Midnight souls secret

Trigger warning: child death

Today they are going to cut me down. 

I am one of the first five trees in this Augustus family property. I have been living here nearly for a century or less. I saw the flowering of three-generation and the shriveling of one generation.     

After I wake the sun is at my fifth branch that means it almost 1'o'clock in the afternoon. They are gonna cut me down at 2'o' clock so, I am going to make it quick. 

I am a mahogany tree who doesn’t obey mother nature and the only living who knows the secret of the Augustus family. Tomorrow the secret is going to die with me.     

I am not a native to Florida. I was born to Caribbean parents and traveled all over the earth and planted in India in a garden nearby a cottage by the Spanish people so, technically I was born in India near Kolkata in 1757.     

At the time of my birth, there is a war situation between the Spanish and British. I only remember that a boy named Abhay (means fearless in Bengali) used to water me every day and used to say the war situation. His father used to be the gardener but when the nawab (king) got the information about the British is preparing for the battle he allied with the Spanish east indies and ordered the warlords to gather soldiers. So, they took Abhay's father to the war. I don’t remember correctly about the battle but, one thing is for sure the British won the battle over nawab and the Spanish. After that, a British officer lived in the cottage for a month before his retirement. After the battle, I did not see the kid.     

A new gardener is charged to take care of the garden. He is truly a good gardener but, not affectionate as the Abhay does. After retirement British officer took me in a bucket and gifted me to Charlie (a kid who lives British-Florida with his parents and her younger sister Leo) when I was afoot height. After a year later, he returned to India and had occasional visits to Florida.   

Charlie planted me near their new cottage in the august family property and every day she talked to me and watered me just like Abhay did. Though she doesn’t speak like Abhay. I can understand the half-completed sentence and words she says. She doesn’t know how to say my name clearly and she calls me ‘mayo’.   

I don’t know her name when she planted me. On the second day, she said her name as ‘Ch...’ and ate the other ‘arlie’. You may doubt that how do I know her name? easy her mother calls kids home with their nickname ‘Charlie and Leo’ and she said it starts with Ch. so, I know the name, Charlie.   

she looks like the British officer but, she has light-blue eyes that remind cat eyes. sometimes I am her only friend and the only best friend. I loved her because she truly understands nature, whenever she is out of the house, she doesn't wear the shoes because he wants to enjoy nature with her hands and feet.   

The cottage is in the middle of plain grassland. Backside the cottage there is a forest of mahogany that is visible to me but, I cannot talk with them because I don’t have enough roots to communicate with them. I am on the facing side of the house. I am planted near the road which travels parallel to the Caribbean Sea. When I feel homesick look at the sea and search for a piece of land, I only see an orange land when its twilight at the horizon and wish that I can see my parents.    

Though my roots cannot communicate with the forest. I am not alone I have four friends they are aspen, linden, maple, and acacia with whom I can talk. Though we are different trees they are truly friendly all are like me immigrated from other countries and cities. they are all planted by Charlie except acacia planted by Leo (younger sister of Charlie). acacia has been planted years before my arrival she used to say that she was planted on the first birthday of Leo. She is now gigantic. They say that I was been planted by Leo but I remember I was been planted by Charlie. they can't fool me. 

My favorite friend is maple. Maple and I are planted on the same day but different years. Maple is two years elder than me. She came from Boston. She used to talk about the facts of her town Boston. The weird and funny fact I heard from her is that Boston people love tea parties and once the day before she was taken from Boston, they had the biggest tea party ever. They made the sea into a tea and had a party at the sea and of course, they didn’t drink all of it. In my opinion, humans are quite weird and waste everything for useless things.   

When I was two or three feet tall. then I even did not make a connection of root with my tree friends. Charlie is disappeared in the woods while playing with the Leo. Charlie's mom is weeping very loud that it can be heard from the house though, the tides are high. Her weeping has faded with the appearance of dark.   

By the time of the evening, it started to rain heavily. The humans say that the hurricane is said to be the sign for the start of the American war of independence. When it is around 11 o clock in that rain, I weirdly heard footsteps started to rise from the forest and coming towards me.   

When it came near to me it was crooked by the weight of the bundle of clothes it carrying on its back with one hand. It stood before me it is Charlie’s father placed the bundle of clothes beside me. When I look at the clothes bundle in the middle of that I saw a shoe came out nearly the size Charlie foot. Charlie's body is in the bundles of red or red blooded clothes. Father dug me out soil and dug a 3 feet pit. He placed body packed in clothes in it and Planted me on the body. He made it look like it looked before around me. he started praying the god “God please if you can help my daughter, help her soul to live more life and rest her at peace in heaven” he continued it several times and the prayer faded with the wailing. After a few minutes, he faded away in the dark.   

