Coffee with Nanima

There was a wise old woman who lived in a busy town. Everybody called her Nanima or grandmother. 

All day, Nanima worked in her kitchen and cooked meals for her large family. Since she was wise, many people from the town, both young and old, came to her for advice. They asked her for guidance on how to get homework done on time, whom to marry, how to raise children, and other things. 

One day, a girl named Geeta was very distressed because she was bullied at school by some older children. Her parents sent her to Nanima’s house. 

Art: Natasha, 13, USA

“Oh my poor dear child” fussed Nanima as she opened the door and wrapped Geeta in a big hug. The scent of cloves and cinnamon had clung to Nanima’s apron.  

“What happened to you? Why are you crying?” asked Nanima.

Geeta sobbed as she told Nanima how she was bullied and how she did not want to go to school anymore. 

Nanima led her into the kitchen. It was filled with the aroma of freshly-made tomato soup and bread. She gave Geeta some bread and soup while she filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. As soon as the water in the pots came to a boil, she put a carrot in the first pot. In the second pot she placed an egg, and in the last she dropped some ground coffee beans. Then she sat down in silence and let them boil for a while. 

After some time, Nanima turned off the heat. She fished the carrots out and placed them on a dish. She took the eggs out and put them on another plate. Then she poured the coffee into a cup.

Nanima then turned to Geeta and asked,

“My child, tell me, what do you see?”

Geeta replied, “I can see a carrot, an egg, and coffee.”

Nanima told her to feel the carrot. Geeta touched it and said that it was soft.

Then Nanima asked her to break the egg. Geeta broke the shell carefully and took out a smooth white hard-boiled egg.

Finally, Nanima urged her to sip the coffee. Geeta smiled as she tasted the rich flavour of the coffee which refreshed her.  

On seeing her smile, Nanima closed her eyes and smiled too.

When she was refreshed by the coffee, Geeta asked, “What does this all mean, Nanima?”

Nanima replied,

“My child, all these three things faced the same difficulty because they were all placed in boiling water.

“The carrot was hard, strong, and rigid. When it was boiled in water, it became soft and flexible.

“The egg was delicate. Its outer shell had protected its liquid interior. But after sitting in the boiling water for a while, it became hard.

“The ground coffee beans were different. While they boiled in the water, they changed the water and gave it fragrance and flavour.”

Geeta listened with interest. Nanima then asked her,

“Which one of these are you?

“Are you the carrot which looks strong but loses its strength when it faces a difficult situation?

“Are you the egg that has a soft heart but becomes hard in adverse conditions?

“Or are you like the ground coffee bean? The coffee bean changes the hot water, the very condition that brings pain.

“Dear child, you can choose to be like the coffee bean. When things are at their worst, you can change the situation around you by raising yourself to a higher level. When things get difficult, you try to become sweeter and that will change your circumstances.”

Nanima got up and gave Geeta a packet of ground coffee beans. Geeta took it gratefully and went home happily. 

Whenever Geeta drank coffee, she remembered to become like the coffee beans. She did not to cry when the bullies made fun of her. She played with everybody and made them laugh. Soon, Geeta had many friends because she was a warm and fun-loving girl. 
 

Art: Natasha, 13, USA

(Retold)