Green Grass on the other side

( From my journal March 21st 2007)

I witnessed something today and I don’t know what adjectives to use to describe the episode – funny maybe also sad in a way. I was taking my usual morning walk in the front garden, when my attention was attracted by some noises emerging from the neighbor’s wall edging the pathway leading to our gate.
Let me add that the neighbor is an unknown element as the previous owner had sold her property last year, and we have no idea who has bought it. No one seems to live there, except a guard. There used to be a cow in the backyard, but she is gone together with some mango trees that grew there.
On hearing the noises, I looked up to see two village women sitting atop the pillar of the concrete boundary wall. They did not immediately see me as their attention seemed to be riveted on something in the backyard. I shouted “hello” to them to get their attention. They turned towards me and I saw that one had a sickle and one had a small bundle of rope. “What are you two doing up there perched so precariously on that itty bitty pillar?” I asked. One stood up to get a better look at me, and said, “Look at all this beautiful, lush, green grass just lying there useless. Soon it will become all brown in the sun.” “Yes,” said the other woman, “All we want to do is just go down there and save someone the trouble of having to cut the grass by cutting it ourselves. See how thick and green it is!”
Well of course I could not see the fat, plump grass, but I was completed amazed at their description of grass, as I had never thought of it before in those terms. But I suppose when you have cows to feed, you see it from the cows’ point of view. Now every time I see village women with grass bundles on their heads, I will have greater respect for grass.
To continue I advised the desperate women that before they jump unto the lush lawn they should check with the guard. They said, “Yes, we did go to the front of the house first, and shouted Bhai, Bhai (Brother, brother) but there was no one there.” The guard was probably off for his morning stroll or tea at the wayside teashop. They continued, “So we thought we would just go ahead and cut the grass.”
I did not agree with this foolhardy idea as the male guard would appear anytime and who could tell the consequences.
While they sat there still pondering their bad luck, I sent my own guard out to advise them against any precipitous grass cutting incident. It seems he finally managed to convince them to abandon this venture. Maybe if they had waited the guard would have returned, but it was morning which is grass gathering time and cows don’t wait for their meals. They start a regular concert of moos.
I felt really sorry for them for they eventually left, but I also admired them for not giving in to a necessary temptation and for educating me on the quality and value of grass.
(Actually I think if it was me I would have gone and cut the grass, so what if the guard appeared, I had a sharp sickle with me and there were two of us.)

(c)2007