 |
| Pick up and feel that fallen leaf......... |
As I walked, I heard the calls of the bonnet macaques in the canopy, branches swaying, bending with their joyous jumps.The calls echoed, bouncing back to me. Then silence as they watched me suspiciously. A sambar called several times. A pair of hornbills swooped over my head, wings flapping noisily. I had not learnt their names yet. Something light bounded away into a grassy patch, hadnt a clue what that was!
I sat to take in the tranquil air, munching a jellysweet. A distant tractor chugged along pulling its loaded trailer with newly plucked tealeaves. Some voices spoke in Tamil. Peace!
Suddenly, a loud yell.....I heard men shouting :" AYYAPPA! PO! Ayyappa Po!" (You'll read more about this in my book.)
The labour had walked into a herd of wild elephants. Nothing unusual, here. The workers and the visiting elephants lived side by side, each not disturbing the other. The Tea company made sure the jungles remained untouched, and the elephants had plenty to eat within their area, and rarely ventured out into the teafields.
The calling continued for ten minutes, I heard one elephant trumpet, and pretty soon it was quiet again. The herd continued on its way, leaving the workers alone, and vice versa
Soon I heard several birds chirping. The mist began to come up the hill slopes, and with it a light breeze swished through the trees. The forest resumed its music................
Comments