The Water Melon

Sunday, July 3, 2011

The Water Melon

Assalamu 'Alaikum

The Water Melon

“Put the little fruit under your study lamp”, Zahir said, “so that it won’t die”. He asked me why I did not water it often. But I did, when I can remember to. However I saw the water melon was better when I forgot to water, but I could be wrong.

We were excited, in the little patch of green we had, a water melon seed Zahir planted in Kakak’s rose pot sprouted leaves. I gently transferred the seedling to another pot which was the burial ground of another flower plant. It sprouted plenty of leaves. Mama was the first to notice it sprouted a fruit. What started from a 10 sen fruit grew to a 50 sen fruit and then reached a size just smaller than a tennis ball. We were very happy and I told Nenek Laili when she came visiting with Tok Rais that soon we won’t have to buy water melons, Zahir grew that and we are all so proud.

Well we knew it wasn’t going to grow as big as the ones we see in Mydin, but it was good to see the beam on Zahir’s face as we praised his effort. I kinda hope it will grow bigger although Mama have more childhood experience with this and she knew the maximum size the fruit would grow. I think the limit of its size was reached a few days ago, no matter how I watered the plant, all the leaves turned yellow. Mama said to pluck the fruit and see whether it will ripen. However I would like to make it very clear here, in the light of the current political environment we find ourselves in, I did not 'ceramah' the leaves to turn yellow ok, so don’t send no black maria to pick me up, I’m completely innocent. This time :)

I had an inkling of what’s going to happen when I saw the 3 little bird pecks on the little fruit one day.  Our house, the lawn especially is now well known to the Bukit Jelutong bird population as the place for a good breakfast and snack. I don’t know how it started but now I could not get into the house returning home from Subuh prayers, without going through the cacophony of the sparrows, the mynahs and the occasional magpie perching on my fence. “Where’s breakfast huh, where, where, we’re hungry? “ seems to be the gist of it. So I usually take the two hard slices in the loaf of bread which the kids don’t like, tear it up into small pieces and spray it on the lawn. Then I will retreat into the house and sometimes watch them eat from a distance. Rice is okay too but Malay kuih is a no no, quite fussy these urbane birds.

Occasionally I saw the food untouched with not a bird to be seen. This was soon no mystery to me as I saw Garfield the bird hunter lazing inconspicuously underneath the car. You knew he wasn’t hungry for the birds, and if you happen to speak cat and interviewed him why he’s harassing the birds he will probably say because I can! That’s Garfield the next door neighbour’s bully cat for you. When I reproached him from behind the grille he will put up his completely innocent and perplexed face, you know, what have I done wrong, what have I done wrong, sort of look. But trust me, he understands, as he quickly disappears when I unlock the grill to step out of the house.

So the little water melon fruit is sitting quietly next to my laptop now, showered by the light from my study lamp, as I write this piece. How do I tell Zahir, his fruit won’t die, as it’s what? Not alive? That’s parenting for you, one have no problem offering  solutions for the world’s money problem, but how does one tell one's 5 year old kid that his fruit won’t die? Sigh.

Note: Sen = as in our currency Ringgit and Sen
          Kakak = Elder sister, Adlin
          Nenek = Granny
          Tok = Granpa
          Mydin = our local supermarket
          Ceramah = political talk
          black maria = local police car
         "yellow" = the currently prohibited colour to be used in a political rally
          Subuh = Dawn prayers
          Kuih = small cakes