Groundnuts (Part 2)

  Two stories related to groundnuts are famous in the Province. The second story, sometime in the 2000s, at Karunapuram. 

This incident was during the time of Fr Gopu Marreddy as administrator at Karunapuram.  This is narrated and verified by him in person! 

It was his first year as administrator at Karunapuram and there was the place around the football court that was cultivated once or twice before him.  The farmhand reminded Fr Marreddy that it was time to plant something in the garden and when asked what was planted the previous year, the farmhand replied that they had planted groundnuts.  So they decided to cultivate the same.  Fortunately there were some leftover seeds of the previous year and they decided to use them instead of purchasing again.  

The seeds were planted, they sprouted, the community was involved in taking care, additional people were employed to weed and spread manure and fertilizers and finally the crop was ready for harvest. The Brothers did the harvesting and the yield was good and plentiful.  

As a goodwill gesture, the same evening Fr Marreddy sent small portions of the harvest to the neighbouring religious of Karunapuram.  The next day morning when he went to the JMJ convent for Mass, he noticed the Sisters quite amused and jittery! He somehow celebrated the Mass without being able to shake off this feeling.  After Mass when he entered their dining hall for breakfast, the Sisters, in chorus, congratulated him:  "Congratulations dear Fr. We never ever heard or saw this before, but you successfully managed to grow seedless groundnuts!!"  

It turned out that although the harvest appeared good and was plentiful, it was empty inside for most of it!!! Thus began the saga of Fr Marreddy growing 'seedless groundnuts'!