The Arborist

Oaks shed many an acorn when heavy rains are on the horizon. Edward knew this and should have seen the signs with this particular oak late last fall. Torrential rains indeed came in the early spring, ending a decade-long drought. The storms created havoc with fallen branches and mudslides across the valley. He thought his oak would weather the storm, with its deep roots and strong trunk. His late wife Susan had even helped him take great care of maintaining its canopy. Once it got a taste of bountiful water though, it did not care to stop drinking until it burst.

Now torn asunder at his feet, Edward could not help mourning the loss of their majestic tree and all the memories it held. Upon closer inspection, he realized there was decay within the marrow of it all. Termite tunnels and sickness were its ultimate demise and he felt like an inept arborist for not catching these before it was too late. Grief had blinded him he supposed and all he could think of now was how sad Susan would be too if she were still here with him. The lack of shared sorrow took his loneliness to an abysmal low and his body shuddered with new waves of weeping as he knelt amid the ruin of their last labor of love.

Several months had passed before Edward decided to do anything with the oak’s corpse. He half-thought to leave it as is but grew weary of the constant reminder out his front window. As he was contemplating with some bitter, black coffee one morning, a knock came at his door. It was his neighbor, Faith, who had come to inquire about turning it into firewood.

“I’m sure it’s dried out by now Eddie and it has been quite depressing seeing you do nothin’ about it.”

“What business is that of yours Faith? Maybe I want the decay to nourish the soil. You know I’m an arborist right?”

“Oh, I don’t buy that! I watched you and Susan nurture it from a sapling all those years. As the arborist, I expected you to at least try to replace it. You know, honor her memory or somethin’.”

Edward felt his ears get hot and almost went on a tirade, but then noticed the concern in Faith’s demeanor. He decided to take a deep breath instead, close his eyes, and pinch the bridge of his nose.

“I guess I never thought of it that way. Susan didn’t pass all that long ago and our tree dyin’ was bitter salt in the wound.”

“I’m so sorry Eddie. I can’t imagine how that must have felt. How about we clean it up together, that way you don’t have to face it alone?”

“I appreciate the gesture, but this is something I need to do on my own. Give me a couple of days and I’ll bring a cord over to your place. They’re saying it’ll be another wet winter, even worse than the last.”

“Alright, I understand. Thanks for not blowin’ up on me. You looked tempted there for a second.” Faith smirked and cocked an eyebrow.

Edward’s cheeks turned red and he palmed the nape of his neck. “Sure, no problem. Somethin’ I’ve been tryin’ to work on.”

“I’ll be seein’ you soon Eddie. Don’t forget!”

Faith turned without another word and strode back to her side of the fence. Edward watched her go inside, then turned his attention to the dead tree. A lump grew in his throat as he walked to the shed to grab his tools.

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It took the better part of a week for Edward to complete the work, but he got it done roots and all. The tough labor was good for both his mind and body. Some of his heart found healing in the process too when he thought about it one day. Cancer is what took his dear Susan from him, and in a way, their tree went much the same. He felt helpless while she wasted away in front of him, unable to do much more than try to keep her comfortable. Now, he felt he had done some good in the end and found a bit of closure he did not know he needed.

Between all the branches, roots, and trunk, Edward made a couple of winter’s worth of firewood. He filled up the woodshed and then some while still having a few cords left over for Faith. After raking up the leaves and other debris, he filled in the large hole the stump had left in the ground. Squirrels had gathered a majority of the acorns and most of the rest were rotten through. Still, he gathered a handful of the healthiest-looking ones and buried them as a toast to Susan. She may not be here any longer to help him grow a new oak, but the thought of renewal was a salve to his hurting soul. Even if he did not live long enough to see it to maturity, he smiled knowing someone would come to enjoy its shade.

