Mango and Fringe

In the past wretched weeks, a persistent unwelcomed problems have decided to visit and play pranks with our telephone lines. The service guy, always the same unlucky fellow, will come, go up to either or both our roof and our fence, and find that yet again, there is a new cable, forever different from the last blasted culprit, that has been ruined by the vile duet of the mighty wind and the fierce force of the limbs of our mango tree.

The mango tree has been a fixed stature on our front yard since my memory permits me to remember. No mango tastes better than our mango, and I have a witness to back up my claim. The parking guy on our street, who, comes the harvest season, always equipped his repeated visits to our yard with a long stick and a burlap bag, will attest the satisfying quality of our mangoes.

And Monday arrived. The poor hated Monday was blessed to receive one less verbal beating and profanity attack than the usual portion it receives. It puzzled me how I didn't grumble and babble and give everyone the anti social look on that day until I finally realized, around mid-day, that it was most probably due to the large amount of gorgeous rays that came forth and enlightened all of the sad gloomy people in our building. On further thoughts, there was probably only one sad gloomy person in the building.

"Mother darling, what a beautiful day we have here! I don't think we've had such bright and shiny day for months! Is it because the rainy season has bid his farewell?" I, for once, initiated a weather conversation with mother. Without turning her eyes from her work, mother replied briskly, "No, silly head, I asked our employees to cut down some of the mango branches last Saturday!"

Obviously, a good worker like me would not go to the office on Saturday. It's a matter of keeping the productivity level high. So, I was a bit shocked by the news. Shocked and feeling quiet stupid for not noticing the ample space that replaced what once was a fraternity of bullying mango branches.

First came sadness, a long standing witness of my life, a mute observant of all my bad judgments and bad decisions since childhood is gone before its natural time. Yet, it really felt as if a layer of fuzzy dark screen that distorts my point of view of the world has been lifted away, and I could finally see the world as a brighter, cheerier and happier place. The mundane activities no longer repulsed me as much, and I felt more positive about life than I ever allow myself to be.

"Bring it on life, here's one person that is ready to milk everything life has to offer!", I said while shaking my right fist up in the air.

Then of course, I started to feel the sting of heat that comes as a package with the gorgeous rays. I realized that without the protection of our mango tree, we've become a greenhouse , a fish in a bowl placed in the middle of the street of a blazing hot tropical city with no sunscreen protection to prevent us from getting agitated and hot headed.

Naturally, I started to complain incessantly about how hot it is, and how the full blast AC directed at me doesn't do its trick, and how things doesn't look as bright and wonderful anymore as it is hot and Hot and HOT!!!

So, the curtain of darkness has been drawn again, and peyo is back to her natural habitat.

Home sweet home.

So, the question now is should I cut my fringe? Maybe it could do the job of holding the curtain withdrawn than a mere few hours. Maybe I should.