"Nostalgia — The Coconut Story"
Post on: July 7, 2022
“Tomorrow is May Day — let’s go to the East Coast beach to celebrate the public holiday,” my sister suggested. We agreed it was an excellent idea and began preparing for the picnic. My sister did a checklist of the items to be brought – chicken wings, sardine sandwiches, curry puffs and bee-hoon were a must. My brother’s list included the guitar, football and frisbee for entertainment.
The year was 1989; I was 20 and performing my national service. The picnic would be a great respite from my usual duties and I felt excited. The next day, my family of 7, with my pet dog, set forth towards our destination with great anticipation.
We set off very early to catch a glimpse of the sunrise and were enthralled by the beauty of the sun rising on the horizon, beyond the deep blue sea. And the warm golden grains of sand cushioned our feet as we trudged along the beach picking seashells. Our long walk along the beach and watching the sunrise was a rare splendour of timeless perfection for us. It made us closer to nature… and the Almighty.
It was a fun-filled experience; we settled under a tree to mark our turf. The whole park was filled with ponchos and tents – each group putting items as a demarcation of its territory. The Pet Shop Boys’ hit song “Go West” was blaring from the gargantuan speakers of a nearby camper. The feeling was electrifying and joyful.
We soon proceeded to play football in the sand. It was fun and yet frustrating as our dribbling skills were hampered by the sand. One of my brothers who was an acclaimed striker could not dazzle past his opponents because of the impediments, nevertheless, he managed to show some glimpses of magic.
This was not the end – our games resumed with “Frisbeemania”. The sea breeze was ideal for throwing the frisbee in a rhythmic fashion. And the soft sand enabled us to dive heroically to catch it in style.
The beach offered great amusement to everyone – even my Pomeranian puppy, Ricky was not excluded from the thrill. Ricky was frolicking in the sand and in a world of its own trying to chase the waters as the waves receded. And when the waves came crashing onto the beach, Ricky scrambled to safety, to our utter amusement.
Soon my 3 brothers and I were strumming the guitar and harmonizing the Beatles’ hit “Penny Lane” while my sisters helped themselves to the buffet.
“Come and have your lunch; it’s already 2 pm,” mom cried out. “This is the 3rd time I am reminding all of you.” It was a timely chide. Moreover, the smell of food was tantalisingly alluring.
We soon made our way to the other end of our designated spot to help ourselves with the food.
Suddenly we heard a loud thud. We instinctively turned around to see what had caused the sudden jolt.
To our horror, a coconut had fallen onto the ground – the very spot I was sitting just a moment ago. It just missed hitting my brother’s guitar by a whisker!
I had left the spot at the opportune moment. If my brothers and I had not heeded mom’s rebuke, I would have become coconut chutney! We were shell shocked and thankful to the Almighty for His divine protection. And it pays to heed mom’s advice too.
And when we looked up, the whole tree was teeming with coconut bursting with life, as though beckoning its freedom from captivity. We shifted to a safer place to resume our merriment. The incident did not mar the occasion but served as a time of thanksgiving and reflection, taking a new direction.
I brought the coconut home as a keepsake. Day by day, I looked at it … a timely reminder of my close shave. However, like most things in life, we tend to forget. The coconut had shrunken and became a shadow of its original size. It was soon under an obscure corner and subsequently disposed of.
Now, as I look back in nostalgia, the coconut saga has taught me valuable life lessons:
- I realise how fleeting life can be, all the insignificant things fade away.
- To make time for what matters and to let go of what doesn’t.
- To stop the habit of complaining, instead to count my blessings.
Above all, my close encounter with the falling coconut has taught me to give thanks unto the Almighty with a grateful heart.
#JollyGoodTimes #NostalgiaTheCoconutStory #ShajiThomasVarughese
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