I prayed the goddess of tree spirit “please goddess, help me. make a miracle and save Charlie. Charlie is a great kid not like her sister Leo. She is my only best friend.” after several times I thought it's useless. The night became midnight I went blank. 

From that day it happened every midnight I just go blank and wake in the afternoon. After I made a connection with my tree friends, they said that every midnight Charlie soul wakes in me which is truly a miracle. I am a tree who knows the secret killer of Charlie and where he was buried. I didn’t say the killer to anyone because I want Charlie to rest in peace after our death. I am the only living who don’t obey mother nature and have two souls. Though the goddess received the prayer wrongly it's okay she made Charlie's father prayer came true. it's the "midnight souls secret". 

After the incident disappearance of Charlie. When I was blank Leo was sent to her aunt in London for study purposes. She used to visit here and only stays in the cottage she doesn’t visit us. 

When I was 80 feet tall Charlie's father at age of 85 became one of the first infected by cholera in Florida and could not withstand because of old age. After a year later the mother died. So, I am the only one who knows the secret who killed Charlie.   

A year later, today on September 14, 1835. when the tea is not famous as a newly discovered petrol. People are searching for crude oils nowadays. Once they took soil samples from our land to test for crude oil. The test result is negative. We are fortunate because where there is a crude oil production plant there is deforestation. It's no wonder if in future there is Florida oil party. 

Now it is nearly 2 'o'clock they would come cut me down to build a new lighthouse. It's been a half an hour I didn’t see anyone coming towards me. At 3 'o'clock, Leo came towards acacia to maple to aspen to linden and finally towards me.   

She stands quietly. I didn’t see Leo in her childhood days. I only saw from a faraway distance. Now, she looks as same as Charlie does golden hair with some white linings and the same light blue eyes. She just looks older Charlie.   

She took out a book its Charlie's father's diary and placed it in her arms “charlotte” she doesn’t speak for some time. Charlotte is Charlie's real name my friends told it. “dear Charlie” she started to speak with tears lingered eyes and continued “it's me, Chloe. I thought it is a dream. no, a nightmare which haunted me until today that when I came home from the forest late, I don’t remember why I came late. But your dead lying in a pool of blood. I heard footsteps and hid back the door. Father came into the room. He packed you in the bundle of white clothes and taken you out of the house. I climbed the stairs and went to the mother’s room she is in sleep. When father came with bare hands. I don’t remember how he looks but, he said to me to go to my room.”   

“I know he buried you somewhere. After a year I searched for your grave in the forest every morning when I am home. I couldn’t find your grave but today morning in the father’s room. I found this" she raises the diary and Keeps the diary down on my roots. And continues “I am sorry mother did that to you. It was just an accident forgive mother. I know you will. Don’t think it is a secret. Now, I know it. Where you are buried and I am gonna tell my children and grandchildren about our childhood days. It's not a father's secret anymore. It's our family open secret”   

“Now, I know my only favorite sister lives in my favorite tree” and touches my bark. I know that hand. It is Charlie’s hand. I am in a state of confusion. It's Chole, not Charlie. But hands are Charlie’s hands. “and thank you, mayo for becoming a grave for sister and sorry, I almost killed you down. You are truly my childhood best friend, mayo” and kisses the bark. Tears ran from both of her eyes. While her face touches my trunk. it's my Charlie. 

I started to realize everything. My friend said is true "Loe planted me". And her real name also starts with CH. Chloe/ Loe is my true human friend. I only thought her name is Charlie. And I saw the body has shoes my friend doesn't wear shoes when she plays outside.   

I said it to my tree friends. I am eager to know the Charlie reaction. He is also my friend. He is also of us. I lived with him for 60 years. I am waiting for midnight and want to go blank.    

By the time of dawn, another hurricane falls in Florida. The wind blowing like it can uproot me. And tides come up to the road. The rain is unbelievably heavy. It is the deadliest hurricane that I have ever seen. The clouds block the view of the sky.   

After hours of pouring down. The rain became thin for now. Some part of the sky appears to me. The moon is now hanging between the seventh and sixth branches of the tree. 

It's 1 ‘o'clock, midnight has passed.