Seasonal tree

It all starts with a seed.

A seed that has been dropped by the farmer.

A simple mistake, however, mistakes aren't always bad.

The farmer doesn't notice it grow for a year as it sits in the shade of an unmoved tractor; rusty, old and broken down.

It sprouts, green leaves making it stand tall.

Time goes by.

This seed, one that had been not been seen for 3 years more, grows a thin trunk and its branches reach higher, however in the shadow of the tractor, it cannot reach its full potential.

The farmer invites his family over to come help work on his farm.

A small 5 year old girl catches the tree in the corner of her eye and steps closer.

The tree looks weak and frail.

Knowing what to do, the little girl runs to get a shovel and a ceramic pot of soil.

She scoops the little sapling with the shovel and sets it into the ceramic pot.

She carries the small tree to her grandpa, the farmer, who accidentally dropped the seed.

He smiles supportively, but there is a shadow of doubt in his eye.

"I'm sorry my darling, but that tree won't grow much more. It looks like it hasn't gotten much sunlight since its sprouted, and I don't think it will grow any more than it has already."

The little girl scoffs at this answer. "Papa, I'm going to keep it. It needs to grow more, and I can take care of it!"

The farmer nods and hands the plant back to the girl before her parents join the two in the farmyard.

He pulls them aside.

"Your daughter has decided to keep this small sapling." He says looking past their shoulders. "I am proud of her determination. She gets that from you." He said pointing to his son, the father of the girl.

"But I think her efforts might be in vain." He sighs.

"That sapling hasn't seen sunlight in years... If the plant continues to die, then replace it for her so she won't be disappointed. Help her care for the plant and let me know how it grows."

The adults come to a conclusion and they keep the tree.

The girl is inseparable from the tree. Wherever they go, they go together, whatever they do, the girl talks to the tree, as if it were a person with feelings, emotions, a vision for the future.

But despite the farmer's warning, the tree's condition starts to get worse.

This doesn't stop the little girl. She continues to nurture it.

Each year, the tree continues to grow, but the leaves droop and the bark doesn't quite fit the frail frame.

After 6 more years, the little sapling has become a larger tree, needed to be kept outdoors.

Every day after the girl comes home from school, she visits the tree. Blossoms in the spring, leaves and small fruit in the summer, red, orange, and yellow leaves coat the ground in the fall, and during the winter, the girl wraps a large scarf around its lower branches to keep it warm.

Day after day, week after week, year after year, The once feeble sapling grows into a large apple tree in the front yard of the girl's house.

The girl's parents worry for her sanity, but the tree remains in the yard, standing tall, it's bark well fed and it's leaves no longer drooping, large red apples springing from the pink and white blossoms and becoming a favorite place for creatures of every kind to gather and share of it's fruit.

5 more years go by.

The dawn breaks and the morning dew on the leaves sparkles as the sun trips over the horizon.

The day passes, the girl is no longer little.

She goes to school, comes home, tends to her tree, finishes the day, and the cycle repeats.

Until one day, a car pulls up to the driveway, and out comes a young man, fully dressed in a suit.

Nervously, he walks up to the door. He sighs before ringing the doorbell.

A few moments pass before the girl opens up the door and she jumps for joy at the sight of him.

"OH! I am so happy to see you!!" She says loudly before grabbing his hand and running down the stairs to show him the tree.

Her light lavender dress flows in the wind as she pulls her friend along.

"I'd like to show you my tree." She says showing him. A beam of pride emerging from her smile.

"I've tended to it since I was 5."

The boy looks at the large tree, ruby colored apples filling it's branches. "Its a lovely tree."

"Yes I know!" She says back to him. "I've watered it, made sure the soil has vitamins in it and I prune the branches every now and again."

The two chatted for a few hours before it got dark, then the two stood up, went to the car parked in the driveway and drove off.

10 more years passed and soon the girl had a girl of her own.

One day, she took her daughter to see the now, very large tree.

To the girl, since she had spent a number of years away from the tree, didn't quite recognize it.

"My grandpapa told me it wouldn't grow..." She said, trying to catch the memories that were fleeting away from her.

"I told him... No- I'm going to grow this tree and I'm going to like it!"

Her daughter laughed.

"mommy?" She asked after a few minutes.

Her mother raised an eyebrow and looked at her daughter. "what do you need?"

"Can I have an apple from your tree?"

"I don't see why not, go ahead."

The daughter grabbed an apple from the tree and held it to her nose, sniffing the fresh scent.

She held the apple to her lips and then took a large bite.

It was sweet and bitter, juicy yet crisp.

The red apple brought a strange sensation to the daughter of the girl who had cared for the tree.

"mmmmm...." the daughter started to say before her mother took the apple from her hands and took a bite herself.

The tree that had once been a small seed, had weaved its way from generation to generation.

"Gwennie... When mommy's gone, can you take care of the tree for me?"

The girl looked up at her mother and nodded. "yeah mommy!! I'd love to take care of the tree!!"

Her mother smiled and a car honked in the distance.

A car drove up to the house and pulled over to the curb. a man poked his head out of the window.

"Are you girls ready to go? Were going to be late to the carnival!"

The two stood up leaving the apple on the ground.

"Ya Daddy!! Were coming!!" The little girl said as she ran to the car.

The man opened the driver side and got out.

He walked over to his wife still looking at the tree.

"Doesn't it seem like just yesterday we were out here talking... You took me to the dance and..."

Bust she couldn't continue.

The man took her by the hand and looked into her eyes. "yes... Ann, ever since then I knew you were the one."

They stood in silence for a few moments before the car honked again.

They looked at the front seat to see little Gwen honking the horn at her parents.

"mommy!! lets go!! I want to go to the carnival!! We can see papa and Gran!!"

The two parents looked each other before joining the girl in the car and heading off.

The apple left on the ground sparkled in the sun.

soon it's seed would be left in the ground, and the cycle would repeat itself again.