Igneous Range

On odd Sundays the Adroushans would drive up to Fresno, attend church services, and visit Grandma and Grandpa Adroushan.

One day after church in Autumn, Cindy and Armen were helping their grandfather harvest pomegranates in his backyard. Armen observed that the fruit resembled red Christmas tree ornaments. Grandpa agreed and tossed one down to Cindy, who stopped the fruit with her grandfather’s glove, which was a short, old-style finger glove, but still too large for her. The fruit fell from the dangling glove into Cindy’s other hand.

pomegranate arils

Grandpa Adroushan would impart upon Armen and Cindy whatever stories or facts came to mind at times like these. Inspired by the pomegranates, this time the Magi occurred to him. He told his grandkids how the Magi had traveled all the way from Armenia, which he said was a Magian country at the time of Christ, that the Magians were known for their knowledge of prophecy and astronomy. He continued, having established that these alleged Armenians were the first Christians, he could not allow himself to neglect to mention that Armenia had been the first Christian country. Cindy and Armen’s parents did not speak so proudly or quite so often of their Armenian heritage, but they did not seem to mind if Grandpa did if it made the kids proud of their deep Christian heritage. They did not seem so alien among their peers when they thought of that heritage.

Grandpa Adroushan imparted pomegranates and heritage down upon the two children, his foot ladder his pulpit, and when he determined that enough had been said, he determined that enough fruit had been plucked from the tree.