Sunday, May 13, 2012

Jacks at our backs!

After I saw the clusters of the tender jack fruits in Palathope (Mylapore) last Sunday, I think I have been looking at every tree in every bungalow I come across on my way!
It was a great scene at Luz Avenue today. The corner house, where we went to meet an old friend (later we came to know that he has shifted to a crowded place and to a gated community on the OMR), has many trees. A hearty scene in the heart of Mylapore.
One among them is this jack fruit tree!

I remembered the good old days we spent in Cuddalore, a coastal now now famous for its Silver beach. It was then a quiet place, though it was the district headquarters and housed a beautiful Collector's bungalow. Cuddalore is still a district headquarters, just that the name of the district is Cuddalore now and then it was South Arcot.

The summer vacations used to be fun with evenings at the quiet beach which used to submerge in the dark at around 6 in the evening and there were a very few roadside lights on way back home. So the most part of the days were to be spent at home.
And there was this sweet guest at every vacation. The jackfruit.
Appa used to get the best ones from Panruti, known for the sweet fruit.

I don't remember bringing a whole fruit to home after that, cutting it with gums all over the hands, drying up the seed for the next day sambar ...

Naturally it was a great sight for me after a long gap of 25 years! Sweet memories.