A New Apple Tree

A New Apple Tree

It was a warm, summer day. The children were out playing in the yard. One of her little girls came in and asked Terri why they did not have an apple tree in their yard and nearly everyone else on the block had one. Terri had no explanation for Susie and told her if she was a good girl, that she might soon have an apple tree in her yard also. Later on that evening, a storm was brewing. The clouds were gathering, the wind was picking up and the rain came. The winds were strong. News bulletins were warning of possible tornados in the area, and informing people to take shelter as soon as possible. Terri took her children and went down the basement. They had a small room fixed up downstairs with a little carpet, an old couch, a lamp, and an old TV set and radio. There were also a few extra supplies down there in case of an emergency. There was a flashlight, a new pack of batteries, a gallon of bottled water, and some pillows and blankets. She settled the children down, and turned on a Disney movie for them to watch. All three girls sat on the couch together, cuddling under their blankets to watch the movie. Terri went upstairs to make a kettle of popcorn. When it was ready, she poured it into bowls, one for each child. She also brought down a soda for each of them. She knew the storm was worsening, and this would help to keep their minds off the weather. She looked out the window, and just as she was pushing the curtain back, she saw the small oak tree out in the back yard being ripped right out of the ground and whirled away with the wind. She did not mention this to her children, as she calmly sat down in the recliner next to them to watch the movie.

By the end of the movie, the storm had ended. All was peaceful and quiet. The two older girls went up to bed after the movie, but the youngest, Susie, was already sleeping, so Terri carried her up to bed. The next morning, after breakfast, the children went out to play. Susie came running in to the kitchen. She was screaming “Mommy, Mommy… I was a good girl.”

Terri asked her daughter what she had done that made her a good girl. Susie answered her mother with “I don’t know Mommy, but you said if I was a good girl, we would have an apple tree soon.”

Terri nodded, and said, “That’s right sweetheart, very soon.”

“No Mommy, we already have one!” she said with so much excitement, she could barely stand still.

“What on earth are you talking about? What do you mean we already do?” Terri said, slightly annoyed by what she thought was a joke.

“Come look, Mommy!”

Terri followed her out the back door and sure enough, there in the place of the small oak tree was a small apple tree. It had fallen into nearly the same spot where the other tree uprooted. Still astonished by the situation, Terri went to the garage, grabbed a shovel, dug the hole a little deeper, and transplanted the new apple tree.

vw
7-19-07
549 words