My father was posted in Rangpo, Sikkim.Our house was at Sikkim mining corporation area. It was beautiful with a lovely garden in front & lush green courtyard where we had a badminton court. The gate of the house was built with bougainvillea plant & it looked wonderful. At one corner of the garden stood a mango tree..an old mango tree.
On our (elder sis & elder bro & me) request, a swing was hung on one of the branches of the mango tree. We enjoyed swinging all the time & sometimes our friends too joined & had fun...never thought once about the tree..as I am now..it was an old tree. It was laden with fruits during the summer seasons. My mother use to make jam & pickle out of it. In the afternoons, we all had to sleep....my mother's order. But we never, especially my brother, he always waited for the sound (thud) made by the falling of mango from the tree. He use to run to collect it. In those days I use to hate mangoes. My brother & sister always fought for the mangoes.I was amused to see them fighting for a single mango.
Winter holidays were long. One of my friend use to come to visit her uncle, who was our neighbor. We spent most of our times under the mango tree. We collected small utensils from our kitchens & made small fire & cooked vegetables & rice.Sometimes I could see my mother at the veranda keeping a watchful eye on us whether everything was alright. Most of the time the food was not cooked properly but we still had it joyfully. How stupid were we..how happily we could eat those tasteless, half-cooked food!!
I often sat under the tree & watched the ants moving in a line making their way to the holes somewhere in the tree or under it. Sometimes I was surprised to see secretions oozing out of the trunk...I thought that time, the tree might be weeping or its hurt & that's why its oozing blood .....innocent realizations!!....now I know the tree was becoming old.....It had seen & experienced so many things in its life, standing tall in one place for so many years ...how difficult/happy might have been its journey of life....meeting different people, animals, insects, seasons.....if only I could feel & know!! So utterly different from human being who can..talk, move, think.....!
Years after, still when I go to Gangtok, I never miss a chance to try & see the mango tree from the road when I pass from Rangpo & every time my memories come back as if it was yesterday. I don't know whether its there or not but I am always thankful to it for giving me so much happiness in my life.
On our (elder sis & elder bro & me) request, a swing was hung on one of the branches of the mango tree. We enjoyed swinging all the time & sometimes our friends too joined & had fun...never thought once about the tree..as I am now..it was an old tree. It was laden with fruits during the summer seasons. My mother use to make jam & pickle out of it. In the afternoons, we all had to sleep....my mother's order. But we never, especially my brother, he always waited for the sound (thud) made by the falling of mango from the tree. He use to run to collect it. In those days I use to hate mangoes. My brother & sister always fought for the mangoes.I was amused to see them fighting for a single mango.
Winter holidays were long. One of my friend use to come to visit her uncle, who was our neighbor. We spent most of our times under the mango tree. We collected small utensils from our kitchens & made small fire & cooked vegetables & rice.Sometimes I could see my mother at the veranda keeping a watchful eye on us whether everything was alright. Most of the time the food was not cooked properly but we still had it joyfully. How stupid were we..how happily we could eat those tasteless, half-cooked food!!
Years after, still when I go to Gangtok, I never miss a chance to try & see the mango tree from the road when I pass from Rangpo & every time my memories come back as if it was yesterday. I don't know whether its there or not but I am always thankful to it for giving me so much happiness in my life.
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