Gulmohar - Fia, the breeze in my life!

I must have been in my growing years, attaining little bark on my stem and branches, when Rose and Martin shifted into this bungalow (I am firmly fixed into a cozy corner of its garden). Rose was a delicate beautiful petite woman, expecting her first child. She seemed kind and adorable, for she would everyday take good care of her husband, her new home and also her new garden. She must have been around 25 years old...at least looked so. Her husband, Martin, a young guy in his 30's , was a nice guy too. I was quite delighted to have a wonderful family like theirs in this bungalow. 

The owners of this bungalow had long back shifted to Canada. Occasionally people would come to see the place, but somehow, its first family had to be of Rose and Martin. And I think that was the best thing to happen to me. Often, when the bungalow had not been occupied, neighbours would pluck flowers, nasty children would jump into the garden to play hide n seek, or would simply just pull leaves from plants and trees. Since I was still growing, they could manage to get their hands on me too. The garden was quite a hassled lot of flora. I was relieved when Martin and family moved in. 

Six months later, I was to get a new companion. Martin and Rose would have their first child. All this while, Rose had established a quiet but close bond with all of us in the garden. She would water us, sit beside us in the evenings or would just stroll about in the garden humming a song to her to be child. I could sense her warmth and her immense love and devotion to family.

A week later, I could sense that joy had finally arrived. They were blessed with a baby girl. Though I had not yet seen her closely, I only heard them call out to her. They had named the baby as Fia. Baby Fia was a little angel. A warm sunshine. A beautiful flower. And a breeze of life in my life... 

Gulmohar... Looking back on years goneby

I have been here ever since I was planted. I don't know when and how I landed here, or who planted me here. I was too young and tender to realise that. But my growing years have been quite fulfilling. I have known seasons, people, animals, wind, sun, rains, stars - all in their splendour and doom... In happy times and in lonesome days... In playful desires and in dull moods.

Every time a season comes, wrapping me softly and slowly into its bosom and then slowly, when its time for the next season, unwraps its warmth and love, I am left back with myself to witness new world each day. A new world, a new day, new life, new bloom. New people.

Yes, you would wonder how can a tree like me have new people in its life. Though I stand at a nice cozy corner of a garden, I still manage to meet new people. Some old timers still take refuge under my foliage during summers, some rogues still want me down with my branches, some poor souls still pour a bucket or two of water on my roots, some have left my neighbourhood. But one girl is still close to my heart and would always be. I will take you through my story with her, in many phases - because it difficult to summarize her, its difficult to describe her in few good words - because special things in life deserve importance...