 people like this
@Shiva49 (26202)
• Singapore
24 Jul 18
@Kandae11 I can understand that.
I recall when I accommodated a friend to stay with me occasionally.
After a few years, I visited his home and was surprised to see some of my books on his shelf.
He did not have the courtesy to ask me even and I did not realize that he had taken them.
I had to buy some of them later as I did not want to raise this touchy issue with him - siva
@Kandae11 (53679)
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31 Jul 18
@RubyHawk I call it a vegetable because it must be cooked. It looks like scrambled eggs from a distance - as you can see in the picture of the cooked dish. If the pods are not allowed to open naturally like in the picture. If it is forced open before it is ready and the inside cooked and eaten, one could be poisoned- but that hardly happens. I heard of people who grew up eating ackees and lived to be over 100.
1 person likes this
@Jessabuma (31700)
• Baguio, Philippines
22 Jul 18
That's not good. Stealing is one of the mortal sins.
1 person likes this
@snowy22315 (169966)
• United States
23 Jul 18
I bet if he had asked for them, the guy would have given him some!
1 person likes this
@moirai (2836)
• Philippines
26 Jul 18
Aww, that's sad. :/
We also sometimes have a problem with people picking fruit from our trees without permission. They most likely just eat it and not sell it, but still, we would appreciate it more if they asked first instead of just taking when we're not looking.
1 person likes this
@BelleStarr (61047)
• United States
24 Jul 18
That is indeed very disappointing and I would have felt compelled to tell him that any more visits to my yard would result in his arrest.
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@JamesHxstatic (29242)
• Eugene, Oregon
31 Jul 18
I had to make one more comment here since l looked "ackees" up. I always loved the Belafonte song, "Jamaica Farewell" and always wondered what he was saying when he sang "akee rice, salt fish are nice, etc. Now I know!
Since my first comment about how this post made me laugh vanished, I wanted to be sure to tell you.
1 person likes this
@ridingbet (66857)
• Philippines
23 Jul 18
that vendor is fooling you. but karma is just around the corner. hope you don't buy anything from him again.
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