I carried my dish for a potluck lunch at the home of my son’s friend. When I reached there, I followed the voices and laughter outside to the backyard where I found my son and his friends sitting on a big jamakkalam under a mango tree. Lalitha Prakash, our hostess, welcomed me as my then eight-year-old son ran up to me in excitement saying, This is an ÄC tree, ma.”
I looked up at the graceful mango tree where its leaves allowed the sun just enough space to cast down a few golden rays. I realised how cool it was.
The flowering season was over and the tree was laden with young green mangoes. An excited boy pointed to an equally excited squirrel running on the branches. The boys ran around looking for fallen mangoes before settling down for a picnic lunch. The crows came visiting hoping to grab a bite too.
Post-lunch there were board games and run-and-catch with the mango tree in attendance. Even though this was 15 years ago, the gorgeous tree stands tall in my memory.
The mango — Mangifera Indica, Ma in Tamil — is also one among the three all-time favourite fruits of mango, jackfruit and banana. Known for its irresistible varieties, taste and the endless medicinal value of its leaves, it is the king of fruits.
However what impacted me that day was the calming effect that this common home tree had on me. Thank you, Lalitha, for the great experience of a lunch under the ‘AC tree’!
Srividhya Narayanan is an Apex Member of Siruthuli, the Environmental NGO
