Eye Tree

Olivia walked up her stairs, following g the string. At the end of this string was a cup; a cup that allowed her to talk to her next door neighbor.

Now, when she discovered this way of communication, her mother just laughed. When she was a child it was pretend, and did not see how it would work in present time.

Olivia picked up the cup, and announced, "Roger. Over and out. Come in, Roger. Over and out." Her mother tilted her head back and laughed. "Your silly. No one can hear you but me, and only because I am standing here at the bottom of the stairs. "

"Mother, just leave me alone. Just because it didnt work for you as a kid, does not mean that it cannot work for me. I got a 3d printer for more than one reason. And this is one of those reasons...over and out. Pick up. Over and out." Olivia announced.

"Alright, Olivia. I'll allow you and your shenanigans. Dinner at 5:15 pm. Over and out. Haha."

"Sorry about that Nick. My mom has no imagination. She doesn't understand." Olivia stated.

Nick responded.

" Its okay. My parents dont believe me either. They say, 'Nick, you are 16 years old and talking on a phone that does not work.'"

"Let's change the subject though...I have been reading about the word salvation" Nick replied.

"In a bible context or just in general what it means?"

"Both."

"Ok, I am listening. Nick? I can hear you! Oh mom! You were wrong!"

Olivia mocked her mom and the two, Olivia and Nick, shared their laughs.

"Well, it is a deliverance of harm and ruin, according to the dictionary. To understand it fully I can break down the definition."

"Okay."

"Olivia, deliverance means the action of being rescued or set free."

"The definition of harm is physical pain or injury to."

"Then, finally, ruin, is the physical destruction or disintegration of something or the state of being destroyed. However, as a verb, ruin is reduce to a state of decay or collapse." Nick explained.

"What I find Interesting is that most of Gods' work is spiritual. However, when you break down salvation is being rescued from physical harm. I find that interesting to talk about. What is your opinion? Olivia?"

As Nick looked up and out the window, he noticed Olivia was no longer standing out the second floor window at the top of her stairs.

"Olivia, where did you go?" Confused, Nick put down his cup and walked over to Olivia's house. Not realizing the time, 5:30 pm, her mother answered the door.

"Hi Nick. Olivia and I are eating. I'm sure she will get ahold of you tomorrow. The cup she had is put away. I realize she made it so the two of you could chat. However, technology is advancing too quickly. If you two need to talk, just walk over to the house like you just did. Ok? Please forgive me I think face to face talk is more believable than a string with a cup at each end. It is silly." Olivia's mom was rude, Nick thought, but he agreed and walked back home.

As 7:00 pm approached, Nick looked out his two story window to see any sign of Olivia. No sign. He began to question when he would hear from her and he knew Olivia did not want to talk face to face like her mother suggested; almost forceful for them, to act differently when technology had driven them farther from the norm.

Nick picked up the cup, threw it out the window into his neighbors' yard. Hers was already put away. Nick knew the two could find another way to communicate.

That night Nick picked up a pen to brainstorm other avenues for him to communicate with Olivia. As he began to write, the paper lined and ready to be filled, he heard a rock hit his bedroom window. Nick put down the pen, walked to the window, and saw Olivia in her yard. She picked up the two cups and string, in disbelief and shook them, trying in confusion to understand why it was on her side of the fence.

So, he raised his index finger at Olivia, to hold on. Because he had written down ideas, one of those ideas was through the fence. Her mother said they needed less technology while communicating so they would avoid any tension.

Nick approached his fence.

There were little openings in the fence that mosaic, pieces of colored glass, filled the inside. They were almost perfect to look through. Not only was it enough to see, but Nick claimed it was a trippy kind of interaction.

"Olivia. I've been brainstorming ideas for us to communicate. This one seems to be the most effective; the most effective, the most acceptable with your mom."

"You are right, however, I kinda enjoy pissing mom off with our so called advanced technology." Olivia proclaimed.

As he looked, " Olivia, you look good in blue."

Repositioning to another opening, "Olivia, you look good in green."

He chuckled as he glanced through different holes, and Olivia stated, " Nick, you are neclectically all different colors. Is this how you see yourself?" " well, Nick, it is how I see you and I am upset we didnt finish our talk yesterday."

