The Gift That Keeps On Giving

I’d have to be honest with you all and admit that my husband is not exactly the most romantic man in the world.  But one fine birthday (can’t remember which one), he totally surprised me by giving me one gift I’ve always wanted (a passing request which I never expected him to remember) — having my very own rambutan tree in front of my house. I remember waking up that morning to the sound of the cangkul (a tool used for digging up soil) hitting dirt and grass, then squealing in delight as I peeked out my window and saw him planting a rambutan sapling in the front yard.

It took about three years before the tree started bearing fruit, with the first harvest only yielding less than 10 fruits. But now, that my tree continues to bear fruit year after year after year, with the number of fruits increasing with each succeeding year.

The anticipation starts months in advance, the moment those tiny flower buds make their appearance. I watch with trepidation as many of these flowers get washed away by the rain or blown away by strong winds. Then the flowers suddenly become miniature green rambutan fruits…and the suspense mounts even more as the fruits get bigger and bigger. The moment the fruits start showing the first tinge of red (ripe rambutan fruits are red in colour), we scramble and start harvesting them, lest the monkeys from a nearby hill beat us to it.

Thank you, DH. It’s like my birthday all over again each and every time I savour these sweet little treats!

P.S. To all the men out there, this only goes to show gifts don’t need to be expensive to be memorable and sweep women off their feet!