Cherry picking time

The fruit of this tree was meant to be free, for birds and humans to enjoy.

Not far from where I sit for a couple of hours each day in the portico of my cottage in a Senior Citizens Home, the arc of my vantage view frames two umbrella-shaped Singapore Cherry trees, with their branches providing shade in the smouldering, humid heat—a prelude to the monsoon. Their lure, however, also lies in the berries that their branches bear, hidden among the lush leaves. They’re green when they first appear, then slowly ripen to a blush before unfolding their rich red hue! Gooey, some would term them, but get beyond the somewhat thick, tasteless skin that belies their delicate look and bite into and swallow the sweetness of the fruit! Eat by the dozen or crunch by the score; these are delicious to devour, ‘gummy’ flesh and numerous mini seeds notwithstanding.

I watch in contentment at the enthusiasm of the variety of cherry pickers I spy throughout the day. Tall people have an edge as they reach up to branches unreachable to the short. But with their branches drooping down, even small children on the campus can have a go at some picks. Adorning the entrance driveway, they are a temptation to both the old folks in our home, who go for them with gusto, as do outsiders, visitors, or whoever passes by.

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For me, due to my lack of the required agility, I have to request that someone share a few from their loot with me. The trees bring back warm memories of my grandmother’s green space just outside her bathroom, which adjoined her bedroom. All of us cousins, fortunate to be around during the fruit-bearing season, would make a dash for these enticing berries. Never have I seen them being sold in a fruit bazaar. Well, with so much demand in the gardens where they grow, in any case, they’d never have a chance to reach that far. If at all they’d be on offer, I feel certain their condition would be unappealingly smashed to the core.

I have not heard of Singapore cherries turned into jam, bottled into squash, or fermented into wine. There's no chance to experiment, I guess, what with humans and birds competing for them! The green parrots, with their red beaks, pierce the ripe, matching-coloured cherries. Moreover, at dusk, they return to rest on these branches. The crows, in contrast, descend on the trees during daylight and vanish into larger trees for the night. Bulbuls and yellow wagtails make a stop at the cherry tree a part of their morning routine.

This variety of cherry berries goes by different names across the world besides Singapore, like Jamaica and Panama. Indigenous folks have pointed out their medicinal value for a variety of ailments. It seems like the fruit of this tree was meant to be free, for all to enjoy eating and benefiting from its nutrition. For me in old age, it’s a treat to watch and remember good times, while I munch on some ripe berries.