The Sapling

Our family rules here over hundreds of years. The saga which started with my great fore fathers has become a tradition through my grandfather and father, and now, I am to carry the prestigious name and reputation of my great forefathers to a level next.

All my family members never forget to make me aware of the great heritage our family bears, and reminds me on a constant basis of the duties burdened on my shoulder to look after it.

To be honest, I often, lift my head high to glance at my father high above near the sky. He seems so rigid…so strong…so powerful a creature to my eyes. I always consider him to be a real hero.

He is indeed a hero. His father and grandfather too were heroes. Ours is a family of high esteem that has given birth to number of heroes.

I could clearly view a sceptic smile on your lips friends when I mention my family a breeding ground of heroes; but believe me, I am not kidding.
They were all great souls that could better be described in a four-lettered word—H-E-R-O!

Just have a look at my father. He is more than 100 feet tall, his dome shaped body is as smooth as the silk, and in his dark green outfit he looks ravishing—just ravishing. He is taller than any body else in this Amazonian Rain Forest—so dense with piled plants in storeys that the bottom hardly sees the sun-rays.

From the dark humid region of the mossy ground I watch my father looking sleeplessly to the outer World miles and miles away peeping higher than all others of the place. I could easily feel the satisfaction in his heart about his thankless service to the innumerous epiphytes, to the Mankind and to the entire Universe. Thankless, but how satisfying!

I eagerly look at him, and sigh over my own fate. I feel nervous and anxious too whenever I think of the glorious past of my family and tremendous achievements of my ancestors. It makes me over conscious. I become afraid—what if I fail to maintain the reputation of the family! What if I fail to be a true son of my father! What if I fail to be a Hero like all other members! What if I am considered a black sheep!

But if I fail miserably how much am I to blame? It is more likely that I would taste the bitterness of failure with the changing climatic condition, the queer habitats of increasing mankind and the ruthless urbanization that deliver a clear threat to even my sole existence.

I do not know the reason, but somehow, at my heart I clearly feel the call of Destiny. I am sure, I shall ever be able to be that much taller like my father—his grandeur will remain ever illusive to me—I might die infant —not having any trace left on this beautiful world.

I might die—die a premature death—most pathetic for my family—but whom to blame for this? I ask you, my friends, whom should I shoulder the charge of murder? Is it punishable to murder the dream of an infant Sapling; or is it only heroism in your part? Do you have any answer?



Gratitude:

My sincerest thanks to Sanghamitra Das, M. Sc. (Botany), B. Ed. —a friend and colleague—who has most smilingly undertaken all the laborious pains of providing me all the necessary information about the Amazonian Rain Forest, but never ever shown a jot of disgust!