Under the Cherry Tree

The Indian cherry tree or Muntingia calabura at the backyard was one of the largest one i had ever seen. It was more than 2 stories in height and its canopy covered most of the narrower end of wedge-shaped backyard- a much need shelter from the scorching afternoon sun . The fruits were larger than usual - ripening from green to yellow to red and deep red and imaging the whole trees fulled of them attracting birds during days and high-pitch sound fruit bats at night. For me I enjoyed eating the berries whole- skin and all. For some reasons this 'cherry' had never made it to the commercial status. Under this marvellous tree, my dad reared ducks and chicken. The chicks and ducklings were first bought from market and at night we kept them in carton boxes in the living room, warmed up with a kerosene lamp with wick turned low ( away from predators like cats / dogs /rats / cockroaches etc) . Dad had to change the soiled newspaper linings often to keep them dry and clean. By night fall as if by instinct they all fallen asleep and not a sound was heard. When they grew a bit older they were let out to roam fenced-in under the cherry tree. Nearby in our kitchen - one of the gas stoves at the floor level was reserved for the daily boiling of the husks ( chicken-feed) mixed with tiny fishes that dad bought cheaply from fishmongers. I remembered the rectangular cooking oil container, the wooden spatula, and the sight of my kittens cuddled around this stove for warm on raining days.