It was a very quiet afternoon. We managed to climb, pluck a few fruits, ate some, made a mess and giggled away at our bravery. Feeling quite sated, we got down and walked towards home. Guess what! Mom was not in deep sleep. She was standing right there at the doorstep looking very angry. The thing is, that shabby backyard was not very safe as tiny snakes were seen a few times in the past. Despite of all the explanations of how careful we were, we were grounded. We promised to never do that act again and we never did that again. That afternoon event is still so fresh in our mind that even today, when we gather together, Mom narrates the incident from her point of view and we say ours. Then, we laugh about it until our jaws hurt.
As Arvind whipped the pancake batter and I started on the plum poach, memories of that afternoon came right back. It’s been so many years since I visited Shillong and I wish to go there one day with my boys. I don’t even know if the plum tree is still there. I do hope it is there, tempting other kids to make their own memories! The sweetness of these plums were not even close to what I grew up eating, hence it required some help. I kept it simple with just a vanilla bean and honey. You can go as creative as you want with the choice of spices. Poached plums make a great topping; be it ice cream, porridge, pudding or pancakes. It’s an effortless way to enhance the taste of any dish!
