THE LITCHI TREES

Staying in the midst of the Litchi trees season after season, I felt as though I knew its very soul. The Litchi trees stands out from the tall, willowy, thin foliage trees found in rest of the hills. The short, stout and sturdy Litchi trees with the thick green foliage like a luscious beauty of the plains, at a glance looks very much akin to the mango trees, a sort of hybrid between plain and hill trees.

A lot is there to learn from these majestic trees standing testimony to all that’s happening around. The nature’s rhythm and order is manifest in every feature of its growth. I have seen the Litchi trees responding to every mood of nature like a symphony par excellence. The young shoots peeping out in the early spring, followed by the musk of the tiny yellow flowers thick grouped in bunches, surrounded by the hum of the pollinating insects. As the spring advances the heady flowers are changed in to small compact green nodules of fruits. As the spring turns to summer these shiny green fruits grow in stature becoming fine bunches of fruits. As the summer peaks the green fruits changes hue and turn to a heavenly red, swaying along with the green foliage creating a picture straight out for the post cards. It’s a sight indeed to see the rich fruit laden trees swaying sensuously to the mood of the early monsoon, while a stiff competition ensues between men and birds to partake the bounties of nature.

Shrill cries and beats of drums rent the air from dusk to dawn to drive the wicked birds as the fruit ripens. But all is quiet in a fortnight or so.

The fruits with the foliage wrenched out of the trees packed in wooden cases and send to distant lands while mutilated trees stand testimony to all that has happened.

But the generous trees know no revenge. They are again getting ready to give another bounty in the next season responding to ever present soothing and healing moods of Mother Nature.