After the Harvest, Wait Until Then

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“After Harvest” My friend Lourens Erasmus remembers one of the catch phrases of his childhood in a farm back in South Africa. For every reasonable demand he would occasionally make, his parents used to have just one answer “after the harvest”. If the crop was bumper, they would usually be able to fulfill his requests. If not, he knew somehow, though he was just a boy, it is time to remain silent as things are not going well – financially or otherwise.
This shot captures an “after the harvest” evening of Al Majamma village in Aseer province of Saudi Arabia. If you move closer, you will be able to spot traditional houses, a watch tower called “kasaba” and green houses for growing tomato, mint, coriander, cucumber, squash, zucchini etc. A dried and narrow water canal runs between stone- walled open fields and a flock of sheep grazing in a dried, little dam valley. The open fields lie in waiting for the next batch of corn, wheat, sesame and barley. There are palatial modern houses and a masjid with minaret in the backdrop of cloud-shaded mountains and partly clear blue sky.      


       It is a village, rather caught between modernity and tradition. Willing to embrace modernity, yet afraid to drop its traditions. However, they painstakingly cherish their agrarian past despite the fact that keeping a farm in a desert countryside is not an easy job. After the harvest, they prepare the land and wait for the rain.
How long do the clouds need to brood over ploughed soil for letting its droplets of miracles down? They know pretty well that the soil cannot hatch a single seed on its own. It seems to take longer to strike a deal this time. Nimbus clouds float around and go by, seemingly ignorant to the wishes of the clots of ploughed soil underneath. Let alone pausing for a drizzle.

When the gap between the harvest and first rain should grow longer than usual, people assemble in an open space or mosque for a ritualistic prayer for rain. Since Saudis are followers of a monotheistic religion, they don’t have a separate god for fertility or rain and, so far, their prayers have never been unanswered. 

Comments

  1. AbdulaliApril 6, 2016 at 8:51 AM

    A blade of grass,a bush of garden weeds or ur edible shoots which are always something that keep one entranced whether on the terrace of ones residence or outside on any strip anywhere on the bosom of Nature !! I felt a little nostalgic,u have watered the sterile outskirts of my memory!! what can i do fr u dear!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Mohammed Jabir KKApril 7, 2016 at 3:01 AM

      Thank you so much sir for your kind and inspiring words. You are freshly remembered all the time. Thanks for being in our life.

      Delete

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