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| Mango tree |
Hello friends,
Today we will see the story of an all-season mango tree.
I was on the banks of river Tunga. To see the “All Season Mango Tree”, I had to cross this river. Some distance away an old man was cutting firewood with his axe. I asked him about the boats. “Only a few boats go that way,” he replied. I waited for the boats on a big rock nearby. I could see the Western Ghats shrouded in mist in the distance. I was tired of waiting for the boats. I picked small flat stones and started throwing them into the water one by one. It reminded me of my childhood to see them bouncing like a ball on the water.
As I threw each stone, the fish in the water jumped out of the water to grab them, mistaking them for a snack. There were a lot of fish in that river. So, with the desire to touch at least one of them, I slowly dipped my hand into the water. But by a hair gap, they would escape out of reach.
I was immersed in a deep game with these fish. I heard someone clear their throat behind me. Looking back, it was the same old man cutting down the tree a while ago!
"Hmm?" I looked at him hesitantly. "Nothing. I thought let's have a beedi party. Will you come with me?" He showed me a pack of beedis.
"Just Beedi?" I asked nonchalantly.
"No, I have some peanuts too," he replied.
I was ready to pass time with him, but my dream was to see the mango tree. "I don't mind coming with you, but I have to get a boat!" I said.
“Don't worry sir. After this party, I will take you there in my boat.” He replied calmly.
"Oh, what are you talking about?" I was a bit angry with his words. "I sat on this dirty rock for hours, and now you are saying this? Couldn't you have said this earlier? "
“Don't get angry sir. I have not eaten properly for two days. I guess I'm lucky today! I will make some rice and sambar. I was cutting wood to prepare my food" He made a pale face. I measured him from head to toe at that moment. His lean skeletal body bore witness to his words. I felt sorry for him. "Let it be. I know. But please understand my situation. I have to go back right? How can I go if I am late?"
"You can stay at my home." He hesitated. "Okay! But I don't want fish curry. I don't eat fish." I smiled.
“I make potato rasam.I have that too," he replied with a smile.
Now we were sitting in front of his hut. He would gather some sticks, light a fire, light beedi on it and smoke beedi in a strange fashion. I saw many dreams burning unfulfilled in his eyes. He held out a bidi towards me. I was not happy with this offer but, I was not ready to sadden him again by refusing. So I just sat holding it in my hand. After five-six beedis, he started coughing and wrapped the rest around his waist. "Shall we go? It's getting late." I hurried.
"Only after feeding my children" His voice was a little harsh and seemed to command me "You must wait." These words made me very angry. I hated him at that moment."Okay! Sure, I'll wait" I wasn't willing to cause any trouble.
He took me to the river and started throwing Poha from his torn bag. The fish in the water started fighting for food. He moved to the bush on the other side and called, "Rani... Rani..." A fat fish with a nosering swam up to the bank to eat Poha. He also fed her some worms. (I thought she must be his favorite child).
Now we were on the other side of the river. The old man showed me a mango tree. I was surprised to see a mango tree full of fruits. (It was October). "Wonderful!" I exclaimed. "Sir! It never sheds its leaves." He informed me that. "Oh, one more surprising thing!" I smiled.
I took out my camera and clicked photos from all angles and immediately tried to upload them on social media but the lack of network annoyed me.
A ladder was leaning against that tree. He climbed up and started plucking the fruit. "Sir...catch...catch" he started hanging like a monkey on the tree. His enthusiasm surprised me!
After ten fruits, I asked him to come down. He slowly descended. After I had eaten three or four pieces of fruit, he broke the silence and asked, "How are they?"
“They are so sweet! I have never eaten such delicious fruits!” I replied. I was curious to know “What is the secret of this tree?” and asked him about it.
“Well, look at it carefully. It is not planted on the ground.”
Now I widen my eyes and looked at the tree, and I could not believe my eyes; The tree was planted on a grave! I immediately stopped eating fruit. A small piece was still inside my mouth. "Swallow it? Or spit it out?" I was confused.
But, I am not superstitious; So, I bravely swallowed the remaining piece and got a burp. But I could never be calm.
"Who's inside?" I pointed to the grave.
"My son." He replied in a low voice.
“Oh, I'm sorry to ask. But can you tell me how it all happened?"
He continued, “I married a girl who ran a flower shop near the temple. I was a rower. Our life was going on happily with our little income. By the grace of God, a boy was also born. But it's all our fate, he associated with bad people when we parents were out, and he started stealing. Besides, my son was addicted to beedi - cigarettes, drinking alcohol. One day he had a fight with some rich kids, he came home and hid inside locked. They started looking for him. Our neighbor told us about this fight and advised us to escape from there. My wife was not at home at that time. I didn't have time to think, I grabbed him and ran to my boat, quickly oared. My blind love for him made me save him. We ran back from there and reached this place and built a small hut. After that, I went back to that town alone to see my wife. When I reached the bank, the temple priest had come to fetch water from the river, he saw me and asked, 'Are you looking for your wife? Sahukar's goons killed her. don't come here again run for your life.'
I was thunderstruck. I swallowed my grief and sighed, at least my son is still alive. But he was the cause of all the disasters that happened. I came back and thrashed him down and screamed 'It's all because of you...'. I was crying a lot. He was standing silently, with his head down. I did not speak to him properly for another two or three days. One morning I woke up to a nightmare and called out to my son, who was not there. I went looking for him. When I went a little further, I heard someone groaning in the bushes. When I went there, my son fell on the ground in pain and was trembling with pain. I screamed 'What's wrong?' and rushed to him. He was bitten by a snake and was drooling. He was trying to tell me something. I knelt down and held his right hand, 'Dad...I was not a good son to you in this life. if I have another life, I will live as a good man.’ and I lost my heir. In his left hand was a mango. I buried him there and planted the same mango on his grave. It is now such a big tree. It bears fruit at all times, gives them to everyone; doesn't differentiate between rich and poor. I believe that my son still lives in that tree.” He sighed.
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