Ms. Hasnahena

Cestrum nocturnum or Ms. Hasnahena

Hasnahena or Night Jessamine (Cestrum nocturnum) is one of those inconspicuous little flowers which you can simply walk past and not spend a second thought until the night fall. You would then start looking around madly for the unknown beauty which is emanating the intoxicating perfume. Once you solve the mystery you would start reveling in the nature’s whims that such simplicity in looks can have that immense an effect on other senses.

I was only four years old when I was introduced to Ms. Hasnahena. We lived in a government allocated house with a garden (which we shared with another family). That garden was immense in my eyes and felt as dense and mysterious as the forests of Congo! Our wash basin was next to a corridor connected to the garden and my mother was accompanying me to wash my hands at night. I was hit by the sweet smell and asked my Ma what was that? “Hasnahena”, said my Ma and we turned to get in the house but we couldn’t!

Russel's Viper or Chandrabora

There was a Chandrabora (Russel’s viper) poisonous snake, wrapped around the doorstop. My Ma shouted, my father came running, a commotion….The snake probably was killed but that unnerving event got stamped in my memory. Ms. Hasnahena got inter-mingled with the snake and she turned into a bewitching lady who looked simple but, beautiful nonetheless, and was dark too! We lived with her for fourteen more years in the same house.

Later in my life I would seek her out and plant her near our bedrooms and in many nooks and crannies for her to surprise the visitors and passers-by. She needs a little hair-cut after a flush of blooms and after a month or so she is up with her tricks again. Here then is the story of the plain girl of the next door neighbour who comes into being at the nightfall and haunts you with her bewitching heady perfume.

Have you met Ms. Hasnahena or anyone like her?