Faith stood at her kitchen window and watched Edward perform the ceremony of sorts. She felt a tug at her heartstrings and wished there was something she could do to help. When she noticed him tying some twine around a couple of bundles of wood, she put a pot of milk on the stove. A chill had settled in the valley once again, so some hot chocolate was necessary for hospitality. She heard a boot kick at the door as she reached for the Swiss Miss.

“Come on in!”

The sound of wood being set down on concrete reminded her of horseshoes clomping. Edward struggled with the door at first before he shouldered his way in and almost stumbled to the floor. The door liked to stick in the frame with the house settling over the years. Several large earthquakes in its lifetime sure did not help.

“I’ve got your firewood here Faith. Where would you like me to set these down?”

“The fireplace is in this room here on the right of the entryway.” Faith said as she walked in from the kitchen on the left and led the way with a mug in each hand.

“Oh, I wasn’t plannin’ on stayin’ ma’am, but I’ll still take my boots off to keep your carpet clean. Give me a quick second.”

“Nonsense Eddie! You’ve been workin’ hard out there and were so kind to bring over two bundles when I only asked for one. The least I could do is help you warm up a bit with some cocoa.”

“Alright, if you say so. Cocoa does sound nice with the bite in the air out there.”

Edward finished taking off his boots and then gathered the firewood by the twine. A couple of logs threatened to fall loose so he hoisted them in his arms instead. Faith was waiting for him on a loveseat beneath the front window with its curtains drawn. He set the wood down next to the fireplace, then took the matching chair with a pink floral pattern.

“Oops! It appears I forgot the marshmallows. I’ll be back in a jiffy.”

Faith got up before Edward could protest, so he took to untying and piling the wood in a nice stack. He kept a few logs set aside in case Faith wanted a fire right away. She had returned without him hearing her and now his mug looked more like a holiday frappuccino.

Edward raised his eyebrows and chuckled, “Such a generous helping there Faith.”

“One can never have too many marshmallows, I say. Besides, you need to get some meat back on those old bones. You been takin’ care of yourself?”

“I’m doin’ fine, all things considered. Sure, most of my meals start frozen these days or I order a pizza here and there. What’s a guy to do when his cooking is worthless in comparison to what he’d grown used to?”

“It seems a bit more than that Eddie. I wouldn’t mind bringing over some meals every once in a while if that helps. It would also be a good opportunity to pick up baking again. I had to stop when I was the only one eatin’ my brownies.”

“Alright, ya got me. For a while there, I couldn’t eat much at all. Call it a grief diet if you want, but I’m comin’ around. And really, there’s no reason for you to go out of your way like that for me.”

“It’s no problem at all. I would love to do it! This spinster has to pass her days somehow, ya know?”

“If you say so, ma’am.” A rather large, fluffy cat jumped into Edward’s lap without warning causing him to spill his drink on the floor. “Whoa! Hello there big fella!”

“Darn it, Smokey! Don’t you know it’s rude to jump up on guests? Come here!” Faith tried to grab the ragdoll cat from Edward’s lap, but it went limp on her as they tend to do. It reminded Edward of one of Dali’s clocks and he could not keep from laughing.

“Aw, he’s alright. I’ll let him sit and warm me up for a bit. Sorry about your carpet though.”

Faith flushed with embarrassment and ran back to the kitchen to grab some cleaning supplies. When she returned, Smokey had already fallen fast asleep in Edward’s lap and she swore she saw a smile on Edward’s face. She had not seen him happy in a long time, so she gave him a moment.

“Oh my, I was so flustered I forgot to grab you some more cocoa. I’ll be right back.”

“No, that’s okay. I should be goin’ soon anyway. You want me to set up a fire before I go?”

“Why, sure. A fire sounds nice while I clean up, thank you.”

“It’s no problem. Now, oak wood is usually slow-burning, but this specific tree became riddled with termite holes. I gathered the least affected logs I could, but you should know it will burn a bit faster and hotter than usual. Hope that’s okay.”

“That’s fine Eddie. Free wood is free wood. I appreciate you doin’ this for me. You’re welcome back over any time.”

