The story runs back about 21 years. I was in class two when my maternal great grandfather gave us a coconut tree sapling to be planted at our place, when we met him during the school summer vacations at Kerala that year. He had carefully picked up the plant for her grand daughter, my mother. Once we reached home after the vacation, we immediately planted it at 6 foot distance from the house so that its closer to home but has a decent distance from the house. Adjacent to the coconut sapling we had a jackfruit tree both just being their journey in life. Another two years later my Dad planted another coconut sapling at the other corner of our property, he purchased that from the local farmers at a Krishi mela.
Soon the coconut trees and the jackfruit tree started growing tall and strong. The coconut tree near the house given by my great grandfather has very slow growth. Over time (say 10 years later) the coconut tree near the fence started flowering and bore fruits – tender coconuts in pretty parrot green. But the tree near the house did not flower as yet. One of those days, in the evening I heard my Dad talk to the coconut tree. It was quite amusing, he was brushing off the leaves of the jackfruit tree that had fallen over the branches of the coconut tree and asking it look at the tree which was two years younger and yet bore fruits earlier. He told the tree, ” You need to catch up soon.” Now the reason why this coconut tree was finding it to grow was, though it received the water and manure, it lacked sunlight and an path to grow cause the Jackfruit tree spread its branches and encroached into its path of growth and then there was our house on the other side. Finally after much request from its care taker, my Dad, the tree decided to grow and bear fruit. The tree slanted towards the house, not interfering in the path of the jackfruit tree and gave bunches of tender coconut.
We were very happy to see the way the trees had grown and continued to give much fruits. It took 12 years for the tree given by my great grandfather to bear coconuts. Now a days we have the hybrid coconut tree which is very short and bears fruits within 5-7 years. It is difficult to find people to climb up the coconut tree – must say that requires good skills. Soon the coconut tree was right over the top of the house. Then the troubles started…
The squirrels were easily able to open the small tender coconuts to drink water and that used to fall over the terrace. We had our water pipeline and over head water tank closely under the coconut tree. The old branches of the coconut tree started falling thunderously over the terrace. We tried calling different people to pull the tree away from the house and tie, but none were sure that would work effectively. The coconuts continued showering over our heads. But one day, a coconut thoroughly aimed at the water valve and got flung down and my mom just missed getting hit on the head by a few inches. Around those days, a average sized coconut fell on my head, thanks to the squirrel.
At last, my Dad finally agreed and decided to cut the coconut tree. The tree he cared for 21 years.. I’m sure it would have been a tough decision to make. The tree cutters arrived and worked for a full day from morning 9am to evening 5pm. I stood witness to the whole event, I had never seen a coconut tree getting cut before. They brought down the trunk in pieces, making sure nothing hit the house. The huge trunk did fall on the stone pillar of the grapeyard and broke it. The guys who cut the tree, helped us replace that stone pillar.
We got about five tengin pookula (coconut flowers), 130 tender coconuts and the heart of the coconut tree. The tengin pookula is used to make a ayurvedic medicine for backache and gynecological disorders. The soft pulp of the coconut tree, which is at the head of the tree, inside the trunk is the heart of the coconut tree. Mostly used as a salad – Millionaire’s salad, is simple, tender-crisp, delicately sweet, ivory-coloured salad is made from finely sliced heart of the coconut palm tree which is tossed with fragrant lime juice, olive oil, thinly sliced onion and seasoned with sugar, salt and pepper. Hearts of palm are rich in fiber, potassium, iron, zinc, phosphorus, copper, vitamins B2, B6, and C and has no fat. The palm heart is located inside the fibrous layers of the terminal bud of the coconut tree. The terminal bud is the main area of growth in most plants and is located at the top of the trunk where the leaves are located.
Thank you for all your gifts.
Life is Beautiful.
Life is Beautiful 