Under The Oak Tree

"Mrs. Oak, how are you?," I said to the oak tree infront of me.I loved talking to the oak tree at the backyard of my house. My dad said that he planted the tree with his mom years back when he was around seven.It's been thirty years. Whenever my dad and I were together at the backyard he was like:' Do you know Nik it has been thirty years since I last planted the tree with my mother and it still feels like it was just yeaterday? and I'm like ,'I know dad, it's been like three hundred times you have told me.' Every time I say this he gives a smile to my memory and says,'Time flies away so quickly,right?' But I have never told him that it does.

These days he is so busy with his work that I hardly see him and talk to him and seeing him smile would be like digging a jem out of the earth. Inorder to fill the absence of dad walking with me and enjoying the shade of the oak tree I often walk around. The thing that outrages me the most is that I can't recall the memories of spending time under the oak tree with my grandmother. Though I can't ask her now but my mom told me that I used to fall asleep on my grandmother's lap while listening to the memories of her life under this very oak tree.

These days even mom is busy with her company and now all I have is the company of this oak tree. Though I'm not a single child and have a sister but she is also busy catching up with the neighbouring kids her friends more accurately. I have no one of my age around and since I live in a suburb my friends go to their realtives every vacation. Since I'm too introvert with my relatives I donot often go to my relatives unless I have a really long vacation. Term break just started but it feels like eternity.

 Literally since my grandma died when I was seven I have hardly come to the backyard except like I told you when my father was along. Frankly my father dragged me to the backyard because I hardly walked out of my room since I was a couch potato. I was told by my dad that I would become too timid and dull if I sat in my room for the whole day and the fresh air would make me witty.

 He would add,'If you don't go out then don't but atleast walk a few laps around the backyard or sit below the oak tree and get some fresh air.' 'Dad, I will be roasted under the scorching hot sun if stay much longer,'I would say. 'That is why I'm saying enjoy the shade of the oak tree,' dad would reply. After he went to work I would mumble for awhile and be back in my room after a few minutes. Thses days I often come to the backyard and sit under the oak tree and cherrish the old memories. Now I feel the coolness of the wind that whistles with the trees and I do watch the branches dancing swiftly to the tunes with no rhythm but in perfect coordination and harmony.

 Sometimes when I talk to the oak tree I feel like it nods as replies. The things that my dad told me happened to him these trees whistling,branches dancing and all. I thought it was a result of reading too many literature works but I was wrong. It was his love for the nature especially the oak tree that I was finally learning to feel. These days my dad's words seem to give meaning that felt a lot fiction like in the past.Though there are many attractive flowers and trees in the garden the oak tree seems too eye catchy especially to me.

My mom dropped me to my maternal uncle's house the next morning on her way to work. I felt bored to death there. After a week I returned back at dusk tired after watching a late night movie with my family that I went to bed early. The next day I woke up finished my morning business had breakfast and after lunch at 11 in the morning. It was pretty cold, so I wrapped myself in a shawl I really favor during winter and went down the stairs to the back yard. I felt something piercing my heart. My spine felt the chill cold run down it. I bent on my knees I had forgotten that the oak trees go bare during winter.

Still I cried my eyes till they got sore in such a loud voice that my parents rushed out to see if I was seriously injured. Even I had no idea though I knew the reason that the oak trees become bare during winter I was whimpering like a kid. Even my parents were startled to see me in such condition. Later when they found out my mom said to my dad, 'Let her be dear, she has finally cried her heart out.

She is finally healing the wound she left open. She is finally becoming conscious. It took her nine years to finally know that her grand mom is physically absent but is spiritually present and blessing her."  I thought that my mom was right. When I recalled a few minutes ago I visualized the oak tree that bloomed to be my grandmother next to me and now like the bare tree she was gone long time back but it felt like right now. The shawl that I favored so much felt warmer every time because it was a knitted shawl left for me by my grand mom. My mom lent me her shoulder and my dad patted me on my back. I don't know when I fell asleep but when I woke up I was on my bed and it was already dusk. I gave a deep sigh and went back to sleep.