The Finding Tree

Bonus Chapter: The Conversation

TW: this bonus chapter covers subjects intended for a mature audience. It's a stand alone short story.

May 23, 1996

"Join me, join me."

Miko beckoned Tom out onto the concrete patio that bordered the house and Ginny's raised garden beds that took up most of their small backyard. He stepped down the three steps that led from the kitchen door, and shook Miko's hand.

"Can I offer you a drink—Beer, wine?"

Tom shuffled his feet and looked down for a second. "Thanks, Miko, but water is fine."

Miko studied him briefly, placed a heavy hand on his shoulder, squeezed and lumbered back into the kitchen, calling for his wife.

Tom sat in the nearest expanded steel patio chair. He ran his hand over the spray coated steel spring in the base that allowed the chair to rock back. It was comfortable and his fingers traced the metal like an old friend.

Miko rejoined Tom with two glasses of iced tea. "Sweetened with honey and mint from my wife's garden." He smiled at Tom and offered him the tall drink.

Tom nodded appreciatively, and wrapped his hand around the cold tumbler, taking a hearty swallow.

Miko grunted as he sat down and stared at Ginny's raised beds. She had decided to try eggplant this year, and Chervil, Spearmint, Cilantro and a host of other obscure herbs that Miko couldn't pronounce. But he loved his wife, and anything she wanted to do was okay by him.

"Janey is happy you could come."  Miko smiled at the man next to him. "She is very special girl. I'm glad you two have made peace for her graduation day."

Tom sighed and looked down. "Thank you for inviting us into your home Miko, I appreciate you allowing Hannah and me to stay with you for the weekend. I don't know how much Janey has said, but I haven't been a very good father. So, for what it's worth..." Tom's voice cracked. "Thank you for being there for her when I wasn't. I know she loves you, and you're right. She is special and I love her very much."

Miko put his tea down and stared at Tom's profile next to him. He was quiet for a while.

"Thomas, I do not know you, but I know you love your child. There is no shame in taking the time to try to make yourself a better person. We have all had hard times, yeah? So, it's what comes next that is important, not what is behind you."

Tom nodded and took another drink of the sweetened tea. He couldn't make eye contact with Miko, but his ears turned red at the older man's statement.

Miko chuckled and pointed at the backyard. "My Ginny, she is always waging war. Fighting against weeds and vines. Finding ways to fight the caterpillars and chipmunks that eat what is hers." Miko paused and added quietly. "Sometimes I think she is better fighter than me."

Tom turned his head at the last statement and stared at Miko. "Were you a soldier?"

"Me? No, but we survived the Germans and Russians in Poland, Thomas. So, I think we were all soldiers, yeah?" Miko raised his glass. "Sto Lat" and aimed it toward Tom.

Tom raised his own toward Miko, and replied, "Cheers to that."

"You were soldier, Thomas?"

"Yes, two tours in Vietnam 1969 to mid-1971, Combat Medic."

"You help wounded soldiers?"

"Well, some. Mostly just kept them from bleeding out in the jungle. Triage work, most of those guys were hamburger waiting to die."