“I may have to take you up on that offer ma’am. Seems Smokey here likes me and I wouldn’t mind seeing him again. Your front door could use some fixin’ too if you don’t mind me helpin’.”

“Please, call me Faith. We’re near the same age and ma’am makes me sound old. I mean, I am old, but still. As far as fixin’ the door goes, I would love some help with it. I don’t have the skills or strength to do it on my own and it’s gotten worse since the rains last winter.”

“That settles it then. I’ll come on by tomorrow and take a look. You can get me my replacement cocoa then.” Edward winked at her, then put on his boots while she finished cleaning up.

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Fixing the front door proved to be more involved than anticipated. It took Edward more than a week and he had to take several trips to the hardware store before it was set right again. Each day Faith had provided him with a fresh meal and as much cocoa as his stomach could handle. Smokey did his best to be a distraction, even when Faith tried to hide him away in the spare bedroom while he worked.

Edward started to feel like he would miss this new routine with her, which scared him more than he cared to admit. It had been a couple of years now since Susan had passed, but he never once considered moving on as part of his journey. Losing a lifelong partner is tough on the human heart. Many times it is simpler to have that part remain dormant. The walls Edward put up inside were older than Susan’s passing due to bracing for the inevitable. As he looks back on it now, keeping back a part of himself from Susan towards the end is one of his biggest regrets. All in a fruitless and selfish effort to save him from deeper pain.

While he walked back to his house one evening, he stopped at the pile of dirt where acorns lay hibernating. He stood there a moment to talk with Susan about his mixed feelings. She had always told him if she were to go first she would want him to find love again, but it still did not feel right. As he searched the buried parts of his heart though, Susan seemed to be echoing similar sentiments. It was a faint whisper, a nudge of peace like she was making some room in the secret place she occupied for so long. There was warmth despite the chill surrounding him, a gentle waking which brought tears to his eyes and watered the earth at his feet. Though he was still terrified, it was enough for him to make up his mind to move forward.

The next day, Edward finished the work on the door early even though he took his time with the finishing touches. He had not been this nervous in a long time, and it took all his willpower to keep from shaking all over. Smokey came up to him and nuzzled his ankles, so he leaned down to give him some belly rubs and it helped calm him.

“Hey, Faith?”

“Yes, Eddie?” she called from the kitchen.

“The door’s all done now.”

“Wonderful! It is too bad though. I’ve grown used to having you around here.”

“Yeah, I’ve grown to like it too. Um, are there any more projects I can help you with? Or, I could show you some things about caring for trees at my place?” Edward had to shove his hands in his pockets to keep the sweat from dripping on the floor.

Faith took notice of his bashfulness and her insides stirred. “Hmm. I’m sure I could think of a whole list of things to keep you comin’ around and I would love to learn from the expert arborist.”

Edward blushed and let out a nervous laugh, “You aren’t going to let that one go, will ya?”

“Nah, I’ll be using it for a while to keep you humble.” She winked at him this time.

“So, it’s a date then?”

“I reckon it is.”

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Days passed like hours as Edward and Faith tackled project after project together. It did not feel like work to them as they grew more comfortable with each other. Their time became filled with flirtatious banter which turned to evenings of long conversations by the fire. It was not long before Edward snuggled up to Faith on her loveseat. Even Smokey kept cozy in their laps while purring away.

Edward took time getting comfortable inviting Faith over into his home though. All the memories with Susan still lingered within and he was hesitant to change things up. Faith turned out to be a good help around the yard and a quick learner with a natural green thumb. It excited Edward to have a shared interest with someone again, but they did not tend to the oak together for a while. There was not much they could do anyway other than an occasional watering.

Faith felt honored when Edward finally asked her to check on the tree with him to assess its progress. She knew it was a tender moment and took his hand while he took his time. To the joy of them both, much like their love had begun to blossom, a small sapling had risen from the sodden earth.