By Marit B. age 13
Standing tall was the Hawthorn tree. 12 years old but still there. It was old, but it held many memories. Alana loved the Hawthorn tree. She knew everything about it. What year and day it was planted. ‘September 22nd, 2001, exactly when I was born,’ Alana would recite in her mind. When Alana was 2, her parents went there to have a family picnic. When she was 4 her younger brother, Xavior, was born. When Alana was then 6 and Xavior was 2, Christian was born. The tree still stood for Alana, Xavior, and Christian, but not anymore. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
“We’re loading up the car! Ready or not we need to leave.” Alana’s father yelled up the stairs.
“Ha, ha! Too small to reach it, Christian!” Xavior taunted repeatedly. While Xavior held Christian’s hat up high Christian, unable to reach it, cried in frustration.
“My hat! My hat! Mommy!” Christian wailed. Running down the stairs he grabbed his backpack and teddy bear and headed for the car. Alana watched and laughed at Xavior.
“You’re 8, doofus! You should stop doing that, you’re not in kindergarten.” Alana teased. Xavior’s face was red hot but he walked away anyways. She laughed until dad yelled again. She finished packing and, of course, brought her camping book.
After everyone was settled down in the car, they drove. They drove past the New Mexico hills and past all of the shops and buildings. Then, finally, they reached the Hawthorn tree.
“Twee! Twee!” Christian squealed in excitement. Xavior then ran and hugged the tree making it tip back and forth. They set up their camping equipment and started to explore. The tree stood while they explored, but then, a truck came.
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“What do you mean we need to leave?” Dad cried in frustration.
“Well, we are cutting some trees down in this area.” The worker explained. He showed why and showed where. Alana was unable to process these things. Cut down the tree? Not the Hawthorn tree. ‘No, this can’t be. Why?’ Alana kept thinking.
“Wait!” All eyes turned towards her.
“Please don’t cut down the Hawthorn tree. Christian is getting to know it! Please, just don’t cut it.” Silence. Then about after a minute or two the worker replied.
“This tree is not a human, little girl. But, we will try our best to work around it.” He smiled a warm, gentle smile. Meanwhile, more trucks came and crowded the area. They again had to pack up.
“Had to leave… we just got here,” Dad mumbled to himself, “of course we had to leave… of course.”
Meanwhile, Alana was frustrated. ‘They’re not going to cut it. No, they wouldn’t. Not if it was a family tree! But it was silly what I said back there, but he made a promise to go around it!’ Alana kept debating herself. ‘ No, they will go around it…’
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2 days later Alana decided to visit the tree. She knew she should. If it was still there, then I guess she should go see it. So, she hopped on her bike and raced over to the hills.
As soon as she got there, she checked on the tree. Gone. Everything was gone. She could see no trees or bushes or flowers, only flat land. Gone. No, this couldn’t be right, but proof was right in front of her. Her eyes were full of water and she let it out. Her tree was gone, her bushes she planted were gone, even the flowers. Gone! ‘WHY?’ she thought. All that was left was a yellow truck with some workers eating lunch. She had to speak with them.
“Hello?” She cried.
“Hola,” they replied.
“Where is my tree?”
“Eh, Yo no hablo a Inglés.”
“What?”
“Go! Shoo! ¡ Escápate!”
‘This is hopeless. I can’t communicate. Just give up, Alana. Give up.’ Alana hung her head and unlocked her bike from a tree.
“Wait, little girl!” Alana bolted upright, and was shocked. Who could be speaking? Of course! The worker! He should have an answer.
“I…um… do not speak… your language… well. We cut… because it… was dying… your tree was… I mean.”
“Thank you, kind sir! Thank you.” Alana squealed. She grabbed her helmet and put it in her basket. Why put it on when you’re free? She raced the sun setting behind hills and pedaled as fast as she could. Then a thought struck her. Why was she so happy if it the tree was dying?
Alana lay on her bed that night, listening to soft rain on the roof. Happy? How could she be happy? Her tree was dying. No, it had died. She thought about these other families who had lost everything, not just a tree. But it was special, but it was just a tree! But it was special. No, just a tree. Alana didn’t know what to think. Finally, she made a choice. It was just a tree. It was a special tree but she didn’t mind it being cut down. It was getting old, and it would die sooner or later, right? She closed her eyes and dwelled on that thought until she was in deep sleep.
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At breakfast time, Alana shared her big news.
“I decided that is was just a tree, nothing that special I guess,” she announced.
“Well, good for you, Alana.” Her mother said while giving the biggest smile.
“I have some big news, too,” her mother said cracking a small smile, “you’re all having a new baby sister! Little baby Maggie.” Everyone screamed and clapped.
“And also,” her father added, “we are doing the honor of giving her a tree, too.”
That just about warmed up Alana’s heart. Alana then realized that Maggie would be a lucky girl, just like her. And no matter what, she could still have a tree. So, just then, she decided, she would have to stand tall.