"Yeah, what's up with that, you didnt even let me know you were going to eat. And here I was, talking to myself."

Olivia laughed and said , " I am sorry. Maybe next time I will throw a rock again."

"Well, no. Just tell me."

"What's the fun in that?" You know I am ornery." Olivia said.

"Nick, anyways, I've been brainstorming communication ideas for us. I for real, dont enjoy this fence talk other than it being trippy."

"Olivia, anyways, I have been brainstorming communication ideas as well." They exchanged laughter.

As Nick looked at her, he stated, "you have beautiful eyes. Whether they are blue, brown, green. I just love staring into them."

" what are you trying to say Nick? Are you saying my eyes speak goodness into you? Or are you making more jokes?"

"No joke. They're beautiful. Which is why I have continued brainstorming

I want to look into them more often."

As Nick put his index finger through an empty opening of the fence, Olivia reached hers out as well. It was almost like E.T. phoning home. Their separation brought tension, a tension of attraction. He found a slot between two marbles fillings and passed a piece of paper for Olivia. She reached out and Nick said,

"Just read it. I'm going back inside

Just read it. You will know what to do."

Nick stated with hesitantly and nervousness.

As he walked away, Olivia yelled,

"Wait, Nick... I want you to know that I like looking at you in the eyes as well."

They exchanged a smile and they departed from the fence and went back inside.

Neither Olivia or Nick needed to say or exchange words because the eyes of them both spoke to each other, just like their smile.

As Olivia reached her room, hesitantly opening the letter she began to read.

Communication brainstorm

Fence, video chat, neighborhood park, treehouse, in your room... I love your eyes.

Olivia immediately crumbled the paper and threw it away in the trash can. She didnt throw it away in order to dismiss his list. But threw it away because she had already made up her mind which brainstorming idea she wanted to engage. And that was in her room. Olivia walked out of her room, and to the 2nd floor window that was across from Nick's bedroom window. She knew he had been waiting. Olivia signaled for him to approach her front door. Nervous, nick walked to Olivia's house and to her front door.

Olivia opened and said, "mom is doing laundry. She said it was okay to have visitors, so I cannot imagine her having a problem with you being here. If she does, both of us will hear about it when we get caught."

The key word in Olivia's statement, was " when."

What Olivia didnt realize is that her mother had gone through her trash when she was gathering it in the house. Her mother was furious, but still understanding because half of this was Olivia's mother fault. She didnt think their way of communicating was appropriate. Now, she kinda forced them to be person to person

So, it was her fault that Nick and Olivia had sought physical closeness.

However, she was furious because she thought they were old enough to realize the seriousness of that type of contact. In a way old enough to make mistakes.

As they gazed in each others eyes, one blue, one brown, the two leaned in for a kiss, Nick quickly moved away, kissed her forehead, and told her...

" you are more special to me than the two cups and string. You are more important to me than other forms of contact."

"I respect your mothers words. So I came over to look into those brown eyes, and..."

"Honey bear, i gathered the trash and here is your..."

She stopped in her words.

"Oh, hi Nick. I knew you would be over

I pray you two are being smart about this. Did I stop by at an inconvenient time?"

Olivia's mom questioned.

"Actually, I was getting ready to leave. Thank you for allowing me to talk to your daughter. We've grown fond of each other..."

"Nick, stop." Olivia was embarassed.

"No, it is ok. Let the young gentleman continue." Her mother stated.

"Well,yeah. I'm leaving. Bye Olivia. So tomorrow? In the treehouse. Bring the cups. I will be in my treehouse and you'll be in yours. Your mother may approve of the cups."

"I do. I mean not 'I do' like let's get married. It's too soon for that. But 'I do' like I agree the use of the cups." Her mom stated.

"Mom, seriously, you are embarrassing me." Olivia looked down.

"Olivia keep your head up. Dont be embarrassed. Remember I love gazing into those eyes and I cant when you look down. "

They exchanged smiles and Nick walked out

Every day that summer the two found themselves in their own treehouses with their cups and string.

Olivia's mother was unsure how it all worked

However allowed for them to gaze.

Three years later Olivia did say I do. And it was the I do to get married. Now they had found salvation in their own home, attending college, and had their cups displayed on the shelf above their fireplace as a reminder of their friendship.