The Tree and the Girl and How they Grew

By Libby Alley

    “Do it again daddy!” Anna exclaimed.  I watched as daddy lifted her up and spun her around.  I was just a little 2 year old sapling then.  Anna and her daddy had planted me yesterday.  Anna was constantly checking to see if I had grown yet.  Even though Daddy said it would take a while.  I watched 2 year old Anna squeal with delight as she landed on the ground held firm by Daddy’s strong arms.  Anna rushed over to me.  Her small, soft hands touched the few leaves I had.  Then I heard Mom’s loud voice call.  “Lunch!” Anna ran to the house.  Daddy looked over at me and smiled before going into the small, happy house.

    I watched as Anna ran across the yard.  Once, twice, three times before going inside to check the clock again.  Anna is now 5 years old, and today she is going to have her very first play date.  She ran outside again, and sat next to me, opening her picture book.  She is learning to read, so it seems like she gets out that book all the time.  “Th-that c-c-cat is maaad.” She read slowly.  “He wah...will haaave a…” I never got to hear what that cat will have because just then, I heard a “beep” of a car.  “They’re here!!!” Anna yelled as she dropped the book.  She ran out of the yard.  Soon she came back with her friend, Ellie.  They played for a very long time.  Soon, her mom came home.  “Quick! Hide!” Anna said.  Ellie ran behind me, giggling softly. Ellie’s mom walked into the backyard, followed by Anna’s.  “I wonder where my Ellie is,” she said. Anna tried to hide a smile.  Ellies’ mom looked everywhere, even behind the small flower pots!  Finally she looked behind me.  “There you are!” she exclaimed.  Anna and Ellie started laughing like crazy.  Soon everyone walked out of the backyard to say goodbye.

   The backyard looked amazing.  Balloons were tied to nearly everything, there were three tables set up with all kinds of things on them, and fun music was playing over speakers.  “Are they here yet??” an excited Anna asked.  “For the last time, party is at 11 o’clock, which means you have to wait 5 more minutes,” Anna’s dad said as he hung up a banner that said “HAPPY 7th BIRTHDAY ANNA!” Anna tugged at her new pink and purple dress as she watched her dad hold up the sign. “It’s time to hang up the pinata!” Anna’s dad said, holding up a big and colorful unicorn from a string. “Be careful!” Anna said to him. “Don’t worry, I won’t leave a scratch on your tree.” Dad said, smiling. “Good.” Anna said as she patted my branch steadily. Sixteen minutes later, the lawn was filled with kids.  Some playing, some examining the presents, some just running around.  Soon they started to play some party games.  First was the bean toss.  The winner of that was Anna’s cousin, Tracy.  She was a few years older than Anna, but they were really close.  The next game was pin-the-tail-on-the-unicorn. (Anna thought pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey was too boring.) Katie, a friend from school, won that.  The last game was musical chairs.  Anna won that! (Hooray!) Soon it was cake time.  If I had a mouth I would have gladly had a piece.  After presents, it was time for everyone to go.  Mom told Anna she should take a nap.  Anna didn’t complain.

    Anna is now ten years old.  “I can’t wait!” I heard her say for the sixth time today.  “Sleeping in a tent outside is going to be so fun!” Anna is going to have a sleepover outside in a tent tonight.  At 7:00 Anna, her friend Lily, and Dad came out.  Dad lit a fire and started to sing. “Oh give me a home, where the buffalo roam…” Soon Anna and Lily joined in. “Home! Home on the range! Where the deer and the antelope play…” After singing, Anna and Lily crawled into their tent, and dad crawled into his.  I saw the lights in the house go out.  It took a couple shushes, but finally Dad got the girls to stop whispering and giggling.  In the morning, Anna woke up first.  She got a book from inside the tent and leaned against me to read.  It was a book about a magical tree that grew so high it touched the moon.  Soon, Lily got up.  Anna snuck inside her dad’s tent.  She woke him up.  They all ate breakfast.  The girls had bacon and eggs while Dad had a steaming cup of coffee.

    Well, now Anna is 12.  That means I’m 12 too.  Anna is playing with a dog she is babysitting for the weekend.  Suddenly the phone rang.  “It’s for you Anna!” called mom through the window.  “Coming!” called Anna.  “Stay, Buster,” she said to the dog.  Anna ran inside.  I heard the phone stop ringing and Anna say “Hello?” Soon, Buster inched closer to me. Please, no! He lifted his leg…”Buster! No! Bad Boy!” shouted Anna from the window.  Phew. Buster ran and did his business in the bushes.  All was well.

    I watched as Anna walked slowly around the yard, bag in hand, backpack hanging on her shoulder.  She is 18.  Off to college in a few minutes.  She touches her hat she always liked to wear when she was six.  She stood on the same part of the yard where dad used to always spin her around by her waist.  Lastly, she walked to me.  She put her hand on my trunk, brushing it against my rough bark.  Then she touched one of my branches.  “Time to go, Anna!” her dad said from the front yard.  Just then, Anna took a pair of trimmers from the picnic table.  Quickly, but carefully, she snapped off one of my branches.  “So I’ll never forget,” she whispered, half to herself, half to me and she walked out of the yard, branch in hand.  I don’t know if trees can or not, but I think I, in that moment, smiled.