Love Trees
3
Rusty old swings squeaked as children moved back and forward on their obedient chains. Children’s laughter echoed through the blowing spring air. Sky bluer than the water can ever pretend to be. The bright sun glistened across brown and black faces full of laughter and innocence (for what was known). Children of the ghetto, suburbs and city came together as children.
There were two trees, meant to be. Two children acted in their innocence.
“What are these trees called again?”
“Love trees.”
“Why?”
“Because if two people walk in at the same time, they will fall in love.” The girl laughed at the boy. “One time I saw two sixth graders having sex behind them.” The girls eyes widened in awe at the taboo word.
“Seriously?” She asked hysterically.
“Yeah.” He looked into the trees. “Let’s walk in. But I’ll go first. Don’t walk in until I’m done.”
For days she had conversed with the boy because of how close he was to her in class. Being the naïve girl she was, she formed a slight crush for the boy. It was his cute face, and braided hair. It was hard for her to deny a boy with braided hair. His height didn’t change anything for her tall stature and love for someone with a tall stature. But anyone who was willing to give the outcast girl the slightest bit of positive attention was good enough for her.
The boy walked between the arch of the two trees linked together for life. He took thoughtful steps, purposely taking measured strides. The girl listened as the branches under his feet snapped. The pine smell set the scene of a petty love they both looked forward to, but would never admit it. She stared at the brown pine needles and waited anxiously to walk though. Secretly they wanted to walk in at the same time, but neither could admit the truth. She knew she was too inferior to tell him such truths, and he knew she was the outcast. But a lie could only go so far.
She walked in knowing he wasn’t all the way through, but she asked the question anyway.
“Are you done walking through?”
“No.”
“Oh snap, I walked in.” She finished walking through. They both laughed.
“We have to walk in backwards to break it.”
“Okay.” He took the lead, and the two of them walked through the arch.
“Whew, that was a close one.”
“I know right. I thought I was starting to like you for a second.”
“Me too.” They smiled at each other. Petty love.
Perhaps walking in backwards sparked something far from love. Something uglier.
She learned to cherish the little bit of keenness he showed her the days he did. She was on a basketball court and she couldn’t deny inviting her friend to a game of HORSE or whatever was desired at the time. Her walk to him was anticipated and she just knew he would be willing to play. Basketball was her passion, and she wanted to share that passion with her friend. He had been playing in the trees behind the court with his guy friend. They had tree branches three times their size in their hands, pretending to fight each other with them.
“You want to play basketball?” she asked him. He paid her no mind and pretended she wasn’t there. She called his name. “Did you hear me?” He ignored her again. She called his name.
“What?” His tone was obviously agitated. “I don’t want to play with you. I want to play with this.”
“Go away. Nobody likes you,” his friend said.
“Why don’t you want to play?” She asked him, ignoring is rude friend.
“Because you’re annoying. I don’t like you.” Then he swung the branch at her. The small branches that whipped her face didn’t nearly hurt as much as his words towards her. “I don’t like you.” “You’re annoying.” The words had been on replay in her head for years, repeated by different voices. But even the person she considered a friend, the boy she liked, felt the same. How could she have thought he would be different? What was she thinking? He was temporary, like most of them. He was reminded of who she was. The loser. She was reminded of who she was. An outcast. So with a stone in her heart, feeling defeated, she walked away.
There were two trees, meant to be. Two children acted in their innocence.
“What are these trees called again?”
“Love trees.”
“Why?”
“Because if two people walk in at the same time, they will fall in love.” The girl laughed at the boy. “One time I saw two sixth graders having sex behind them.” The girls eyes widened in awe at the taboo word.
“Seriously?” She asked hysterically.
“Yeah.” He looked into the trees. “Let’s walk in. But I’ll go first. Don’t walk in until I’m done.”
For days she had conversed with the boy because of how close he was to her in class. Being the naïve girl she was, she formed a slight crush for the boy. It was his cute face, and braided hair. It was hard for her to deny a boy with braided hair. His height didn’t change anything for her tall stature and love for someone with a tall stature. But anyone who was willing to give the outcast girl the slightest bit of positive attention was good enough for her.
The boy walked between the arch of the two trees linked together for life. He took thoughtful steps, purposely taking measured strides. The girl listened as the branches under his feet snapped. The pine smell set the scene of a petty love they both looked forward to, but would never admit it. She stared at the brown pine needles and waited anxiously to walk though. Secretly they wanted to walk in at the same time, but neither could admit the truth. She knew she was too inferior to tell him such truths, and he knew she was the outcast. But a lie could only go so far.
She walked in knowing he wasn’t all the way through, but she asked the question anyway.
“Are you done walking through?”
“No.”
“Oh snap, I walked in.” She finished walking through. They both laughed.
“We have to walk in backwards to break it.”
“Okay.” He took the lead, and the two of them walked through the arch.
“Whew, that was a close one.”
“I know right. I thought I was starting to like you for a second.”
“Me too.” They smiled at each other. Petty love.
~~~~~~~~~~
Perhaps walking in backwards sparked something far from love. Something uglier.
She learned to cherish the little bit of keenness he showed her the days he did. She was on a basketball court and she couldn’t deny inviting her friend to a game of HORSE or whatever was desired at the time. Her walk to him was anticipated and she just knew he would be willing to play. Basketball was her passion, and she wanted to share that passion with her friend. He had been playing in the trees behind the court with his guy friend. They had tree branches three times their size in their hands, pretending to fight each other with them.
“You want to play basketball?” she asked him. He paid her no mind and pretended she wasn’t there. She called his name. “Did you hear me?” He ignored her again. She called his name.
“What?” His tone was obviously agitated. “I don’t want to play with you. I want to play with this.”
“Go away. Nobody likes you,” his friend said.
“Why don’t you want to play?” She asked him, ignoring is rude friend.
“Because you’re annoying. I don’t like you.” Then he swung the branch at her. The small branches that whipped her face didn’t nearly hurt as much as his words towards her. “I don’t like you.” “You’re annoying.” The words had been on replay in her head for years, repeated by different voices. But even the person she considered a friend, the boy she liked, felt the same. How could she have thought he would be different? What was she thinking? He was temporary, like most of them. He was reminded of who she was. The loser. She was reminded of who she was. An outcast. So with a stone in her heart, feeling defeated, she walked away.
♠ ♠ ♠
Although this is slightly like a true story, I didn't put it as one because the words were slightly changed due to my lack of memory on what was said exactly.