Kumquats in the Quibble Island!

If ever you happen to visit the Quibble island cemetery, in Santhome, Chennai, on All Souls ’ Day and if ever you are lucky enough to see a grave decorated with kumquat fruits, be assured that these fruits indeed carry a big story which you are lucky enough to share with me today.

Leaving a cushy job at Calcutta and start a new venture in Madras was a complicated decision.  We took a chance and had decided that in the worst case scenario both of us could be employed somewhere. My husband was young and he didn’t have much of an experience. And he was new in the arena of finance. There were month ends when he had to convince his bank to release at least the staff salary. Designing a product, manufacturing it, marketing and selling the same and collecting the money single handedly was not the easiest proposition. The cash flow crunches debilitate you. The market preferred a branded product to an innovative piece. On one of those ‘down in the dumps’ days, uncle came in the evening just to chat and my husband shared some his problems with him.

In the course of the conversation uncle asked him “Raja what do you think of me?” My husband was wondering what sort of question was that when he was weighed down by his own problem. Out of courtesy he said “As your name board says you have a doctorate in horticulture and you were the dean of a famous agricultural university and your brilliance had earned you the emeritus scientist status” He laughed at this and said, “Please listen to a little story”

It was a family of all sons and this blessed mother’s daily prayer was on these following lines:

“God you have given me plenty of blessings through my intelligent sons;  I thank you for that gift; I also need one more gift from you; one of my sons  as you very well know is a  good boy but  a dud.  Amongst my sons your sharing had gone haywire somewhere; but I don’t blame you for that; but my only request is that please make sure that he passes his S.S.L.C and gets a clerical job in the government so that after us he has a comfortable living without depending on his brothers.”

He continued “and you know who was that black sheep of the family? It’s I!!!”

“Please uncle don’t put down yourself just to encourage us” I said to him

“I am not trying to weave a story ma” he said “With very low mark I passed my SSLC but I wanted to go for the intermediate course in the college. Passing my SSLC should have given me the big boost and the courage to go on like my other brothers. My parents didn’t want to discourage me and they put me on to the course. I think some anunaki or a greater power should have touched me at that juncture. From that moment on, there was no looking back for me! I came out with flying colours through my graduation and post-graduation and the miracle of all miracles was that I won a merit scholarship to go to USA for my research in agricultural science!!”

“To make a beginning is always difficult” he said, “but once you start it, the ride becomes either smooth or at the least you will be able to avoid the mistakes you had committed earlier.” “You have caught hold of the tiger’s tail Raja (my husband’s pet name) and now there is no option but to ride on it and with your intelligence you can definitely do It.” he added.

These on and off morale boosting sessions helped us to manage many situations and it played an important role in our progress.

We were progressing well professionally and with a good foreign collaboration we have put up a factory of our own. Naturally uncle took over the responsibility of laying our garden. He added value to the whole scenery by planting two kumquat saplings in the midst of the garden and told me that this kumquat the lucky tree of South East Asia would bear thousands of fruits for me.

Uncle had interesting details about the introduction of kumquats. During a seminar some scientists were challenging him that he could not grow kumquat in South India. Uncle took up the challenge and the first kumquat plant took root in his house garden. Slowly he propagated the same by gifting away plants to all his friends. The first degree connection among the kumquat owning Chennaites may one day tempt them to form an association similar to a Rotary!  A person who came to the factory to do some art frescoes saw our kumquat and became very friendly since she was also a one to get that favour from uncle!

For my part I give away the plants to whomever likes to have and sometimes when the yield is too high we had gifted away the bottled kumquat juice to our staff members on their birthdays. Being a joint venture, people coming from UK factory were fascinated with the fruit and there was one person who takes away carton full of fruits to make his marmalade on his every visit to India!!

Uncle B.W.X. Ponnaiah is no more with us. On All Souls Day if any one sees his grave at the Quibble island cemetery at Foreshore estate, Chennai decorated with kumquat fruits it is our  tribute to the great ‘morale booster’ in our lives!