The Tree and Me Read online

The Tree and Me

  A Christmas Tale for All Year

  Slimpoet

  Copyright © 2015 Slimpoet

  Caribe' Co.

  [email protected]

  Ebook formatting by www.ebooklaunch.com

  Chapter One

  It was December 18 and twenty year old Luke decided to look for a Christmas tree. Well, he decided at 4:30 PM, half an hour before leaving work. He was going to search for a special one. There were those memories of the pine smell, the colored lights, the wrapped gifts and that star on top.

  This day, he was thinking of the Colorado Mountains and all those pine trees. It was one week until Christmas and he felt lonely. Thanksgiving had been lonely and being with friends had not helped. Not even all that turkey and cranberry sauce had helped. He wanted this Christmas to be special and to fill the emptiness in his life.

  Lately, his life felt like a ski trip he remembered. He had been lost in the snowy mountains and no direction seemed right. Where was home? He did find a way back to the lodge. Now, that memory was vivid and he was in a wilderness for sure. But, this wilderness was inside him. He was not able to find a way ‘home’. The divorce papers had been signed seven weeks earlier.

  After work, he and his car went around town. He did not think about dinner, but made sure the gas tank was full. Luke was O.K. for the time being.

  Far away, in the night sky above a snow covered mountain were stars, a moon and a few gossamer clouds looking back at the moon. On the side of this mountain were snow, a few deer, two partly covered ski tracks and a bunch of ‘sort of Christmas trees’; the ones without ornaments, but hoping to be real ones. In the sky was a bright star with sparkling points. Near the star were some round, red stars. They were small, but quite red.

  Ooops!!! Suddenly those stars were gone. Then, off from a stand of pines, there by itself, was one that had become a very good Christmas tree. It had a crooked star on top with sparkling points, three nice red lights and three ornaments hanging from the lowest branches.

  Meanwhile, back in town, Luke finally had a hunger for food that he could no longer avoid. He stopped at Lacey’s Grille to fill his empty stomach and that wilderness inside. That was best done with a plate of meatloaf and mashed potatoes. In fifteen minutes his plate was empty. With a stiff smile on his face he paid the waitress. His mouth was curled up into a smile, but she saw a wilderness in his eyes.

  When back in the car, he sat for a while as the heater warmed him. He was sleepy and wondering how to find that tree. In a dreamy vision he saw himself astride a perfect pine with an axe in hand, rocket exhaust coming from the cut end and flying through space back to earth.

  He smiled, Sometimes we must go out of town to find that great tree. He shook a bit. Enough of this sleepiness, I must be awake for this big search.

  The car moved slowly upon the snowy streets. His eyes were tired. His mind was tired. Being in the wilderness takes a lot of work; even a wilderness inside. Then,

  “Whoosh!!” over the top of the car.

  “What was that?” he said out loud.

  He turned on the radio to stay alert. Soon he was a few blocks from home. The area seemed to look different. All the buildings were the same. The sky looked the same.

  A star caught his eye. “There are only clouds tonight. How could I see a star?

  It caught his eye again and seemed to say, ”See me, see me.” Luke was now driving slowly and was fully

  awake. Then, there it was, the star in the empty lot used to sell those ‘sort of Christmas trees’.

  Then mumbling,” I looked here much earlier and there was nothing special.”

  He stopped at the curb in front of the lot and took his time getting out of the car. Way in the back was a unique tree. All the other pines were bowing slightly toward this tree. Luke shook his head, but felt like he should do the same. They seemed to understand something and Luke began to feel it. He did not want to disturb the salesman sleeping in the trailer so he made a note in his to-do list to pay the next day, and then went on toward the tree. The light of the star on top became softer and then slowly rose and fell as he picked it up and carried it to his car. Some rope from the car trunk was used to anchor it to the roof. He was exhausted when he finally parked his car at home and propped the tree up in a corner of his entranceway.