The portia tree has a lot of leaves. The yellow trumpet-like blooms with their wide lips and the drooping, fading scarlet ones with their inviting smiles could both be seen if you looked attentively. As they fade, Portia blooms become more gorgeous. Kali leaped to her feet and snatched one. He could never resist the impulse to acquire what drew him in. The leaves were torn, but the blossom was undamaged. He smelled the flower as he sat down on the cot. It had a light scent, especially when held close to the nose. He had the impression that he should have left it on the tree. The bloom on the tree looked more beautiful than it smelled. He scanned the tree with his gaze. He was the one who had put it there, in his father-in-front law’s yard. Previously, the sight of the naked front yard had irritated his eyes every time he visited this house. This compelled him to remain indoors until the sun set, and the womenfolk were unable to continue on their private conversations due to his presence. As a result, he discussed it with his brother-in-law. ‘Wouldn’t having a tree here be nice?’ ‘They are adamant about not having one. They claim that the sun is required to dry groundnuts and grains. ‘How about speaking with my father?’ Kali remained silent at the time. He did, however, bring a stalk with him on his next visit. He only smiled on the way when Ponnayi asked, ‘Why are you dragging this along, maama?’ ‘You barely say anything,’ she murmured, giving him an appreciative punch on the cheek. All I get is that seductive grin!’ It had only been three months since they had married, and they refused to be separated even for a short time. They couldn’t stop themselves from staring at one other’s faces. When he went to see his father-in-law, though, he didn’t enter the house. He snatched up a rake and a spade and set to work right away. He chose a suitable location to plant the stalk, one where it would be able to grow unhindered and extend its branches in all directions. Kali could see the tree it would become one day even when it was merely a stalk in her mind. He could imagine how it would appear in 10, twenty years. This stem had come from a portia tree in his cow paddock back home. Nobody knew when the other tree was put in. That tree’s massive spread was imprinted on his consciousness, and he hoped this one would develop in the same manner. He envisioned how the front yard would appear once the tree’s branches had spread across it. Even as he was planting it, he was thinking of how nice it would be to lie in its cool shade someday. No one seemed to mind the new son-in-extravagances. law’s Shoots started sprouting even before the cow-dung bandage at the end of the stem dried. The need to protect the tree that the son-in-law had planted had now arisen. His mother-in-law started washing dishes right under the tree because she was afraid she would forget to water the tree in the thick of all her tasks. She also kept a large pot of water on hand for folks to wash their hands and feet when they returned from their outings. As a result, the area beneath the tree was usually damp. When Kali came to visit, that was the first place he went, noting it down. ‘Your son-in-law is merely here to make sure we’re looking after his dowry!’ The mocking from his father-in-law became a frequent occurrence. The tree was dubbed ‘the dowry of the son-in-law.’ His tree, like him, was never addressed by his given name. It grew so tall in just one year that one could stand to full height beneath the new branches. After all, it had come from a different tree that had weathered the test of time. Flowers bloomed the following year. Then there are the fruits. Twelve years flew by, and the tree continued to grow and spread with each passing year. It could now accommodate ten cots in its shade. It didn’t shed much, but when it did, his mother-in-law grumbled, ‘This is a never-ending task—sweeping, cleaning, and looking after my daughter-in-dowry!’ law’s His father-in-law was overjoyed to see the compost pits filling up with the tree’s leaves. The tree produced as much dung as a cow, which was more than enough for a single enclosure. What their son-in-law had given them was unquestionably a present!