A novelty crop

 Together again after a good few years.
"So what to do you think about the farm Simon" Mike asked.
"It's well organized" Simon replied
His hands separating space inside the pot, for the rooted pineapple to fit into.
"Just another million to go."
"Well if you need any help just let me know."
"Cheers" Simon finished with.

Boss trudged in, in his gumboots neutral beardless sixty year old face.
"How are you getting on?"
"I am almost done with this lot, do you know where I can get the next ones?"
He pointed to the other side of the outdoor potting shed.
"Go over there, Ellie will help you out."

"So pineapples in Ireland aye"  
"Yeah apparently it's nothing knew"
"What do you mean?" Simon asked
"Well centuries ago the pineapple was like a status symbol. So they erected glass houses so they could cultivate them"

Simon pointed up to the sky with was a creamy cold grey.
"You wouldn't be able to get them to survive these winters."
The boss nodded and left.
Scooping out the soil Simon continued to transplant the pineapples pups to bigger pots.
Placing them on the wooden pallet.

"EEEEEEE kaplooooorrrrrr."
Simon turned to see Mike's grinning face in the tractor.
He'd come to pick up the pallet. He was doing one of his bizarre sound effects.
He raised the pallet, spun the tractor and drove it to the tunnel house and lay it inside.

The thick cake like mud made deep impressions around the gumboot footsteps as Simon went to request another hundred young plants.
"What's that you need more? already?"
Simon attempted to retain his need for sarcasm.
Ellie could almost see it. 
"Yeah, I can probably get another 100 done before day's end."

"Ill bring the next ones over soon, get the hose and start watering in the ones ya done.
Don't pay your friend Mike any mind, He's always acting the maggot around here."
"Ellie why do people want to grow tropical things in zones that are not tropical, isn't that just bonkers?"
"No I'd say it was the very meaning of life." Ellie being cryptic.
"What do you mean by that?" 
"Well everyone wants something they can't have. Heat in winter, cool in summer. Anything you lack drives you mad."

"Pineapples are just another attempt to glorify."
Ellie ignored my comment. "I've been working here for forty years and every year they bring in something new. Last year it was Feijoas"
"Will I also work here with my friend Mike long?"
"A good few years, we usually shut for winter. But you and Mike are hobbyists. Too focused on life to worry about the plants that died."
Ignorant gardeners? Is that what were?

We went to the break room reddish brown wooden floor catching an illusive sun ray. Long curtains like huge dragnets catching the dust of the room. The four of us slurped weak milk coffee to the beat of some nineties radio station. you could almost predict the song before it played. I looked at the ceiling and praised the empty space of the room above, as the mess among us would only please a hoarder.