The Tree House

I still can't process what happened there. All I know is, I learned a lot about the world and the consciousness beyond our vision and logic in those few weeks.

***

Summer holidays had started a few days ago. My dad, my dad's friend, and I had undertaken a project. We were building a treehouse. We looked at our hard work proudly after it was done, and me and my friend decided to move in there.

***

Fast-forward a few weeks, we had moved in with all essentials that a pair of treehousers needed - and that consisted of a huge amount of chocolate and a household of video games and snacks. We passed our time happily ... at least for the first few weeks. We spent a lot of time on the branches of the tree, talking, eating, bonding with the tree, and basically chilling out. When we went inside the treehouse, we could hear the merry chirping of birds. We would always keep a supply of food and water outside, balanced on two small branches at enough distance from our cosy one-room, parquet flooring house to not make them feel nervous about having a meal. We were having a good time. But that was not going to be the case for long, at least in my case.

That afternoon, we were sitting together on a branch. The sky was slowly turning from a bright yellow - orange to a beautiful pink. Crickets had started chirping, when I felt a pull in my gut. I was suddenly quite sure that something was about to happen. I tried to ignore the feeling, but it was as if somebody I trusted and believed in was whispering confidently in my ear. I couldn't ignore it. Finally, I grabbed my friend's arm, and, amidst a flurry of complaints and questions, managed to drag him back to his house, and went inside mine.

***

That night, a strong wind rose, and it started to rain incessantly. A thunderstorm had started.

***

One of my friends had her birthday, and we invited everybody to the treehouse. After the storm, while we were repairing the tree house, we had added some area to it, so we were easily able to accommodate a few of our best friends in it. We had a blast that night.

Next morning, I woke sweating. I'd had a terrible nightmare. A faceless man was killing birds with his gun. The defenceless birds were flying around, bumping into each other, screaming. Their screams were heart - rending. Another man, who was standing beside the faceless man with the gun, was laughing maniacally. The birds burst into pools of blood as the invisible bullets hit, and somebody was asking me to help, to save them, and I couldn't take it; I couldn't hear anymore, I couldn't see anymore ... and I was staring into the kindly face of my roomie. "You were whimpering," he stated worriedly. I didn't reply. But the guy was resilient. "Nightmare?" Ignored.I pushed aside his hands that had been on my shoulder, shaking me out of my nightmare, and straightaway marched off to my real house, built safely with brick and cement on the solid ground.

At breakfast, dad announced that he wanted to go on a ' mild hunt '. I tried my best to ignore him, but my ears pricked up in attention. It was quite involuntary, really.

"A 'mild hunt'? What in the world is that supposed to mean?"

"It means that I am going hunting, but hunting for birds." I instantly went into alert mode. 'Hunting for birds?'

"Right, I'm going. Seen my airgun anywhere?"

"NO!!" Both of them looked at me, startled. "Nobody is going to kill birds! Nor any living being!" I looked at dad. "Believe me, you'll not be able to hear their screams or see their blood." I left the house.

Back in the treehouse, my roommate was waiting for me. " In the mood to tell me what happened this morning?" My face gave him my answer. "Fine." The test of the day went uneventfully, and I was slowly forgetting the dream.

But peace wasn't something God gave me easily.

That night, a flock of birds surrounded me, all chanting, "Thank you, you saved us ... Saviour." I tried to send them away, but they had me surrounded and firmly locked in place

This time, he was sitting at the foot of my bed. "I won't ask." I smiled shakily, and he got my thanks that way.

***

Imagine, a few days passed without anything eventful. We were all happy. And somebody just couldn't see me happy.

I dreamed again. Somebody was calling me. "Wake! Quick! Danger is not far! Wake! WAKE!!"

I jerked awake. This time, it was midnight. I looked over at my roommate. And my throat closed. There was a gap between a few planks, which was our ever-open window. A narrow shape was slowly lowering itself into the room, right over his bed, which was just under the window. I jumped up and dragged him off the bed. He opened his mouth to complain, but I clamped my hand over his mouth. By the time I managed to drag him to the door, he was awake and the coiling shape - a snake - was in the room. I pointed at it. He displayed remarkable under-fire bravery. We rushed to the house. I won't tell you every gross detail, but the important thing is, the snake was killed. And it was decided we wouldn't live here anymore. Maybe I heard someone say a goodbye while we were packing up to leave ... but I can't be sure.

***

Right now, I'm back after quite a few years. We had moved away a little time after the snake incident took place. Now I'm back to see my old home. After I came here, I heard our old tree had been through a lot. Storms, lightning, other challenges nature threw at it - our tree had been cut down. My best friend now had children, and so do I. We have told our children of the stories of the Tree, but I have kept the secret of my dreams from them and from my best friend. The children had been fascinated by the idea of a house in a tree.

There was a young, growing oak tree right were the old oak had been. Our children asked us to build a treehouse for them on the tree when it was big enough. I smiled. I don't know whether they'll have the same experiences here that I did, or not. Either way, I'll know they'll enjoy living in a tree house.

But, you know what? I can give you a suggestion. Why don't you plant a few trees somewhere? Then you can make tree - houses and live in them. Maybe the trees will warn you if there's any danger for you in the future, or maybe you'll find a strong trunk to lean on, when you desperately need it. I can't say for sure whether you will know of your future, but I can assure you that you'll improve the future of our planet by giving it a tree - I'm positive about it.