The Tree Of Estrella

Carmen Lopez-Rod sighed as she wiped a tear from her cheek. Her mum had passed away a week ago, but neither her nor her dad could bring themselves to pack her stuff up until today. Looking through her mum’s flower press and her distinctive handwriting, memories flashed through carmen’s head. The denlah flower from Sandlewood beach… her mother running from Carmen, picking up the denlah then pretending to use as a protective spell. 3 years ago, yet it seemed like a lifetime.

She carefully closed the modern caps, placed it in the box labelled ‘memories’ and moved on to explore the next flower press. This one is labelled 1950-1951… that would be 21 years ago; 5 years before Carmen Lopez-Rod entered the world. That’s strange, she could swear she’d never seen this one before. She unscrewed the ornate wooden caps and lifted the wooden top off the press, admiring the beautiful blue and green painting of what appeared to be mortal seaweed. She gasped as her eyes glimpsed the first view of a flower from the mortal lands. The unmistakable handwriting read ‘first mortal flower I see as I enter this realm; a simple yet beautiful daisy. I am told this is a very common flower here’. Her hands shaking, Carmen delicately laid down the page and eyed the magnificent flowers on the next page. In front of her laid three flowers labelled ‘bluebell’, ‘candelabra primula’ and ‘Epimedium’. To her, they were the most beautiful things she had ever seen, but all she could think about is; why didn’t she tell me? Why didn’t she tell me she went to the mortal realm? Tears started streaming down her face all over again and she collapsed on the bed.

Going to the mortal realm was a very big deal amongst in the faelf realm, and a very controversial one too. How could her own mother not tell her she had been to such an intriguing place? Ever since she was 4; when she first found out about the mortal realm, she has been obsessed with it. She had always had a dream to go there one day, to explore the wonders of the oh-so-famous other world within hers. She knew so much about it from her years of research, and yet she didn’t know her mother had been to her dream destination! How could this be true? Did her dad know? Or was it a secret from everyone?

Half an hour later, she heard the familiar voice of her dad calling her down for dinner. She finished packing the remaining flower press’ and rushed down to sit at the table. Before she entered the room, the delicious smell of pasta puttanesca hit her and she remembered it as her mother’s favourite meal. Her dad mixed in the sauce and placed it on the table as he sat down.

“I know it won’t be as good as Kirstie made it, but I tried”, he said.

“I’m sure it’s lovely, dad”, she said, even though she knew he was right. As they dug in, Carmen asked, with a full mouth, “I found a flower press from when mum went to the mortal realm when I was packing them up”.

Eryk Lopez dropped his fork and looked up in shock. He took a minute to recollect his thoughts before he spokes. He whispered softly, “she didn’t want you to know”.

“What do you mean she didn’t want me to know? You knew she had been there? How could you not tell me?! I’ve been wanting to go to the mortal realm my whole life. How could you keep this from me?” Carmen couldn’t stop her voice from rising.

“It’s complicated. It wasn’t safe to tell you. I’m sorry. We were going to tell you on your birthday but… it just didn’t seem right after her death”

Carmen shifted in her chair at the word ‘death’. She didn’t like that word. “Tell me what? What were you keeping from me? Why couldn’t you tell me before?” she could feel panic rising within her, but she fought to keep it in. It would only make it worse.

“Why don’t I tell you after we’ve eaten?”

“no! I’m not hungry anymore. I want to know now.” her panic was gone now. only anger was there. And fuming curiosity.

“well… alright. But please, don’t be angry we didn’t tell you, it was for your own good”

Sitting on her windowsill, looking out her window down on her wonderful view of blossoming trees and wildlife, Carmen was rushing through her thoughts, running through this world-changing knowledge she had just received. Her mother had lived in the mortal realm for 2 whole years. Her dad is from the mortal realm. No, no, no! this can’t be right. She’s known him her whole life and she never noticed. That’s why no-one’s really accepted her family as normal. That’s why he never mentioned his past childhood. It makes perfect sense. But it couldn’t be true. Surely, it was just one of his practical jokes! No, she had the flower press and now images to prove it. They fled the mortal realm 2 years after to get married in the Faelf realm and had a child – her – 3 years after that. It can’t be right. Surely. She would have known. But she couldn’t deny it. All the proof is there. “AAAAAAAAAGH!!!” carmen screamed into her cushion, overwhelmed with the life- changing information. Having eaten no dinner, Carmen cried herself to sleep.

The next morning, she woke up to the birds chirping a lovely morning song. Feeling refreshed and filled with a feeling of purpose, Carmen headed downstairs and wolf’s down her mished wheats for breakfast. When her dad arrived in the kitchen, she declared her decision.

“I want to go to the mortal realm tomorrow”, she said with every seriousness in her voice.

“you know how ridiculous that is. It has got much more dangerous over the years, you can’t just cross the forest like me and Kirstie did”, he argued, but knowing he wouldn’t be able to change his daughter’s mind.

“I’m going to try no matter what you say. You can help me prepare or not.”

That day, Eryk and Carmen spent all their time planning for Carmen’s big trip across the forest of deception. Gathering supplies and information, by the end of the day they were fully prepared for the days ahead. Eryk tried in vain to persuade Carmen to let him accompany her, but she argued that the village needed him more than she did. They polished off Carmen’s fighting skills with the bow and arrow and double swords, and she packed her bags full of food and books.

She fell asleep for the last time in her purple and blue cloud bed, knowing her life will never be the same from the minute she left tomorrow. For the first time in a long while, she sleept through in a deep, comforting sleep.