Lulu and the Complaints of the White Oak Tree

It was Christmas time, but the snow was taking an awful long time to fall in Lulu’s region. The ground was dry as if it had been turned to stone—like a punishment for the devil's tempting ways in the desert. The sky was a cold blue, allowing the sun to shine on the earth while freezing its rays. The birds had all flown south, leaving no life visible in the sky. The bold eagles were probably nesting nearby, but one day, when Lulu looked up, the size of the empty sky overwhelmed her, dwarfing even the majestic eagles. 

The trees stood naked and bare, exposed to Mother Nature’s chill. While the smaller white oak trees clung to their brown and grey dead leaves, the larger ones stretched out their wide branches, stripped bare except for a few dying leaves hanging on their lower limbs.

Twenty-year-old Lulu stepped out of her family cottage, realizing she would have to spend Christmas alone this year. She walked down the trail and noted how Christmas Eve was looking rather bleak. “Why hasn’t it snowed this Christmas?” she wondered aloud, wrapping her winter scarf tightly around her neck to ensure it was fully covered by her fur winter coat. After walking downhill for an hour, she turned back, feeling the cold seep into her new winter boots.

Returning to the warm cottage, she poured herself a glass of red wine and warmed her chilly toes by the fire. She had decorated the place, with the Christmas tree lit by red, blue, and green Christmas lights, topped with a large metallic golden star. Above the red-bricked fireplace, she had hung six red stockings—one for herself and the rest for her absent family members.

Her parents were half a continent away, enjoying the warm weather. They sent her videos of themselves dancing on the beach. Watching one of them eat salted mussels, she grimaced, recalling her own experience with that dish. When she saw her dad almost puke, she burst out laughing. “That’s right, Dad! It does feel like a whole pit latrine down your throat,” she said, still chuckling.

They also shared pictures of their fun swimming with dolphins. Lulu watched the last video four times—not just because of the adorable dolphins and her lovely parents, but because their tour guide was so handsome. She found herself sipping her wine faster to curb her wandering thoughts. A naughty idea crossed her mind: “I would definitely smooch him under the leaves of my dear Mary,” she smiled to herself.

Her two sisters, Pela and Twala, had travelled to South Korea to live out their K-drama dreams and sent her beautiful pictures of Seoul and the Korean guys they had met during their trip to the temple. They deliberately omitted any historical stories and pictures, knowing full well that her interest lay not with the men but with the rich history of their country. They flooded her phone with their favourite Korean words, such as ‘salanghaeyo’ and ‘yeobo.’ 

An hour later, they called her, deafening her with their screams as they excitedly informed her that they had arrived at Jeju Island.

"Lu, you will love this place! It's really beautiful, and our tour guide is so cute," Twala began through the video call. Lulu responded with a yawn, not quite sharing her sister's enthusiasm. In an attempt to pique her interest, Pela, their other sister, added, "They have a stunning forest that is the main source of groundwater supporting half a million people on the island. Rainwater goes directly into the aquifer through the cracks of the 'a'a lava beneath the forest." As a world history student, Lulu's eyes widened with renewed interest, and her sister continued with more historical information. "There was also a Jeju uprising many years ago! Bye!" 

"Wait!" Lulu yelled, but her sisters had already disappeared from her phone screen. Too proud to call them back and admit that she was interested, she instead called her brother, who was on an island in the middle of the Indian Ocean. He had informed her that they were experiencing the floods from Cyclone Chido that morning. He was on the island specialising in tropical diseases. 

The call lasted less than half a minute before it cut off, likely due to bad weather. He sent her a voice message with noisy background sounds. "Hey Lu, Merry Christmas! Don't worry about me; the worst part of the storm is over, and my house is intact." The voice message abruptly cut off. She took a moment to convince herself not to worry and listened to the message three more times. 

Lulu recorded a voice message for him, trying her best not to sound anxious. "Hi, Wade, I'm glad you're okay, and I miss you a lot. Merry Christmas to you, too, and stay safe. Mary and I miss you." 

She browsed the internet for news about the cyclone's impact on the island, but it seemed the world was not interested since it was just a small island near the continent of Africa. She said a prayer for her brother, and her half-glass full of red wine no longer seemed appealing. 

