It's A Commitment of A Lifetime

Yes, Simgha. Actually, it's a commitment of a lifetime. We give the angsana tree our promise that we would complete planting twelve of its offsprings and see to their successful survival of twelve years.

Twelve years?

Yes, if an offspring tree dies before it reaches its twelfth year, you have to plant a replacement. If a thirteen year old or fifty or hundred year old tree dies while their twelfth and youngest sibling had yet to reach twelve, you would have to plant a replacement for that tree even though it died older than thirteen.

Wow. What if we die before we successfully plant a complete set of twelve trees?

That is why the angsana tree would assure you yourselves having twelve offsprings who would continue implementing the commitment which you and your spouse might not be able to complete.

I and my spouse? I was thinking of the efforts between you, Puteri and I.

You would be marrying her, wouldn't you?

Should I? I mean, could I?

Well, if you don't love her, you cannot marry her.

I think I love her. I'm sure, but does that mean I have to marry her?

Don't you want to ...

Copulate with her? Don't you desire to be with her all your life?

Grandpa Bhratya looked at his little grand-daughter with growling eyes in dismay and amazement at her abrupt statements of maturity.

Yah, I want to be with her all my life and I desire to ...

Copulate with her!

Grandpa Bhratya sighed in resignation at his grand-daughter.

Yes, I want to be with her all my life and I desire her.

Then copulation equals marriage. Once you copulate with her, you guys are married. The wedding and blessings are mere and unnecessary rituals. Would you stay faithful to her and only to her?

Yes, I would, if given the chance that she should be rescued.

That's it Simgha, you just don't want a huge party. My grandpa would say a short blessing and I will cook up a storm with your mum, after which both of you could go on your merry way to start the journey making your twelve babies.

The angsana tree will assure us twelve children, huh? Not a bad deal.

What if we made a commitment to the angsana tree but the angsana tree fails to shield her? What if we fail to rescue her? Then wouldn't I have a boatload of commitments with no lover nor twelve children to help me repay a debt which I had incurred on her behalf?

The angsana tree would be as commited to the contract as it requires your commitment to the contract. It would defend the subject of the contract with its life.

Are we certain that it would agree to such a contract? How would you know that it accepts the contract?

Grandpa is the expert here, remember? He is going to coax the tree.

We are going to coax the tree. All the three of us.