Trees Stay Put

In a small town far away from the city lived a boy named Michael. His house had a green front and tiny square windows. Daily, he climbed the mountain near his village. He surpassed the forest and then walked upwards on the narrow path. Proudly, a beautiful cherry tree marked the top of the mountain. The green grass danced along with the tree, on the rhythm of the wind and their shadows also partook in the show. It was a special tree, or at least it had to be in a way. What influence will the tree have on Michael’s life?

One day his doorbell rang, it was Noah, a boy from his town. “What’s up man! You are Michael, right? Nice to meet you bro. Do you wanna play soccer on the—”

“No, I have something important to do, sorry,” Michael interrupted. He climbed the mountain on his own.

Heavy rain came out of the sky, together with thunder. Had Michael done something wrong? The creek flooded and the sandy path became a swamp. When he finally arrived at the summit, the sun did too. The tree on top was marvelous, it had bright pink blossom. What was the tree trying to tell him? Michael’s thoughts fluttered through his head, like the leaves fell from the tree.

Sometime later Michael bumped into a girl on the gravel path. “Hey! I have not seen you here before! Do you come here often?” The girl asked.

“Yes, I come here every day to visit the mountain top,” Michael said.

“Um, do you want to traverse the mountain together?” The girl proposed. Together they walked towards the sun.

A while later, the girl moved to the city. Michael did not want to move. The tree was going to tell him the truth. His dog died, Michael took it to the top and buried the unfortunate animal next to the tree, which seemed even more lively next to a grave. His parents had moved to the city to work. Seasons passed, and Michael grew a beard. It was winter, the narrow path was icy, and the sun was still down. The creek, which once had water flowing through it, was now frozen. Once he reached the top, the tree was naked. It had nothing to show for itself. The grave seemed dull too.

One morning, the phone rang. “Hello, Dr. James here from the hospital. Both of your parents have died in a car accident. I am sorry for your loss.” Michael was silent. “Are you still there?” The man asked with a worried tone of voice. Without saying a word, Michael decided to visit his parents at the hospital. The car did not start so he had to walk. When Michael eventually approached the city, he immediately knew what he had done wrong. Without thinking about his parents for a single second, the young man ran back to his hometown. He would climb the mountain one more time. The subtle difference? This time he brought an axe.

For years, Michael lived in the city. The city had things to offer that no tree could ever give. Many evenings he spent at the pub, at the canal across from where he lived. One night he met a man at the bar who he thought he recognized.

“Hey what’s up man! Do I know you?” Noah said.

“He seems um, familiar to me too.” The waitress said with a smile on her face while cleaning the glasses.

“My name is Michael, nice to meet the both of you.” They shook each other’s hand.