The Climbing Tree

Day 4 Rise and Write has me thinking about tress.  If you want to learn more, here is where you can find the details on the daily writing prompts at Out of the Writers Closet: Rise and Write.

Write about a tree (or another plant) that you see from your window. What kind of tree it is? How tall it is? Does it bear fruit or berries? Is it a home to birds or small animals? If not, could it be a home to mythical creatures? What would you think of it as a child?

The Climbing Tree

“I don't know much about trees, but we need one that will be big enough to climb." Sam told her husband that cold February day when they were looking out the back door over the snow covered blank canvass that would become their yard in less than a month. She was holding a sleeping baby while her two year old was running up and down the stairs and room to room, totally free from clutter of unimportant things like furniture and stuff on tables he could knock off. Even after they moved in, it was years before they had proper furniture for most of the rooms, extra money and space needed for two active children.

They purchased the house on a contract for deed, as is, 98% finished, from her sister’s law firm who had the property in escrow after the builder went bankrupt. There was a chance that the family the house was originally built for, could decide to take possession again, but they only had another six months to do so. The risk was low, as in the year and 1/2 the house sat empty, they surely had moved on to find or build a different home. Still, the couple was nervous, so waited the full six months before doing any real back yard work, bringing the calendar to September. 

The tree imagined, if not quite visualized, turned out to be an oak tree.  Many new homeowners, excited by the prospect of doing their own landscaping, picking our shrubs, and flowers, and trees, are unprepared for the added cost.  This was the case for Sam and her husband. The oak was a tall, but skinny little thing, with branches no bigger than her children's fingers. A budget tree, still, it was well over $100, or in the reference Sam used for cost comparison at the time, a month of diapers. They planted the tree with bone meal, and put a plastic tube, slit on the one side around the tree to keep any animals form getting at it. Year by year that tree grew taller, and wider, and stronger. The tubing was removed. Leaves, sparse at first, began to fill in each spring, and slowly, provided shade for an early morning cup of coffee.

The baby and two year old grew older, started school, and eventually outgrew the opportunity to climb the tree without breaking the limbs. The boy, now a strapping teen, did use a branch as a pull up bar after going for a run. A little sister came along, and the former baby that slept in Sam's arm, now would be the good big sister and sometimes sit on a blanket under the tree with the new baby, laughing as she learned to roll over.  The tree kept growing, stronger and thicker.  

One day when the third child was about seven or eight and had been playing outside, Sam went to call her in for dinner. She had thought she was just in the back yard with a couple neighbor kids, but didn't see her so called out her name. She heard a little giggle and then someone saying "shhh". Sam called her name again, which was responded to with more giggles, then laughter. "Look up, mom” said a voice.  Sam moved closer to the tree, and then leaned over and turned her head up.  There was her daughter and friend each sitting precariously on a couple of the lowest branches.  The canopy of lush green leaves had concealed them from first view. Sam had her climbing tree.