Mango is Sweet. So is Revenge.

When I published my first children’s book, ‘The Mango Tree’, a good friend emailed to congratulate me on “your revenge book”. I never thought of my book as a way to retaliate against the horrible people who cut down my mango tree in Gedung Kuning. I wrote the book to heal my sadness and grief as well as to share a wonderful story about family, love for nature and having a rooted sense of identity. Even in death, the mango tree had shown its loyalty and love to the one it was planted for. The book went on to win awards. It is on its second reprint, this time, it will especially delight primary three students in Singapore. 

To the people who were responsible in cutting down my beloved mango tree in 2012, did you regret your actions? Did you reflect why Islam forbids the cutting of trees in war time? Did you realise how and why your actions had not achieved the intended result? Instead, the mango tree took its revenge on you. The mango tree lives on, immortalised, with readers questioning your selfish act for years and years to come.


ps. I realise that one of the awards which the book won is the Grand Prize of Samsung KidsTime Author Award. Isn't Samsung a Korean company? Aigoo... Why am I realising this now?