Fruity memories!

This morning, my parents arrived from Kodagu with a bag full of fruits. They were soooo fresh! Kodagu is a place known for dense forests, rivers, hills, mountains, acres and acres of coffee plantations.

Our house is about half a mile away from a river. When I was little, my cousins who lived nearby, visited me on a daily basis. We sometimes swam in the river. After our swim, we walked on the riverbanks aimlessly.In summer, the 'belu' (farmlands) were vacant. We treaded on the empty fields without adult supervision, without fear!!



We often went into the thota to look for fruits with a group of tikes(laborer’s children) to assist us in our trekking adventures. Every season had something to offer. We used to sample plethora of fruits growing on the trees. It was fun to pluck fresh mange(mangoes), bale(bananas), puli(oranges), chakkotha(grapefruits), pineapple, butter fruit(avocado), kayi( guava), passion fruit papayas and other exotic fruits (some names I don’t even know) and eat them without the fear of pesticides.

Now, when I see fruits in the market I think of my land. But I know it’s tainted with pesticide….I feel bad that my city bred son is missing out on the organic fruits I once grew up with!!