The past month has been horrendous but I am slowly recovering from the traumatic events and coming to terms with what has happened. I am also sure that over time the memory of the day (especially of that one man) will fade away.
My gardener, Nanku Ram, is an eternal optimist. Like his predecessor Raghav Ram he too has dreams. My father liked Raghav Ram for he was the only gardener who managed to kill the mint plant. As my father dislikes mint, he was extremely happy with Raghav Ram and very upset when I dismissed him.
Nanku Ram has been with me for the past 12 years but I have never seen him this possessed. We will grow tomatoes, he has been telling me ever since I moved into the new apartment. The failure of the tomato plants in the past five years to grow has not deterred him. So when he appeared with tomato plants this September and assured me that it will grow. I was skeptical but did not possess the will power to thwart him. We decided that we will plant them amidst the Malabar spinach also known as pui. The birds and the various inhabitants of the forest around us do not eat this spinach possibly repelled by its large shiny green leaves.
The ruse worked. The tomato plants grew without hindrance. In fact they flourished and late last month, Nanku Ram said, with great satisfaction, that he will get stakes so that they would have support for further growth. And that he would remove the pui. And, he told me, you wait. They will bear tomatoes.
He is right. When I came back from Deepavali vacations from Chennai, there were three tiny tomatoes. Now, there are ten tomatoes in various stages. I look at them and gloat every day. I do not know how many will ripen but there they are and I am happy. As for Nanku Ram- he is extremely contented. His dream has come true.
My gardener, Nanku Ram, is an eternal optimist. Like his predecessor Raghav Ram he too has dreams. My father liked Raghav Ram for he was the only gardener who managed to kill the mint plant. As my father dislikes mint, he was extremely happy with Raghav Ram and very upset when I dismissed him.
Nanku Ram has been with me for the past 12 years but I have never seen him this possessed. We will grow tomatoes, he has been telling me ever since I moved into the new apartment. The failure of the tomato plants in the past five years to grow has not deterred him. So when he appeared with tomato plants this September and assured me that it will grow. I was skeptical but did not possess the will power to thwart him. We decided that we will plant them amidst the Malabar spinach also known as pui. The birds and the various inhabitants of the forest around us do not eat this spinach possibly repelled by its large shiny green leaves.
The ruse worked. The tomato plants grew without hindrance. In fact they flourished and late last month, Nanku Ram said, with great satisfaction, that he will get stakes so that they would have support for further growth. And that he would remove the pui. And, he told me, you wait. They will bear tomatoes.
He is right. When I came back from Deepavali vacations from Chennai, there were three tiny tomatoes. Now, there are ten tomatoes in various stages. I look at them and gloat every day. I do not know how many will ripen but there they are and I am happy. As for Nanku Ram- he is extremely contented. His dream has come true.
