I like to sing and jump and dance when I am alone. The area around my house is generally my favourite place. As everyone goes to work in the estate, leaving myself and periyaachchi, I am generally alone dancing, singing and running around. I can climb guava trees. “aachchi, give me that hook, I want to pluck guava fruits”.. “Don’t climb trees, you might fall. Wait, let me come”. She comes with a long hook. She watches me climbing and tells me where to keep my next foot and where to sit comfortably. She shows me good fruits, not too ripe, not too raw. She bends the branch for me, using the hook; the fruit comes just in front of my little hands. She waits until I pluck it. I give it to her asking her to keep it for me. When I have plucked few of them, I come down. I like to jump. “don’t jump, don’t jump, do you ever listen!! Show me your legs, did you hurt them? You got dirty.. You know those leeches, sometimes they stick to your skin and they suck blood out of you.”. I know. I had that experience once, terrifying. These leeches are very bad. I can’t climb orange trees. They are very tall without any branch at the bottom. If there are branches, I can use them as steps. Periyachchi uses her hook to pluck few orange fruits for me. Yep, fruit picking is finished for today… Thatha made a little hook for me, which I can carry with me and use it myself. I am a big girl now, you know. I can carry the hook and climb tree as well.
Place :- Puliyamalai, Kerala. Age:- 3 years
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2 comments:
My grandmother had a guava tree in her top garden. All the fruit trees were there and it had a tall mesh fence around it that the passion fruit and grape vines grew up. It was a magical garden for children, but we weren't allowed in because there was an electricity sub-station box there and it was considered dangerous. So my grandmother always kept the gate locked.
Once my cousin and I climbed the fence and stole a guava. We ate it together under the guava tree, but it tasted like nothing because we felt so guilty!
Thanks for making me remember. :)
You were very good kids. whenever me and my gang stole fruits (from our college farm), i felt victorious, and everything tasted soooo goood.. that was in college. :)
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