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Ashley sighed as she leaned against the sturdy tree, possibly for the last time. Dad had gotten a new job, and it was time to move into the city. Away from the house she was born in, away from the small creek that ran across the edge of their property. Already she could hear the last shouts of the moving van as the workers loaded and and the first truck pulled away. She didn't have much time before her mom came looking for her, meaning it really wasn't all just a bad dream she would wake up from.
The soft grass under her feet slightly tickled her legs, and she could feel the aged knots in the tree truck that were pressing against her back. For as long as she could remember, this had been HER tree. She'd discovered the little hole the knot left years ago, and it had been her hiding place for countless precious things she wanted to keep away from her older brothers.
Idly playing with the wildflowers at her feet while listening to the soft birds calling, she took the ribbon she'd found out of her pocket and tied the flowers together. She wondered if the family moving into their house had kids, and if they'd find all the hiding spots she and her brothers had used over the years. Maybe one of them would find this tree and hide things of their own. The small colorful bouquet in her hand was just the size of the hole, Ashley discovered. She wasn't sure what was out there, but decided to hide it in the trunk just in case. If one of the kids did find the tree, maybe they'd see the bouquet and realize it was a special tree.
When her hands were empty, Ashley could see the top of her mother's blond head bobbing in and out of the trees. With a sigh and a last look around, she walked toward the car, to her new life.
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Calling from deep in the heart, from where the eyes can't see and the ears can't hear, from where the mountain trails end and only love can go... ~~~ Three Rivers Hare Krishna
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