Tuesday, October 14, 2008

The Rambutan Tree

I planted a rambutan tree in my house compound when my first grandchild was born on 04 October 2000 and when it flowered profusely I prayed that it would bear a lot of fruits. My prayer is answered and when we celebrated Muhammad Haziq Shah's birthday recently, I said to him that his rambutan tree is generous this time around and he smiled broadly indicating a sense of pride and satisfaction that he would be tasting the fruit of his grandfather's labour. My neighbour's rambutan tree near his front fence also is fruiting well and it seemed all the houses having rambutan trees are harvesting ALLAH's bounty if they cared to pluck them. There's the house at the end of the road where my house is, where there are two rambutan trees of different species and no one seemed to have the time to pluck them. Perhaps it's because the house is accommodating a group of Nepalese working as security guards and true to their nature of trustworthiness, they did not touch the rambutans or they probably had no liking for the fruit. I just came back from my late father-in-law's house in Section 11 of Petaling Jaya and the lone rambutan tree in the garden is also fruiting. But when I started to pluck them, soon I was bitten by red ants or "kerengga" and it was a nuisance. But I continued with the help of Nasimah and managed to get a plastic bag filled by rambutans. When I came back home, Nasimah immediately gave some to our next door neighbour Poh Ling and Aik Jong. She also plucked some of the fruits from our rambutan tree and added it to the "imported" ones from section 11. When Sheo Aik Jong commented recently that he was waiting for the rambutan to ripen, I told him by all means he could take from the overhanging branch into his garden as it's his territory but he declined and preferred my giving him whatever bunch I want to. So good is our neighbour on my left and right, that it's a blessing for us and I thank ALLAH ALMIGHTY for giving me such considerate people despite my earlier misgivings when I first moved into my present house. The rambutan tree carries not only a reminder of sorts connected to my first grandson but it does contribute to good neighbourliness.

7 comments:

millipedemom said...

What earlier misgivings when you moved in Abah? Syukur we are also blessed with good immediate neighbors left and right, but I can't say the same for the neighbor on the right of our right neighbor (does that make sense?)! The grandma on the left of our left house usually makes her walking rounds every morning and we acknowledge each other when I send Zaharin to school.

abdulhalimshah said...

Dear Enya,
Firstly I never had neighbors with dogs before and then my neighbour on the left had tenants one after another. But it was proven that they were just wonderful with the exception when some bachelors were temporarily staying at my namesake's house.

2. Furthermore I was afraid that the area would be on the jet airline's flight path which would cause a lot of noise pollution. Again I was glad to be proven wrong.
3. Actually to be Blessed with good neighbours is a "Rahmat" and I am indeed grateful to ALLAH for that.

kaykuala said...

Hal,
I have a chokenan mango tree that fruited incessantly the last 2 seasons in my Seremban house. (For the next round, I'll make sure a basket for you is top of the list!)I've dished out a few to the neighbours around. Mahesh, a wonderful guy directly in front(he brought his family of 4 for lunch the recent Hari Raya) We even shared tools n materials bothways(saw, ladder, even a box of paint)at odd times. When I said I just go to the Giant n Tesco in S'ban2 for simplicity and hurried shopping for provisions,he promised to bring me to the Seremban wet Market to get fresh and relatively cheap tiger prawns. I've not got these kind of kind and helpful neighbours in KL. When he first moved in he showed his kitchen renovation of broad tile tops kitchen cabinets which seemed special and cheap. My wife Roshadah had designs getting one done shortly and he said he would assist us. The last time our Cavendish banana fruited I gave him the whole tandan of about 3 ft long. He accepted it with all sincerity (unfortunately we had to clear off the whole grove now as the Cavendish kept sprouting new plants that made the area messy)
This weekend I 'll be in my S'ban house and I'll just 'barge' in into his house for Deepavali.The last time he had an 'open hse' I had a fair share of his banana leaf meal complete with 'resam'(he was surprised I just gulp the glass full with relish like fresh orange instead of putting into my plate as a 'kuah' like most of them.
Hank

abdulhalimshah said...

Hank,
If I were you, I would have left PJ a long time ago.

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Unknown said...

how many years did the tree take to bear.did you plant it from seed?

abdulhalimshah said...

I have forgotten how long it takes, perhaps six years if it is planted from a sapling. Not from the seed.