The Finding Tree

Chapter 6 - The Sunshine

Janey basked.

She was splayed out on the lawn, in the sun-dappled afternoon. Sighing her happiness, she shivered and arched her toes in the trashed jellies she was wearing from last summer. They still fit, barely.

This last year had seen Janey stretch as children often do. Her legs were longer, the knees sticking out and knobby. Her arms had grown, too and by March she was always tugging at her sweater sleeves. But this summer her yellow tank top with the flying pegasus on it didn't have sleeves, so there were no cuffs to worry about.

The grass stuck to her legs and her back, but she could care less, because dad had just finished the story about great-grandma Mabel, and how she met and fell in love with great-Grandpa.

Even a child, a girl of eleven knows what story-book romance looks like, and how two people should behave when they love each other. She didn't know what romantic love really meant, but she knew enough to know that safety, happiness and joy can be given from one person to another like a gift.

She wanted that when she grew up. She wanted to be able to give those gifts and receive them back. And she was so happy that Mabel had found it as well. She also knew she hadn't seen that kind of joy and happiness between her parents in a long time, and it made her head a little cloudy.

Sighing, Janey looked up at the blue sky and squinted, her arms pillowed her head and she rolled from side to side listening to the earth first with one ear, then the other. The grass tickled and it popped and crackled, like a billion ants were walking under the ground. Laughter caught her unaware, and she giggled out loud.

There probably were a billion ants under the ground, and they probably were walking around. What if she could hear them? What if she could hear plants and flowers growing if she listened really hard? What if she could hear the tree?

Janey shot up off the ground. She hadn't been out to see her tree yet, and it had been almost a week at the Lake house. Guilt bloomed in her belly and she ran inside changing out of the mangled sparkly plastic sandals.

She put socks and sneakers on, and looked in her closet for a long-sleeve shirt. The only one she found was a dressy blouse, but who cared? She paired with her dirty shorts and worn shoes. The tree wouldn't care, and after a year, she knew the vines would be vicious again.

Walking out to the garden shed she found a pair of pruning shears and put them in her pocket. About ten steps out, she paused, did a pirouette and ran back to her room.

Looking at her toys, knicknacks and bedside table she was hunting for something. Eyes darting all over until they came to rest on a dish of coins, bubble gum wrappers, paper-clips, Goody hair elastics and one large blue green boulder marble that she'd found on the playground.

It looked like the earth. The blue glowed from within, and there were whirls of white and green that looked like land and clouds. Some nights she thought it may have been alive. Ever since the tree last year Janey started looking for magic in everything. Her imagination spiraled and things came to life. This marble was a different world.

Something that she could carry around like a gem, a token in her pocket, a link to a different life. And this new world was going to the tree. She couldn't think of a better gift.

Grabbing it, the marble went in her pocket next to the garden shears and Janey bolted out the door again.

The forest was deep and cool, and she was panting from the sprint she took from the house to her tree. The vines were mean and she had a few big scratches on her legs and hands from going too fast, and not using the shears enough. Dropping them by the tree, she wrapped her arms around the massive trunk and planted her face in the soft moss. Breathing deeply, the freshness of dirt and green leaves, bark and wood-rot mixed with pine needles and a hint of smoke comforted her with a peace that nothing else touched.

She stepped back and looked for the bench. Relaxing, she saw it was where it always was, snugged up against the tree, looking out at the lake from the break in the trees.

"I brought you something. I hope you like it."

Marble in hand, Janey stepped closer and held it up like a tribute.

"This is my favorite marble, I found it last winter at school, and I liked how it just almost came to me. It looks like the earth. I hope you take care of it. I won't look while you pick it up. I know you're shy." The words came out almost jumbled, like she couldn't get it all out fast enough.

Janey set the marble on the bench and nestled it between two wide boards so it wouldn't roll away. She got a chunk of branch from the ground and propped it on one side.

"There!" she thought, "it won't get lost."

Then she turned and walked toward the lakeshore. Small gravel littered the narrow line where you could see how the water level fluctuated each year.

This summer the water level was a little low, it had been a mild winter. Picking up a stick she poked it in the mud and slime at the edge of the water and counted steps while using an old washed up boom log as a balance beam.

Twenty three step from end to end. Feeling proud of herself, she started back toward the tree.

"I'm coming back now, tree. Did you like my gift? I missed you this year."

Making her way back to the bench, the marble was indeed gone, and Janey's grin danced and leapt from her face to her eyes and back again.

"I knew you'd like it."

Beaming she sat on the bench and curled her feet close to her body, hugging her knees and resting her chin on them. "I heard the story about how great-grandma Mabel met you and how she and great grandpa fell in love. Did you have something to do with that?"

Janey poked at the moss, and giggled. "I bet you did."

The leaves swayed in the breeze and the sunshine dappled the bench in mottled artforms.

Leaning her head on the moss covered trunk, Janey sighed. "I wonder if mama and daddy ever loved each other that way. Sometimes it doesn't feel like they do." She picked her nails over the moss on the bench, cleaning it a bit and scratching the wood.

"I should go back, mama asked for help with dinner tonight I'm peeling potatoes." Janey rolled her eyes and stubbed her sneaker in the dirt for a few moments.

She heaved herself forward, but her shirt was caught by a small branch she hadn't seen before and it almost ripped her blouse.

"Ohhh!" Janey sat back down and tried to free her sleeve from the twiggy end of the branch but it wasn't coming loose, at all.

"Let me go, silly tree." Laughing, she reached up and grasped at the branch and shook it, and something fell out, landing on the bench below with a bounce and knock.

Her sleeve pulled free then, and she sat back with a thump on the bench and looked over at what had fallen next to her. She gasped and reached out with a trembling hand.

"Is this for me? Oh...it's beautiful!"

Next to her on the bench lay a small carved wooden fawn. Tall spindly legs, short nose and arched back with whitish spots. Standing on her palm, it looked so fragile and real.

Janey could feel her eyes well up with tears.  "Oh tree, this is for me?" Thank you so much! It looks like Bambi!" She stood up and hugged the tree again. "I'll come back soon I promise."

As she disappeared out of the clearing, the breeze blew around the tree again, and a whirling somersault of leaves and greenery danced joyfully before settling peacefully back to the ground.