The cost of preventive maintenance

After weeks of slogging with Tani for her exams and assorted assessments , Saturday was slated for a film - it was pre ordained that the 5 last seats to be sold out were for us as was the fact that 4 were in the front row and one in the second .Consequent risks involved a crick in the neck and the ears from the constant whining about the front seats . Anyway it was that or nothing else . The car was parked in the basement of the mall and we took a cab back home .

Hadn't bargained for the rain which came down in absolute mega gallons . The bougainvillea which had gamely clambered up to the second floor balcony draped itself over the high tension wire threatening a power snap and was hopelessly twined around the earthing wire .

CESC refused to send the white van with the high ladder and the "expertisee" to cut down the branches. They claimed that the branch cutter came only when the lines snapped - so we would have to sit back and wait for it to snap. Talk about preventive maintenance. AG with his characteristic optimism said "Ebaar ki hobey"- and the skies continued to pour .Ultimately the "luga" being a long bamboo pole with a tricky piece of wood tied in an angle at the end used to pull down reluctant mangoes from the tree ,alongwith KKG's old one piece wooden umbrella stick and a "da" did the job.

Tarapada and AG heaved the branch to and then I held on to our assorted pulling paraphernalia while Tarapada wielded the da . On Sunday they lobbed off most of the branches while I had a pyschotic bout flinging the odd steel bowl around and letting off steam. But it was hard not to - I had the plant with me for the last 13 years .,first in a pot and then transplanted into the soil downstairs where it flourished in a riotous jumble of violet magnificence .

Now it looks terrible - one naked defenseless trunk rearing and arching sideways and up . I wonder if it will ever catch flower again . But the cost of keeping our comfort is more important than a riotous bougainvillea tree anyway . So there I'm rationalising again .