Looking around she was saddened to see how barren the land had become. Over the years she had watched as the lush, dense forest slowly retreated around them. There had once been a forest full of trees just like her and her steadfast companion. They had grown together, the two of them, to become as one.
There was a young boy in the farmhouse across the street who, for a long time, thought they were one tree. From his vantage he wasn’t able to decipher their two trunks or which limbs belonged to each of them. One day, shortly after starting school in town, he had walked down his lane to catch the bus. He was early. Too early to just sit and wait for the bus. Besides, he was a young boy and that meant staying still often took much more effort than he could muster all on his own. He dropped his bag to the ground then walked across the main road to climb the big tree. He was surprised to find that the big tree was really two separate trees that had been growing closely together. He stopped in his tracks and looked up at the trees, not quite believing what he was seeing. While he stood there, mouth open in aw, the bus arrived and took him off to school.
That was many moons ago. That young boy had grown up and had a family of his own. Those children had also grown up and had children of their own, along with another two generations. That young boy passed away, it that farmhouse across the street, a dozen years ago. He was 93, a great-great-grandfather. Mother nature mourned his passing along with his family and friends. Her tears fell from the heavens, soaking everything, flooding the farmhouse basement. They young boy, who was in actuality not a young boy, had been the last resident of the farmhouse. Everyone stopped visiting after he had passed. They abandoned the derelict old farmhouse and left it to rot.
She had been so saddened by this herself, the passing of the young boy and the abandonment of the farm. Nothing was really the same after that and now other things were changing. She had stood strong all these years, bending with the winds but never breaking. She had grown a great display of branches and produced what one could consider generations of leaves. Now she was nearing her end of existence.
Her steadfast companion was no longer. He had succumbed to a slow and terrible death after being struck by lightning and loosing one of his large major branches. He had always been there with her, side by side, shielding her from the brutal northern winds. He was no longer able to protect her and there were no other trees around to help fill that void and need in her life. Because of this, she too was dying. Just as the young boy had passed, she too was dying from old age and loneliness. It was merely a matter of time.
This week Marie asked us to write from the point of view of the last tree standing in the forest. This is what came to my mind. The picture above is of what I call my trees. This pair of trees sits in the middle of a field that I pass when driving to or from the cottage. I am always captivated by the beauty of nature and the way these two trees look like one large tree from the right angle. I took this picture, showing the two distinct and separate trees, to remind me of how well two people who compliment each other in the right ways can bring out a beauty in each other that you can not see otherwise. It also shows how two people can me thought of as one when in a relationship.
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The story is so sad, and yet so beautiful! Thanks for sharing.
Rebel xox
PS: I don’t see the picture?
Sorry, I missed the pic. Of course it’s at the top. Stupid me :s
I absolutely love this even with the sadness you express in the story. I love the attached photo too you’re absolutely right about being viewed as one when part of a couple. Great piece x