As the sun set behind the trees, the snow began to fall. Within the first hour of the early evening, the ground was covered in a meter-deep layer of snow, and the trees looked dressed in white flakes. Lulu smiled; it was going to be a white Christmas, just like always. 

After a simple meal of wild rice, baby potatoes, and grilled chicken breast, Lulu walked to her favourite white oak tree, which stood tall in front of her home. She had named it 'Mary' since childhood. Lulu and her brother used to play by the tree, and they had engraved their names into its bark. Whenever she felt lonely, she would sit by the tree and share her worries with it.

That evening, while leaning against the tree, Lulu spoke aloud about her concerns for her older brother. She engraved his name into the bark, drawing a heart around it and the name of the island. Then, she closed her eyes and made a silent wish.

When she opened her eyes, she was startled to see a big-eyed tree staring at her. Terrified by what she thought was impossible, she screamed and fell back.

"Why are you shocked?" The tree asked.

"You… you can't talk," she stammered, her voice barely above a whisper.

"I had to talk; you've engraved enough names on me," the tree responded, its bark rough and weathered.

"You're not supposed to talk," she exclaimed, her voice growing hoarse, as if the very idea was suffocating her.

"Well, if you torture something long enough, it will say something," it replied, a hint of amusement filling its deep, resonant tone.

"And you're male," she cried.

"Yes, you should have done enough research before calling me Mary," the tree replied dryly.

"I must be dreaming," she murmured, holding her head in disbelief as if trying to shake the surreal moment from her mind.

"No, you're not, and I'll prove it to you," the tree proclaimed, glancing down at its rough surface, where the names were carved deep into the wood. "You engraved me with your so-called best friend, Tanya, who turned into a complete bridezilla on her wedding day, throwing insults around like confetti. You told me how she had a heated argument with her matron of honour and even her husband right in front of the priest. And then there’s John, your first boyfriend—the one who thought it was amusing to slide his hand up your skirt. What was he hoping to find in there?"

"That's enough, Mr. Tree," she gasped, feeling both exposed and overwhelmed.

The tree rolled its big, woody eyes and said, "I'm asking because he did it to your two other friends a couple of times behind me."

"You keep John out of your mouth."

"You should have kept him out of my sight. And then there's Tyrone over here, oh… He is the one who pinned you against my bark. It felt very uncomfortable when you were rubbing against me, but why were you making those sounds?"

"How dare you say all that without any shame?" she spat.

"You had no shame when you were against me. Have I ever acted inappropriately towards your legs?" 

Lulu's face flooded with embarrassment, and her thick afro shrank from the nervous sweat on her scalp. She looked around, ensuring the neighbours were safely inside and unable to hear the mad-talking tree. 

"At least lower your voice," she pleaded in a whisper.

The tree's voice amplified, "Why should I lower my voice? Which other name is here, Wade, your cruel older brother. Do you know how many times he kicked me and whipped me whenever your parents shouted at him? That boy even suggested to your father that I would be more useful when I am cut into pieces for building material and firewood.  And how can I forget how, on your graduation day, you loudly declared that climate change was a hoax meant to stop humans from enjoying the God-given beauty of nature?"

"Most people believe that," she retorted. 

"And that is why your brother is sitting on an island flooded by seawater. Long ago, people were protected by trees and thick hedges, but for the sake of vanity, they replaced nature with beach houses and luxurious resorts. This afternoon, you were worried about the lack of snow, but you don't realize that when you clear the trees and pollute the air, the seasons will change and nature will no longer follow its natural course."

"I understand what you're saying, but humans are just trying to survive."

"Humans are becoming greedy. We are paying the price now, but you humans will surely pay it later."

The tree suddenly stood still, returning to its old form. It had no eyes, no mouth, and no sign of life. Lulu rubbed her eyes, trying to ensure that she was awake.

"Come back, Mr tree" Lulu screamed, but the tree remained still.

Oh, now you got nothing to say?" she snarled, "Humans are stronger than you, and I'm going to call you Mary and engrave my brother's name 10 times on your miserable bark."

As she spoke, Lulu suddenly felt a tree branch swipe her off her feet. A mound of dry leaves and a thick layer of snow tumbled onto her face. As she wiped the cold moisture from her cheeks and pulled a stubborn leaf that had lodged itself halfway into her mouth, she sat up in the damp snow. Feeling a wave of defeat wash over her, she sighed and said, “I wasn’t expecting that.”