What is the longest you have gone without bathing?

Saturday, April 19, 2008

The bathtub fruit

It is only fair that a fruit this delicious is only available for a few short months each year. To be allowed to indulge in such sinful pleasures throughout the year is asking for too much. Even as a city slicker, I remember summer vacations spent scouting lanes for the biggest, most laden trees & trying everything from sticks, rocks & lighter friends to get at the raw fruit tempting us from the distance. The ecstasy of watching dada bring the first batch of glorious golden Alphonsoes into the house & stripping down to the undies to eat (and of course let drip) the juicy pulp. To hell with the heat sores & cavities, it was a bitter fight down to the very last faar and the one who won had to bathe after dinner. To top it off there were grannys stories about how it was the King of all fruit and how no other fruit would dare offend it by being available in the same season (except the beggar banana of course but we'll save that for another day).

The monarchy of the mango may be diluted by apple imports & better growing patterns but the first illustration that comes to mind every season with the first batch is that of an Englishman in a bath tub, eating (such a crude word), relishing the fruit. I can't remember if it was Tinkle or Champak that first published that picture & Google images keeps asking me if "i mean" something else, but its nonetheless engraved in my memory. The Frooti ad that carries the line "mango socha.. pittey" attempts to capture some of the magic but as any self respecting fattie will tell you, theres nothing like the real thing. I know of a few that completely detest mangoes for reasons beyond my realm of understanding and I'm only too happy cuz theres just more of them for me.

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