“Glittering tinsel, lights, glass balls, and candy canes dangle from pine trees.”― Richelle E. Goodrich,
My daily walk through the man-made forest is full of mysteries, reminding me of fairy tales and unique secrets. As I was walking through the forest one morning, I picked up a leaf from the Christmas tree. That was not a common Christmas tree, it was a Leyland Cypress plant. There are cypresses throughout the forest, so this was a common plant in the area. As soon as I brought it home, I planted the leaf and its axillary bud in a long flat pot. Then, I watered it thoroughly. It grew in the friendly space of the money plant and hibiscus which were swift in their growth. While the leaf remained green, I did not see much growth. The soft branches of the money plant almost covered the leaf, while the hibiscus plant stood two feet high. Just when I was about to give up, I saw a tiny twig growing from the leaf. The leaf had finally begun growing. After that, it never stopped growing, but it had very sparse foliage.
For two years we kept clearing the space around the plant. We then saw a two-foot-tall Cypress Christmas tree. For the first time, I purchased some decorations for the Christmas plant that year. I didn’t use a skirt for the tree because I liked the slender stem, but I used a star as a tree topper, a Santa with Merry Christmas written below it, a few ornaments and tinsel for the central and lateral branches. String lights were used to create a brighter appearance. My neighbour’s little son was fascinated when I said Santa would bring a present for him, he prayed for a little dog. The next day, Santa brought the boy a toy dog. It was a tiny Alsatian and he loved it.
The Christmas tree grew taller the following year. It was bare on the stem but had a green canopy above. As the wind blew into the gully between the buildings, the leaves would flutter. When the wind speed increased, the plant would bow low and move in the wind’s direction. While the wind howled and screamed, the Cypress plant looked low and prayed for good times. Occasionally, the battered leaves would stay low until the sun rose and sprayed its magical energy on them. Eventually, the plant grew faster. It was almost three and a half feet tall. During Christmas that year, when my niece and son-in-law visited, we decorated the plant with blue lights. As we sat near the plant, we felt God’s blessings.
The plant needed more space than the pot could provide. Over time, my husband slowly dug the plant out of the pot. Several of the roots had grown out of the pot, it had obviously been in discomfort. The roots had coiled themselves into the space in the pot. My husband and I gently pulled the plant and took it to his office, which has a lovely garden filled with sunshine and open skies. We informed the gardener that we had a plant that could grow several feet tall. The gardener looked at the plant lovingly and told us to leave the plant in a sunny corner. The gardener put the plant in a temporary location. The empty space near the money plants and hibiscus reminded me of the Christmas tree every day. There was a leaf planted in place of the tree, but it was not able to replace its presence.
I kept asking my husband about the plant. He told me that it was near the main pillar in the office in the sun. The soil is being prepared for transplanting. One day, during the walk, I stopped by the office to check on the plant. The gardener showed me a place in the courtyard. There were several buildings surrounding this central area. It was lawned and lined with palm trees. My Christmas tree lay forlorn in the centre. There was just grass around and it was very clean. I looked at the plant. It stood straight and calm and seemed sadder than ever. I could not reach the place to pat it. It pained me but felt it would grow and adapt itself as everyone does. Months passed by but the plant did not seem to grow.
My extended family and I decided to take a trip along the river on the outskirts of Pune one day. Both old and young, friends and families joined us. Our journey began in our vehicles and ended in a giant farmhouse on the banks of the Pavana river surrounded by a lush park. In the middle of the river stood the Tikona fort, creating a tranquil setting. I enjoyed the lush greenery, the gushing stream, the gazebo, the mountains, and the blue river. There were docks along the river and we could walk right into it. While standing on the quay, we watched the sunset. A lot of plants lined the shoreline. A lonely plant half sunk in the river caught my eyes. It did have plenty of plants near it and the plant seemed confident of not drifting away in the sea. This reminded me strongly of my own Christmas tree.
It seemed that the Christmas tree did not enjoy being alone. During periods of prolonged drought, the plant was vulnerable to root rot, but the gardener took good care of it. Perhaps it would have grown better with other plants nearby. Hence, we decided to do something before it withered. So, we asked the gardener to return the plant. We then walked to the man-made forest from where I had taken the leaf. It has been one of the best forests for a long time and has not been affected by progress. The plant was then replanted among the plants on the hill. The plant was happier under the open sky with several miles of open sky and numerous plants, even though we could only pour a bottle of water. This was a sustainable environment. There was life in the air for the Christmas tree because of the birds, animals, the occasional rain, and the plenty of sunlight. The Christmas tree adapted quickly to nature and today, a tall, healthy Cypress stands proudly in the man-made forest.
“Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.”― Oscar Wilde
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