August 9, 2003

Once, when I was a small boy, I had once sown the seeds of a beautiful tree. I still remember that I had a very bad day at school, then I was scolded by my father for doing something, and then I was sitting in a very bad mood in the kitchen with my cat. As I sat there, I saw some seeds. I picked them up and wondered where they had come from, ‘perhaps a beanstalk would grow out if I sow these,’ I thought. Just as this idea came to my mind, I ran to the land lying vacant in front of our house, I had heard that the land belonged to no one, so I dug a small hole in the ground and gently placed the seed inside. I was very excited and had soon forgotten all that had happened that day.

The next day I woke up earlier than usual, my mother seemed surprised at this. Usually, it used to take her half an hour to get me out of bed as I always refused to go to school. I quickly got dressed and ran outside to see my beanstalk. But there was no beanstalk in sight. There was nothing there except for the white flag I had driven in the ground next to the seed. I was disappointed, but only for a moment. Then I thought that perhaps the tree did not grow because I had not watered the seed. So I watered it and waited patiently for the next day.

The next day I woke up earlier than the previous day, quickly got dressed and ran outside, to see my beanstalk. But it wasn’t there so I decided to walk outside, and think of what went wrong. After walking for half an hour, I decided that perhaps the soil wasn’t good enough. So I dug it up and sowed the seed in another part of the land.

But even the next day the beanstalk was not found. So I watered it more, but even then no shoot was in sight.. . So I took out the flag, as I felt that may be the flag was hindering its growth. Many days passed but the beanstalk did not come out, and I began to fret.

Then, one day I saw something. Yes, it was a very small shoot, a very tiny one. I was very excited. My parents were very happy to see me this way. Before I had planted the tree I was a timid lonely boy with no friends. But now I was happy as I saw a friend grow, I was always happy. My life had changed completely.

I believed that it would grow up to become a beanstalk one day. But of course it did not grow up to become a beanstalk, it was just an ordinary tree. But I was not disappointed and disheartened, I had started to love it, as I saw it grow. I spent most of my time with it. I would usually wake up early and go to meet it. I’d also do my home work under it and play silly games with it. I whispered small secrets to it as well as sit under it and weep when I was upset, I had spent my good and bad times with it.

I had shared my happiness and sorrow with it. It seemed as though God had sent me a brother in the form of a tree as I was shy of other boys and girls.

Life was going on well, but then I guess all good times have to end. It was a cold day, my friend and I had a good time playing and after sunset, I said goodnight and came inside. I was very tired that day, so I ate my dinner earlier than usual and went to bed. Just as I closed my eyes, I opened them again. Because I felt that my dear friend was in some kind of a danger. I quickly got up and ran to my window, from where the tree was always visible. I saw a man with an axe standing next to the tree. I quickly understood, what the man was up to. So I ran outside, screaming, my parents were surprised, and ran after me.

I was small and ran fast. I quickly reached the tree and stood before the man. It was my tree and the man had no right to do anything to it, two other men came forward and asked me to go away. My parents reached as well and my father asked the man what was happening. The man told him that they were cutting the tree because a road had to be made there. The other man discussed the whole affair with my father. He did not agree with any of my father’s recommendations. I told the man that the tree was sleeping at that time. But they said that they would cut the tree now as they could not wait. I could not resist their decision. My parents told me that I could plant another tree in my own garden, but I didn’t want to. I wanted my own tree, I had seen my friend being born, and grow but I could not see it die. I could not leave it alone, I had to stay. I was crying and my parents held me tight so that I did not run to the tree. However, they did allow me to say good bye to it once. I saw the man kill my dear friend. It died peacefully in its sleep and I was separated forever from a very dear tree, a friend and a brother.

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