Tender Loving Care

Mom handed a note to me and fled. I deciphered the scribbles, the gist of which is - clean the study table, bookshelf, wardrobe, computer (esp the keyboard), take the aerobics cycle (doubling as a clothes stand for the last 7 years) from its cozy corner and clean it as well as the corner, blah blah blah blah, water the aloe vera.....WAIT! I don't believe this - "water the aloe vera"?! Is this supposed to be a part of spring cleaning, I mean autumn cleaning? Shouldn't a plant be watered daily? Ok, it's a desert plant but still shouldn't it be watered regularly instead of being a part of this annual drive? I stole a guilty look at the potted plant sitting forlorn near my books, and was filled with revulsion - at myself.

What a hopeless humbug I am! I had the audacity one evening five years back to visit the Agri-horticultural Society at Alipore and bring home two potted, glorious plants - lemongrass and aloe vera - braving the rain and protestations from Mom that am not diligent enough to take care of plants (Lord! She didn't even trust me with a couple of plants!).The lemongrass died of neglect but lo and behold! Here's the aloe vera still, waiting for a dignified, quiet death as the last time I watered it was when I wrung my just-washed old pair of jeans and let the water seep into the tub (3 months before? :D).

The plants were bought with a mission - one fine morning, it struck me that instead of splurging on branded perfumes and moisturisers, let's make them at home. I even imagined my friends falling in love with my perfumes and me beaming with pride: "Yeah, I made 'em at home...Can give you some too..." After reading a few books, I decided to start from the basics. Though the books recommended that I buy essential oils from the market, I was hell bent on even making them at home, hence the lemon grass.The magic ingredient I needed was distilled water which the chemists asked me to source from some factory directly. A few more futile attempts later, I realised I could never prepare the lemon grass essential oil as I couldn't lay my hands on the elusive distilled water (I missed my school lab - wish I had the foresight to filch one bottle of distilled water!) Later, I bought rosemary essential oil from Chennai but couldn't carry out the plan at the hostel!

So the perfume plan faded out. But the lemon grass remained. What was I supposed to do with it? It possessed medicinal values - wish it had been ornamental. That way, it could have justified its existence at my place. But how was I going to exploit it, having failed to make a simple essential oil out of it?
After more research, I learnt it could be used to flavour food and can also be added to tea -soothes your nerves! I prattled the info to Mom who said she'll be damned if she's going to add those leaves...I crushed the leaves and asked her to smell it...Mmmm...Nice, refreshing smell..But am not going to use it in food. You bought the plant, you make use of it. And as an afterthought she added: "You could've bought some roses...They would've at least looked better!"

Watering the lemon grass was a hassle for my lazy soul and I wanted to get rid of it fast, without murdering it. Yet allowing it to die a slow death was against my 'soft' nature. There must be an easy way out, I thought. There was - everytime Mom made tea for me, I crushed some leaves, dropped them in my cup and drank. I psyched myself into believing - Wow, it's so damn refreshing..Really good...Umm..This went on for a month till no leaves were left, and it died - a merciful end! The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away...

The lemon grass taken care of, I was left with the aloe vera - its fat, thorny green leaves with white flecks were beginning to turn black, and slitting its leaves for a bit of juice to be applied as a moisturiser was too strenuous for me. Yet I was determined to save this lone plant -it was my charge, and I decided it will only die with me or after me, but never before me while I have the resources to take care of it. I watered it regularly and soon fell in love with it. It was taken out daily in the morning so that it could bask in the sunlight, and at night I'd bring it indoors, where it was at home with the books. The aloe vera nestled among the books evoked one admirable question from Mom's friends who entered my room -"Mimi's hobbies must be reading and gardening?" Mom would quickly guide them out of the room and I was happy in the knowledge that one plant, lovingly tended, could make it seem like you were an avid gardener! Whoa -Yo! My heart sang out...

Mom was happy - finally, her duty-shirking daughter was displaying some sense of responsibility, even if it was towards a plant. Before I left for my journo studies in Chennai, I asked my Mom (and also Dad) to please water the plant with the same tender, loving care... Dad said he'll wring his wet clothes dry into the tub (wasn't that the way I watered the plant?) and Mom, she can be good when she chooses to, promised to look after my burden as much as she could.

Though I was happy to see the aloe vera all green and radiant on my return, soon work and my inherent laziness (deeply embedded in my DNA) caused me to neglect it. It couldn't flirt with the sun anymore for feeling old, I decided bending down to pick up the pot and place it in the veranda and bring it inside in the evening daily would only increase my chances of getting a backache. The only thing I could be counted on to do was to water it -after having a few sips from a glass of water, I'd pour the remaining water into the pot.

Now, Lord, I am ashamed of my laziness. This lil plant deserves all the attention it quietly craves and deserves and I shall not deny it that. From now on, I shall do my duty...And I admire its tenacity to live despite the raw deal it has been handed by me...Sunlight and water...It shall have regular doses of both...I bought it when I was insane; now my sanity must pay for it...After all, how many minutes does it take to take care of a single potted plant - that too an aloe vera which needs to be watered only thrice a week? Thanks to this plant, I have turned over a new leaf :)

All things bright and beautiful,
All creatures great and small,
All things wise and wonderful,
The Lord God made them all.

Each little flower that opens,
Each little bird that sings,
He made their glowing colours,
He made their tiny wings...