A Manyar Nest
How lovely, cozy is a nest of the Manyar bird hanging high up on coconut trees. It’s cleverly woven from dry leaves of grass, picked up somewhere, into a form of a boot. How deftly they fix it on the leaves of the tree as though to adorn a Christmas tree, safe from predators, rocking gently in the wind, sheltered from the sun and rain. They’re so happy to have a nest to live in, with their mate, to lay their eggs and rear their kids. How I wish I could have a little home in a tree, or in my Dream-house of the future floating on a lake. So si Upik mused.
An inner voice whispered: “just calculate how many hundreds of square meters land would be required, the many trees that should be cut down, cubic measures of sand that should be taken from the river, sacks of cement hollowed out from the rocks to build a mansion to shelter his family, his servants, his dogs, cats, birds, his cars and all the household furniture, not to say of building a villa somewhere in Puncak and invest in tens of hectares of land.”
“Hmm, that’s none of your business. Just sour grapes. You but envy those who are happy and successful.” She pictured the owner’s retort.
Yet, it’s greedy, she mused; without much concern for the land, the rocks, the rivers and its inhabitants.
From Merdeka,
January 2011
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