This Is Our Life

 

   

 

 

“Oh dear, why is it so dark in here?  And, why is it so difficult to breathe?  And what is that slimy, wriggly creature?” 

 

 

 

“Awh, stop the fretting!  How do you expect to breathe if that slimy wriggly creature doesn’t turn the soil and let the air come through?  You complain and fret too much, you know.  You need to count your blessings and look forward to the day when you break through the soil and see the light.”

 

 

“See the light?  When will that be?   I am sure to suffocate in here before that time comes.”

 

 

“Now you may only be a tiny seed but the time will come when you will be a towering tree giving food and shade to many people.”

 

 

“People?  Who or what are people?”  Do people live here with us in this dark hole? Aaagh!  One of those creepy things again.  I can’t stand them.  I really want to get out of here.” 

 

 

Well, if you live long enough, as you most certainly will, you will get to meet many people including Farmer.  Farmer is the one who makes sure we are as comfortable as possible, given these conditions.”

Mango and Apple grew and grew until one day.... “Presto!”  They both burst through the soil and were flooded with bright, warm sunlight.

 

 

“This is great,” said Mango.  “For a moment there I thought that we would not have made it.  At one stage, I had almost allowed myself to be influenced by your grumbling and disgruntle attitude.”

 

 

“So what happens now,” asked Apple, “since you seem to know so much?”

 

 

“Well, from here, Farmer will give us water and manure and will take good care of us until we can fend for ourselves,” replied Mango.

 

 

“When will that be?” quizzed Apple.

 

 

“When we are big and strong and tall.  Then we will be able to resist the very strong winds and many people will climb up our trunks to pick our fruits.  We will be able to look all across the countryside and see for miles and miles.  But long before that time comes, Farmer is going to perform a little operation on one of us.”

 

 

“Oh, what is that?” 

 

 

“We will become so big that we will not be able to live so close to each other.  Farmer will have to transplant one of us to another part of his ground so that each of us would have the room to spread our many roots and branches.”

 

 

“I am now beginning to understand,” said Apple, but I hope I’m not the one who will be moved.  I couldn’t stand an operation after that horrible experience in the dark for so long.  Oh boy, wasn’t that suffocating?”

 

 

“There you go again, fretting and grumbling.  It will be nothing like that.  You won’t be in the dark again.  Farmer will just dig around your roots and lift the section out and put you in another spot.  It’s so easy that you won’t realize it until it’s finished,” informed Mango.

 

 

“Well, since you are so comfortable with it, you can be the one to get move,” retorted Apple.

 

 

“My, oh my, you are so prickly, Apple.  You just catch at everything.  However, I do not mind if it is I because it is really no problem.”

 

 

As Mango had said, Farmer came and transplanted one of them.  The operation was a success.  He must have heard their conversation for he decided to move Mango. Several years later, the trees had become fruit bearing.  They were far enough not to get into each other’s way but yet near enough to chat with each other.

 

 

“Mango, you have some luscious fruit but why do you put the prettiest and largest so far on the top branches?   You only cause the children to throw stones at you.

 

 

“Come on, Apple, they are not really throwing stones at me.  They are just trying to get the fruit.  If they had any sense they would ask Farmer to get his long picking stick with its bag.  They would be sure to get many more without the risk of damaging my lovely fruit.”

 

 

“I guess you are making sense.  This year, most of my fruit is on my lower branches.  I don’t even know why I did that but next year, may be, I will make it more difficult for those disgusting children to get my golden apples,” grumbled Apple.

 

 

“Apple, do you know about the many ways in which our fruit is used?  But why do I ask you that anyway?  You don’t know much about the things which concern us anyhow. However, I will share just a little with you so that you can tell your grandchildren.  Our fruit is used to make beverages, fruit salads, mango chutney, stewed apple, jams, jellies and marmalade.  So you see, we are quite important.  Those humans can’t do without us.”

 

 

“I have a major problem with these humans, though,” interrupted Apple.

 

 

“What is that?” asked Mango.

 

 

“Well, the way they treat everything there is around them, tells me that they really don’t care.  Perhaps if we strike and refuse to bear fruit, they will understand that we still expect them to respect us and treat us well.  After all, we are an important part of their environment, you know.”

 

 

           

“Well said, Apple.  I was beginning to believe that you had nothing in you at all.”

                 Stewart Russell © 1999