Rain

I was seven years old when the drought hit us hard. It converted nearly half of our farming lands to barren wastelands. Appa was worried . Our main crop was paddy and though we were better off than some of our neighbors there is only so much one can do with pumps and irrigation systems and even that water wouldn't last for long.We needed rain, badly.

The government wouldn't aid us my grandpa was saying. Well I wasn't surprised . The government never did.

My parents were worried. Our survival would be really hard without farming. All the village elders were discussing about bringing in water from the neighboring villages , but they were affected too and we didn't know in what capacity they could help us.

My grandma seemed to be the only person who was not worried.She would keep on telling me that only if we did good things it would rain. I wondered how she connected stuff like that.She could perhaps sense my skepticism. She said many centuries ago, when there was less corruption and more trees, less people and less sins , our ancestors believed that our good deeds were valued and rewarded with rains. But now, because humans were not as pure as their ancestors we were only rewarded with droughts.I told this to my Appa ,but he only said that this  just an old story and that it didn't work that way at all. He said that both in villages and in cities more trees should be planted for it to rain.

But somehow I couldn't take my grandma's story out of my head.Suddenly I wanted to do a lot of good deeds and bring rain to my village.So I started by giving my extra chocolates to my little sister. I did this for many days. It didn't rain. Then I started helping my mother milk the cows and started helping the village ladies carry their mathkas (mud pots) from the well to their houses.It still didn't rain but my mom and my elder brother got very suspicious. My anna (elder brother) then asked me about the reason for my sudden angelic transformation. I told him grandma's story. He laughed his head off. I was hurt by this but I didn't let it show and tried to act as if I found it funny too. But then the next day my anna took me to an old house which was nearly at the outskirts. It had some sort of a banner with a plant symbol.Inside the house was so cool. I was so surprised and began looking around for an AC.But there was no AC. My anna was talking to a middle aged woman . He then introduced me to her. Her name was Priya. He said she was in charge of the reserved forest areas around our village.She was also in charge of some sapling programme which my brother wanted me to join. She said I could help the village by planting saplings . I liked the idea because it coincided with both my dad's idea as well as with my grandma's story. So i agreed immediately. She said as an initiation ceremony I would have to plant a sapling in the village square.They fixed a date. It was buddha purnima (Lord buddha's birthday).

The day finally came and I was very excited about it. It was a sunny afternoon .Some of our village elders were gathered along with my family at the village square.

I was given a tender Neem sapling to plant. I first dug a pit and then filled it with some mulch and then Priya removed the cover and handed the sapling to me. I held the sapling with trembling hands. It seemed so fragile, like a baby. It was hard to believe that one day it would grow into a big, sturdy tree. I carefully planted it and started piling the mud . Something cool fell on my cheek. A drop of water! And then it started falling steadily . Cool, small,glistening droplets. I finished planting it and was now tying it up to a stick nearby for supporting it in the initial growth stage.

Everyone was looking up to the skies, except my grandma who was just looking at me. She gave me a radiant smile and then winked at me. I winked right back and just like her I knew that sometimes the most incredible thing about miracles is that they just happen.

Reviews

[Davidgeo]

I'm guessing this is about the dust bowl times in circa 1930's America. But that's not really how I relate to this story.

There is a book called 'The Gulag Archipelago' I think you should read.

This story (latently) reminds me of the 'dekulakization' (purging of successful independent farmers) of Russia during the early 1930's... which was the primary reason behind one of the largest non-natural disaster induced instances of mass famine in the history of humanity.


Sorry for projecting my own meaning even though I know it's not what you're trying to portray. I'm a pirate of meaning.

[Arya]

I just wanted to show that an individual can make a difference too. But will surely read ,' The Gulag Archipelago'!

[Davidgeo]

Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn made a difference with that book as one man in a sea of brutal absurdity. If you do actually read that let me know when you finish... not many people get through it and are willing to talk about it. It's not that it's difficult to read but it's just, so f*****g horrifying in it's descriptions. And it's non fiction with real names, real places, and real atrocities... which makes it all so, so much worse. I have a pretty calloused palate and it still kinda shook me to read. It still kind of hurts to think about... and I'm a borderline sociopath that revels in discord. It actually made me a more considerate human being on a fundamental level.

[Norman 223]

Your style of writing made this an intriguing story on several levels. On the surface, it was a gentle tale of conditions awaking conscience toward each other. But I also saw it as a metaphor on the problems of deforestation creating far reaching drought and soil erosion.
However interpreted, your story held my interest throughout.

[Arya]

I just wanted to address some of these issues and wanted to show that if we have commitment and faith we can make a difference.Thank you for reading.

[Akash gaikwad]

Wow you have written it so beautifully with the simplicity!! Thanks for covering the issues of farmers!! I think the city people including me need to be very sensitive towards farmers and their lives we have totally forgotten them....living in city has made us ignorant and insensitive in lot ways. Thanks for sharing this story.

[Arya]

Glad you can see their point of view! Thank you.

[¿]

Even I too understand how it feels when farming is the only occupation in village and when it goes worst.....my dad is a landlord and provides land to others for cultivation of crops...it's happening for several times these day that rain is being late on shower!
And your good deeds touched my heart dear...
Beautiful read😊

[Arya]

Ya farming is an extremely underrated occupation these days.First time I m writing a story, thanks for your encouragement.😊

[¿]

You're heartedly welcome!

[Mrudula Rani]

If faith can move mountains, why not bring rains? Our grand moms have a way of bringing the best out of ourselves and shape our characters. I wish you added a picture of Neem tree to your story. Your story is wonderfully filled with a pictures family life and community.

[Arya]

Ya besides grandparents are the people who keep telling us stories and help us visualise how things worked at their time. We can learn so much from them. Thank you for your wonderful words.

[Mrudula Rani]

It's entirely my pleasure.