What happened to Tikker and the little folks, you say? Oh, well, they still come every day to visit me. And more little folks moved onto my other place. So they're a bunch of happy ones, now. The grandkids can see 'em and talk to 'em, too. And, funny thing--so can some of their friends! Guess people are getting a little more open-minded these days. Sure was a long time coming!
Why'd I say that Tikker and the little folks come to visit me--and not me and Susan? That's 'cuz I lost my Susan a year're so ago. I thought I'd be the first to go. Don't know why we couldn't have gone together, though. Like in an accident, y' know. I miss her terrible. If I didn't have the story trees and Tikker and the little folks, I'd have gone crazy, probably. But the grandkids visit often and sometimes Teddy picks me up and I stay over there for a while. Gives me a chance to talk to my first tree direct, y' know.
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I jist got some TERRIBLE news! I don't know what to do about it! Might just as well tell you straight out. Seems the the county or the state or someone--they wanta come along and widen the road in front of here. And that means they're gonna chop down my story tree! Also some bushes and trees that belong to my neighbors across the street.
Well, me and my neighbors are gonna fight this! Those gov'mint guys got no right to just come along and chop down trees that belong to us! Why do we need a wider road, anyway? Just'll make more traffic and it won't be so quiet around here any more. Well, gotta go with my neighbors to a meeting in the city.
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Guess the few of us along here just don't have enough clout we need to stop this road project. So now it's final. A so-called tree expert told me that my story tree has some rot in its center and it won't last much longer, anyway! So they're gonna come and chop down my old old story tree, the one that was here when Gram and Granddad built their home. Sure don't know how old this tree really is. Trees don't count birthdays like humans do. Guess someone can count its growth rings and find out.
The tree, Tikker and the little folks know about this, of course. But there's nothing any of them can do about this, either. The tree has accepted that it won't be around here much longer. It says that arborist expert, or whatever they call 'em these days, is right. It does have some rot that's getting into its core. So it wouldn't have lasted too much longer anyways.
But it says it's happy that lots of its offspring are now growing here and there--all those places where Tom and Mary took 'em to--and the grove over at my old place. The tree says there aren't too many story trees that have had so many of their acorns planted as it's had. It also says that it's passed along all the stories it has, so they won't get lost.
So it doesn't seem to really feel too bad about getting chopped down. Tikker and the little folks who've lived here for quite a few years, now--well, they know they'll be welcome over at my old place, when the time comes. But they do feel worse about the old tree getting chopped down than the old tree seems to feel.
But ME--well, I feel worst of all! I feel like I've failed my duty to this tree. The tree says not to brood and worry so. Because, thanks to me, all the other good stuff has happened. But losing Gram and Dad and Mom--and then Susan--and now this old story tree!
Teddy came over a couple days ago and me and him talked with the old tree. Teddy asked if it'd mind if he took its wood and had it made into furniture, things like that. The tree was delighted! At least its wood will be around us, even if its essence-spirit won't be much longer.
But, you see, stuff like that just doesn't make any difference to me--it won't make me feel any better when the tree's gone. So now I know why I gotta finish this story I started so long ago. To pass along to my kids and their kids and Tom and Mary and their kids. I'd put this one aside many years ago when Susan and I worked on all those other stories for the trees. But now it's finished, finally.
So, folks, here's my story--and the story tree's story too. Now that I've finished this, I'm gonna go out to the big old story tree one last time. It's just gonna kill part of me, too, to see 'em cut it down. Don't know's I can stand watching my tree die.
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This is Teddy, Charlie's son who lives over at the place where he used to live. Weeks have passed since Dad wrote those last words of his. It's taken me this long to get around to putting the final ending to his story.
On the day they were supposed to go out to Charlie's place to cut down the old story tree, we got a phone call early that morning. They said, "Come quick, your father's dead--he's lying under that big old tree we're supposed to cut down today! Sorta looks like he must have fallen out of the tree."
So I came running over here fast as I could, not believing what I'd just heard. But Dad was already gone. As I helped the men carry his broken body into the house, the tree told me one last story--of how Dad had climbed up in it one last time to say goodbye.
But I couldn't talk to it just then, as I had too many other things on my mind and to do right then. Turned out the coroner said Dad had died of a heart attack while he was up in the tree and not from the fall.
I never was able to get back to the tree to find out why he'd had a heart attack while he was saying goodbye to it. And if he'd said anything else before he died. Figured maybe the tree would know something the doc wouldn't.
But it was too late. While I was in the house calling family, the coroner, my siblings and Tom and Mary--those butchers got out their chain saws and cut the old tree down. So it never got to tell its last story. At least now, Dad's story is finished. I'll make copies of it for the family and Tom and Mary. My heart is still heavy. Both the old tree AND Dad!
I like to think that both of them--and Mom--and Tom's and Mary's folks--they're all looking down on us and wishing us well. And so--life goes on. I'll start writing my own story soon.
Bye for now. Teddy
THE END |