Little Things

In Mexico, where most people know a little something about hunger, fruit trees, avocado, lime, banana, mango and papaya are found in most gardens.  Corn is planted, in the most difficult terrains, on steep sides of mountains, just before the rainy season, to be used later to make tortillas.  Where water is precious, fruit trees get water just after drinking, bathing, and cooking water tanks do.  All of the things that get the water, when it comes, give life on a daily basis. Hungry bellies wait for fruit to ripen.   Parents of hungry bellies plant seedlings in near rock, and water them carefully for the future.  Leaves are crushed daily in the mother’s fingers to make precious soil. Passion fruit and chayote vines provide shade for the sun weary, and fruit and vegetables for the hungry bellies. Passion flowers feed the souls and make the wait for fruit a little easier. Flavor is created in water. Tamarind, orange and passion fruit waters add vitamins, elegance and zest to the dinner table. The tamarind seed found on a tree while walking down the street is candy to hungry bellies.  Decimated iguana populations are further decimated because hungry bellies need eggs. Slight deer  populations are lessened because hungry bellies need protein and the chickens all died from influenza last year.  Copyright karen garnica 2015