Estate mangoes

Yesterday amma is all smiles when I visited her.She l told me to go to the kitchen and see what is kept on the working table there.I spotted a huge tray full of small mangoes(which we use for mavadu) and another tray full of medium sized mangoes.All from the tree in her garden. When you see something fresh and green from your own garden, there are very few pleasures which equal that exhilaration.

Amma had asked me to go and see the huge crop of mangoes the previous day hanging in bunches.But they were all quite high up in the tree. I think neighbourhood boys had wiped out the low hanging mangoes. I tried some gymnastics and caught a few. I was asking her how did she manage to pluck all of them.

This brings me to the unique chemistry existing between my mother, her maid and the helper lady who comes in to help appa and amma. They dont stricly adhere to their roles. They were also equally excited about the mangoes. So both of them go to the terrace and inspect the mangoes; an aerial view so to say.Then they come down and manage to get two sticks and sit down and tie it securely and go to the garden and alternate between hitting at the mango bunch and anticipate and quickly catch the mangoes before they hit the ground. Mangoes caught by hand has high value, as they can ripen into juicy and delicious mangoes. But if they fall on the ground, then it is not a sure bet, so mostly it is used for pickles or chutneys or whatever one fancies. They made such a pair that they managed to catch a large number, without dropping catches. After an hour or so when they had vamoosed, they returned back with sackful of mangoes and showed off to amma.Amma was very very pleased.She kept holding each one of the mangoes in her hand and inspecting and commenting about it.

She gladly distributed it to them and kept the remaining for home consumption. She is generous and a garden enthusiast.They maid who has been with her for as long as we remember know her only too well. She is also very excited about gardening.The helper lady who is the latest addition, has quickly fit into her role and they make a good three musketeers.

They are to help amma and appa.But mostly they pour their troubles to her and she a kindly soul who comes to their rescue in all the way she can. She of course ropes in me and my sister also into this whirlpool!

Working for amma has lot of perquisites.