It All Began and Ended with a Tree

It All Began and Ended with a Tree…
Chapter 1

I sat in front of a mirror, contemplating myself. The sun was filtering in through the open window. The breeze, wafting inside the room, was cool and refreshing. Outside, the sun was shining down on the earth, the skies were blue and the clouds were wispy. It was a beautiful day. And some of the best stories happen on beautiful days.

I looked at myself, my black hair hung by my shoulders. A few strands stuck out in a fray. I was focused on getting myself to look my best. I brushed my hair a little over a hundred times. I then fixed it in a braid and hung it over my shoulder, as I had always done.

“Why can’t I be like those models? All they have to do is sit there and look cute and people absolutely go gaga over them.” The thought entered my mind as I was idly brushing my hair and soon left. I’m just not a model, I guess.

My mom says I’m pretty and my dad just whacks her with his walking stick to say the same. But there are times when I am deathly pale. That’s managed to send my mom into nervous breakdown a couple times, but she’s learning to cope. The village physician says I have a weak Immon--Imune--Imeon… never mind. He says I get sick easily and when I do, I get sick seriously.

My dad, as it happens, is a war veteran, but his knee got ruined in battle. He lost his voice too, some say it was because of smoking. He loves smoking tobacco in the porch at night.

I forgot to mention, my mom, my dad, me and a couple hundred other people live by this lake. It’s not an urban place, but almost everyone has a speedboat. Sadly, my family is one of the exceptions. It can be considered a good thing though, as I’m the only person who will be able to use the speedboat.

My big brother has his own family to take care of, and he has this quarrel going on with dad right now. He used to visit on Sundays to take me out with his wife, but ever since that happened, he’s been out of touch.

So you see, were a good family, sort of. But hey, every family has its flaws. Back to reality, I sit on my wed by the window, one leg folded beside me, the other dangling over the bed’s edge. I take in the cool breeze. I pick up the book I was reading. “Learning the Language of Eld” Okay, I admit, I’m a bookworm. I’m an anti-conformist… and I’m too much of a dreamer. I have no friends in the village, but hey, all you need is a good book… And a sketchpad, to round things up.

For some reason, I’ve recently had the passion to study the Language of Eld. I have no idea why, I just woke up in a cold sweat sometime and BAM! It was there. I know enough words to use in day to day life.

Okay so, what am I doing inside on such a beautiful day? Answer is, I’m waiting for old man Cesar to wake up. Have I mentioned that in the middle of the lake there’s this beautiful tree? It’s so tall and green and the trunk is just so healthy and firm. I love to sit under its branches; it’s so cool and peaceful. But old man Cesar takes a long time to wake up.

Oh wait! There he is! “Old man Cesar!” I shouted from the window. “Oh hey there Elle, going to the tree today?” he shouted back. Oops. I guess I forgot to tell you my name, I’m Elle, nice name huh? But the neighbors next door say that it’s too common a name! “Sure am old man Cesar!” I said to him.

I got down from the bed, got my sketchpad, down the stairs, into the kitchen to get some food and out the front door. On the porch were my parents. I kissed mom and did this weird hi-5 routine with dad that involved my kissing his eye and him banging me on the head with his cane. Oh well, that’s dad, always the joker.

When I got to old man Cesar, he was already waiting down by the dock. To show off what I had learned about the Language of Eld, I exclaimed “Denna kurje firette anthur vion?” Old man Cesar was startled for a moment, and then he began to laugh. He almost fell off the pier! When I asked him what was wrong, he gestured to his boat, while wiping off a tear and said “Gattun” which I took as get on.

He pressed into my hand a silver whistle. I asked him what it was for and he just smiled at me and said. “Whenever you need me, give this thing a blow and I’ll come. Also, I guess you should want to have some way of getting me to go to that tree when you’re ready to go home. Your message in a bottle system is impractical!” I blush a little when he said that.

“Okay young’n, here’s where you get off.” said old man Cesar when we arrived at the island. I got off and thanked old man Cesar for his troubles. I handed him a part of the lunch I had brought. He waved it off, saying no thanks were necessary. Boy, he’s a kind soul, to think I used to think he was this gruff and stern old man.

As usual, I go up the tree and put my palm against its trunk, admiring the beauty. Then I lay down on the same spot that I usually lie down in, a crook formed by two of the biggest roots of the tree. Well, for some reason, it’s only now that I actually brought my sketchpad to the tree. I usually draw in my room or on the porch. But that’s beside the point.

So I get in a comfortable position and I look up. I let my hand and mind take me into the branches of the tree, the subtle shades of green, the grainy texture of the bark. It was a wonderful experience. But when I look down to examine my drawing, there’s something odd, there was the form of a boy, resting on a branch high up on the tree. So I look up again, but there isn’t a boy, so I dismiss him as part of my imagination.

That was when it happened. A boy dropped from the tree, not all the way, I think he was held up by his feet, and faced me. He was fair-skinned; his face had this aura of innocence. His short hair was wavy and was long. He was terribly handsome, and I found myself staring for far too long.

He looked at the drawing and then he looked at me. He asked what was in the drawing, I answered it was him, albeit shakily.

He swung up and then landed beside me. He examined it, and said “You’ve a good hand. Were you the one the fisherman took here?”

I answered “Yeah it was… why do you ask?”

“I saw him snickering on the way back…” the boy, by now had my sketchbook in his hands and was flipping through the pages.

“I think it was something I said. But the only thing I said was ‘Denna kurje firette anthur vion?’ Is that funny?” I was becoming steadily more curious. And I sat down, instead of lying in the space.

“So that’s why. Where did you learn the Language of Eld?” the boy asked. It was apparent that he was fighting laughter. I wondered how come he knew.

“From a book…” I replied. “But I don’t see what that has to do with it…”

“It has everything to do with it. You can’t trust a book when learning that language. Do you know what you said?” The boy raised an eyebrow at me, it made me jittery.

“Goodmorning! May you take me to the island there?” I said slowly, looking up at him.

“Ha! That’s where you’re wrong. What you said was more like Salutations dear sir; wouldst thou take my person to yonder isle? It would have been nice to say, if you were living a few hundred years ago! By the way, I haven’t introduced myself yet… I’m Dave.” The boy held out his hand, I was all too keen to take it.

“Ohh… God!” I blushed when he said what I had said. I couldn’t help but laugh at myself. “I’m Elle.” I continued. “How did you get on this island?”

“Duh! I swam!” Dave told me. I was momentarily confused, if he swam, then wouldn’t his clothes be soaking wet. Anyway, I got over it. The day passed by fleetingly, soon, it was as if we grew up together. But as things would have it, the fun didn’t last, for in what seemed like moments, the sun was already setting. I took the silver whistle and blasted my strongest breath through it. In moments, I saw a boat racing through the waters for the island.

“Thanks old man Cesar” I muttered as I stepped into the boat. It was rocking pretty violently and as we raced through the surf, I looked back and waved at Dave who was waving back at me violently. I sat back down and smiled at myself. I think I even giggled a bit.

Old man Cesar looked at me and he said “This girl looks like she’s seen the man of her dreams…”
“I think so old man Cesar…” was all I could say.

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Hey Guys! It seems the story has a cliffhanger. Oh noes!. Well, here ya go; Part 2: Chapter 2