A little nobody trying to save everybody

Birkarnelzelzit Thiyam *

Bretina Rajkumari watering a plant :: Pix - TSE

"The green," I nodded. "Bretina Rajkumari, you little environmentalist from UNACCO Meitram – just in grade 8th, where do you get all these from?" I broke the awkwardness.

Shyness blanketing the little yet humongous intelligence, she mirrored her intellect in words, "It's my observation not intelligence."

"What inspired you to have heavy feelings for the green?" another one. With supreme feelings in me – I pre-stood for the passed down inspiration from the school's text but she twisted it, "I saw my father burning waste since my childhood." She shushed me.

Getting inspiration from people doing the right things are common but from the opposite is very uncommon. "And also from seeing huge logs in the heart of Bishnupur town," well! Another reversed inspiration.

"Do you want to call yourself an environmentalist?" another one. "No," she smiled. "Doing what's needed should never be a profession," another slam dunk from her – right to the point.

"What the smallest thing you do to concretise your words?" another one. She paused – closed her eyes – I thought I got her this time.

"Just stop saving," she got me. "What do you mean by that?" I tried sneaking out. "Just buy what's needed," aha! Got it. I got the point but – greed and human ego kinda have poisoned this heavenly line.

Thinking this little yet powerful champ has already fallen into this principle, I wanted to restart my life. Maybe it's not too late.

"How has writing about the environment in such an age helped you?" another one. Contributing to The Sangai Express (English edition) she really is spreading her tentacles from her intellectual hydra. "Words fly faster, I won't stop writing." Just got everything I asked for.

"Does your family listen to what your heart screams?" another one. She smiled at her father, looked at her father through the glass door of my office. It was more like one of those dark business moments – where the dealer looks at his boss for approval – still! It was assertive.

"Are you afraid of the future that you will grow up to?" another one. "I am not afraid of the future but the fact that there are so many adults who think this can go forever - scares me." Cleared.

"Do you think fear can change people? If so, how will you invoke fear in all of them?" I added.

"Fear of failing is not always bad, without that it's hard to burn the midnight candle," she just outran her age. "Education, can inject fear in them," she finished. True – True – I couldn't agree more.

"Will you ever cut trees in the future?" she burst out laughing. "Yes, but won't forget to plant though," she giggled. I really felt my question was stupid at that moment but I didn't give up and prepared for more.

"What can I do the least to give back to nature?" another one. "If you can't plant trees, inspire someone to plant trees or don't stop someone from planting trees," she broke a code. I completely respected the young adult's mind.

"Bretina, are you really grade 8th?" she smiled. "If you have the power to make the plants speak, and told you to ask only one question to the plants, what would that question be?" the finishing punch.

"What do you feel with all the things we did to you, and do you want to take revenge for it?" it's funny but scary as well.

Think of all the ugly possibilities they could do if they feel more like us. Then, the conversation went on with tea and biscuits, still – it was priceless.

I know, today's write-up of mine is a little different but I won't stop myself from using this amazing platform for supporting those who deserve and seek the spread of word not fame. Let's do little things to keep nature running.