The Pen Tree

I have always believed that I was more smart, alert, and straight forward when I was a kid. Not many could handle me then. My mum would definitely agree with that statement. In fact she’s the one who keeps nagging me about how I used to use my brain, which she thinks is now a bit rusted!!! I used my imagination more when I was not introduced to the rules of the world. My blog will definitely be containing more of such stories when I was fondly known as Little Aishu. Here is the first one on its way:

My grandfather (Mum’s dad) has always loved telling stories to children (Be it us cousins or any group of children). These stories were never practical. They always had that magic element to it. Something that the real world would never agree to yet the children believed it blindly. But then this unrealistic quotient would stay with him always, in his everyday life too.

As kids, my elder cousin and I would go to our grandparents place in Aurangabad for holidays. It used to be our holiday destination every year, our paradise of fun. That time my granddad was the MD of a sugarcane factory and the owner of a Parker Pen too(which was quite costly in those days and was recognised as a status symbol)!!!

One day, he began telling a story about plants and trees. I guess he should have stopped at the scientific and natural element of it but knowing his habit, he went on. He fantasised so much that finally at a point he made us believe that even if we plant chocolates, we will soon get a chocolate tree!!!

My granddad had returned home tired that day, after a busy day at office. I went upto him and pleasantly asked him for his pen. He removed the Parker pen from this left pocket and handed it over to me without asking the reason (which he usually never did, where I was considered!!!).  After a few hours, a few employees of his came down home to get his signatures on some important documents. They searched and searched for his pen until he remembered he had handed it over to me.

“Aishu, come here”, he called out for me loudly. “Where is the pen I gave you?”, he asked me curiously.

“Oh! That pen, Granddad? I planted it near the pipe in those marshy areas. You had said that whatever you plant, will grow in to a tree? Then don’t worry soon we will get a Pen tree which will bear a thousand Parker pens that you can use!!!!”