TheBanyanTree: Dreaming a Place...Part Two

[Dee Churchill]

Dateline: March 3, 2000
 
My first glimpse of the Banyan Tree was confusing...I thought I was looking
at a huge grove of trees, spreading over several acres.

"No," said my guide, a friendly monkey named Keep, who ventured out to show
me around. "This is really all one tree. Come on...follow me!"

Off we went, into the grove. Sunlight filtered through the leafy branches as
we strolled along paths that circled and wandered. The closer we got to the
center, the larger became the tree trunks through which we navigated.
Tangled vines hung like bamboo curtains, providing little "rooms" and
cul-de-sacs along the way.

Keep stopped in front of a massive tree that soared fully seventy feet in
the clear air. "This is the 'mother' tree," he told me. "The original of all
you see." We walked around the huge trunk, a mass that, set into my living
room, would immediately obliterate it, bursting out of the walls on every
side. Great branches arched out overhead and seemed to blend with other
large tree trunks radiating from that central monolith.

"This is how the Banyan tree grows," Keep said. He pointed at one of the
trunks nearby. "The original tree dangles shoots down from its branches. The
shoots work their way into the soil, where they root and become new tree
trunks in their own right. They send out more branches, and more shoots,
that become new trunks also. And so it grows, outward, ever outward...until
you see what looks like a forest of trees...but it's really only one
multi-trunked tree that has spread itself to encompass its territory."

I dug through my notes from Compton's online encyclopedia. "A speciman in
the Calcutta botanical garden is more than 100 years old. It has a main
trunk 13 feet (4 meters) in diameter, 230 trunks as large as oak trees, and
more than 3,000 smaller ones."

And I remembered another online note that mentioned a legend claiming
Alexander the Great was able to shelter his army of 7,000 men inside the
perimeters of a Banyan tree! Now it was easy to see how that was possible.

Wow! This is incredible. And beautiful. The leaves are heart-shaped and
shelter small, scarlet cherry-like fruits. "Keep," I said, my bartender gene
kicking in, "are those berries edible? Would they make good wine?"

Keep smiled. "My kind eat them," he told me, "and all these colorful birds
you see flying around eat them. Humankind..." he paused and looked at me
thoughtfully. "You can make a wine from the fruit of the Banyan tree...but I
should warn you, it does strange and wonderful things to humans."

"Strange and wonderful? How do you mean?"

"People who drink of Banyan tree wine are overcome with the irresistable
urge to tell stories. They sit around endlessly spinning tales and sharing
vignettes from their lives. You might say this wine is a catalyst for
communication."

"Well now, I think that might be just what we're looking for." Then I gave a
guilty start. "Oh...I need to ask you something, Keep." He looked at me with
that wise monkey face and a hint of a smile in those big monkey eyes. I felt
as though he knew what I was going to say before I said it...and maybe he
did.

"We have this group of folks who enjoy getting together to tell stories,
like you said," I explained. "We really like the idea of hanging out here
with such a grand Banyan tree. But...is it okay if we do that? Should we be
asking permission from someone?"

Keep laughed that funny barking monkey laugh. "Ask the Banyan tree," he
answered.

"Huh?"

Keep shook his head. "You'll learn, but I can see it may take a little
time." He sighed and waved a hairy arm in the direction of the Mother trunk.
"The Banyan tree shelters many. In return, she asks only that they respect
her spirit."

"And the spirit of the Banyan tree is..."

"Harmony." Keep looked at me intently. "Those who share in her grace must be
graceful in turn. Honor her spirit and you will enjoy uncounted happy hours
here."

I smiled at Keep and looked around...beams of sunlight shot through the
branches like golden shafts of warmth. The leaves rustled a gentle harmonic
overhead. Birds flitted from branch to branch, calling out to each other in
musical grace notes. Cascades of wild orchids gleamed bright colors from
every side. In the background, I could hear the muted thunder of the falls,
just beyond the Banyan tree's space.

I breathed a huge sigh of contentment. This felt like Home. Except for one
little detail...

"Keep? Uhmmm...do you think the Banyan tree would mind if I set up a bar
here? Folks kind of like to spin their tales in the homey atmosphere of a
friendly bar."

Keep's eyes widened in delight. "A bar? Hot damn! I'll help you build it!
When do you want to start?"

Next installment: The Banyan Tree Libation & Conversation Emporium...

Hugs from Dee...noting that "Keep" stands for Keeper of the Banyan Tree.
There are several...and they'll be happy to answer your questions...just
don't go around saying tacky stuff like, "Monkey see, Monkey do." Okay?