Standing tall was the Hawthorn tree. 12 years old but still there. It was old, but it held many memories. Alana loved the Hawthorn tree. She knew everything about it. What year and day it was planted. ‘September 22nd, 2001, exactly when I was born,’ Alana would recite in her mind. When Alana was 2, her parents went there to have a family picnic. When she was 4 her younger brother, Xavior, was born. When Alana was then 6 and Xavior was 2, Christian was born. The tree still stood for Alana, Xavior, and Christian, but not anymore. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
“We’re loading up the car! Ready or not we need to leave.” Alana’s father yelled up the stairs.
“Ha, ha! Too small to reach it, Christian!” Xavior taunted repeatedly. While Xavior held Christian’s hat up high Christian, unable to reach it, cried in frustration.
“My hat! My hat! Mommy!” Christian wailed. Running down the stairs he grabbed his backpack and teddy bear and headed for the car. Alana watched and laughed at Xavior.
“You’re 8, doofus! You should stop doing that, you’re not in kindergarten.” Alana teased. Xavior’s face was red hot but he walked away anyways. She laughed until dad yelled again. She finished packing and, of course, brought her camping book.
After everyone was settled down in the car, they drove. They drove past the New Mexico hills and past all of the shops and buildings. Then, finally, they reached the Hawthorn tree.
“Twee! Twee!” Christian squealed in excitement. Xavior then ran and hugged the tree making it tip back and forth. They set up their camping equipment and started to explore. The tree stood while they explored, but then, a truck came.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“What do you mean we need to leave?” Dad cried in frustration.
“Well, we are cutting some trees down in this area.” The worker explained. He showed why and showed where. Alana was unable to process these things. Cut down the tree? Not the Hawthorn tree. ‘No, this can’t be. Why?’ Alana kept thinking.
“Wait!” All eyes turned towards her.
“Please don’t cut down the Hawthorn tree. Christian is getting to know it! Please, just don’t cut it.” Silence. Then about after a minute or two the worker replied.
“This tree is not a human, little girl. But, we will try our best to work around it.” He smiled a warm, gentle smile. Meanwhile, more trucks came and crowded the area. They again had to pack up.
“Had to leave… we just got here,” Dad mumbled to himself, “of course we had to leave… of course.”
Meanwhile, Alana was frustrated. ‘They’re not going to cut it. No, they wouldn’t. Not if it was a family tree! But it was silly what I said back there, but he made a promise to go around it!’ Alana kept debating herself. ‘ No, they will go around it…’
--------------------------------------------------------------------
2 days later Alana decided to visit the tree. She knew she should. If it was still there, then I guess she should go see it. So, she hopped on her bike and raced over to the hills.
As soon as she got there, she checked on the tree. Gone. Everything was gone. She could see no trees or bushes or flowers, only flat land. Gone. No, this couldn’t be right, but proof was right in front of her. Her eyes were full of water and she let it out. Her tree was gone, her bushes she planted were gone, even the flowers. Gone! ‘WHY?’ she thought. All that was left was a yellow truck with some workers eating lunch. She had to speak with them.
“Hello?” She cried.
“Hola,” they replied.
“Where is my tree?”
“Eh, Yo no hablo a Inglés.”
“What?”
“Go! Shoo! ¡ Escápate!”
‘This is hopeless. I can’t communicate. Just give up, Alana. Give up.’ Alana hung her head and unlocked her bike from a tree.
“Wait, little girl!” Alana bolted upright, and was shocked. Who could be speaking? Of course! The worker! He should have an answer.
“I…um… do not speak… your language… well. We cut… because it… was dying… your tree was… I mean.”
“Thank you, kind sir! Thank you.” Alana squealed. She grabbed her helmet and put it in her basket. Why put it on when you’re free? She raced the sun setting behind hills and pedaled as fast as she could. Then a thought struck her. Why was she so happy if it the tree was dying?
Alana lay on her bed that night, listening to soft rain on the roof. Happy? How could she be happy? Her tree was dying. No, it had died. She thought about these other families who had lost everything, not just a tree. But it was special, but it was just a tree! But it was special. No, just a tree. Alana didn’t know what to think. Finally, she made a choice. It was just a tree. It was a special tree but she didn’t mind it being cut down. It was getting old, and it would die sooner or later, right? She closed her eyes and dwelled on that thought until she was in deep sleep.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
At breakfast time, Alana shared her big news.
“I decided that is was just a tree, nothing that special I guess,” she announced.
“Well, good for you, Alana.” Her mother said while giving the biggest smile.
“I have some big news, too,” her mother said cracking a small smile, “you’re all having a new baby sister! Little baby Maggie.” Everyone screamed and clapped.
“And also,” her father added, “we are doing the honor of giving her a tree, too.”
That just about warmed up Alana’s heart. Alana then realized that Maggie would be a lucky girl, just like her. And no matter what, she could still have a tree. So, just then, she decided, she would have to stand tall.