A deer, a sign, and a tree

PROLOG:

           The buck emerged from the line of pine trees sniffed the warm fall air for any danger. He then strode across the mist covered, grassy field eyeing the weeds growing along the fence line. As he chomped on the weeds and grasses that grew along the wire fence, next to the road, it failed to notice the Timber Rattlesnake that had been resting in the weeds as well. When the buck’s hoof stepped on the rattler, the snake struck out and bit the leg, once and again. The buck reared back and kicked at the snake. The buck then began to walk away but only made it a few steps before the poison took effect, its legs became stiffer, then stopped moving altogether. As the buck heart stopped, the buck tripped into the fence. Knocking over one of the fence posts and a good portion of the fence as well. Attached to the fence post had been a ‘No Trespassing’ sign.  The road Beaty Ave, next to the field was rarely used so the buck simply decomposed into the ground.

LIFE CARRIES ON:

Two years would pass, and the buck had all but disappeared, when David drove his delivery van down Beaty Ave. His mind was not on work but on the loss of his wife and mother of their three boys, just a few months prior. Now working two jobs to keep the boys in the same house, until the insurance company paid him what he was due.  David looked at the row of Christmas trees in the field across the road. Like a Tsunami, dread flooded his brain. This would be the first Christmas without Kathy. David had been dreading this time. Everyone told him the boys were young and would be fine. He would have to make a list of things to buy the boys over the next couple of months, decorate the house. Would he have to make cookies as Kathy did with the boys. Or maybe he could ask his mother or mother-in-law to help. They were both always offering help in any way.  

His mind filled with thoughts of Christmas he missed the turn off Beaty Ave to where the packages he needed to deliver. Cursing himself, he had to drive an additional two miles to find a driveway to turn around in and get back on route.

‘Stay awake and pay attention old boy, the last thing you need is to get into an accident.’ He said aloud to himself. David made his delivery and took his time walking back to his truck, taking deep breaths of the cool country air to clear his head. Putting his seat belt on he made the decision to call the grandmothers and hard is it may be, ask for their help. He felt good after coming to this decision, with their help it would be a good Christmas for the boys and himself.

Driving back down Beaty Ave. he let his eyes wonder over the row of pine trees again. This time no Tsunami of dread, but one of happiness. He slowed his truck to a stop when he saw a cardinal bouncing from limb to limb on one tree. Davids’s mind seemed to relax for the first time since Kathy’s death.

After completing his deliveries, David returned home and immediately called his mother and then Kathy’s mother. Both were thrilled to help. Over the next two months the mothers talked to each other and made a schedule of when cookies would be baked, and the tree put up. The boys were very excited to be spending time with the grandparents, both grandfathers, after finding out what was going on, joined in. It was building up to be a good Christmas.

Two weeks after Thanksgiving David loaded the boys in a truck he had borrowed from his brother and headed out. After twenty minutes of dancing around questions from the boy about where they were going, why did they need Uncle Jack’s truck, David pulled over to the side of road next to the field of Christmas trees.

“What are we doing here?” asked the oldest, Tommy.

“Well, I think we need a tree, don’t we?” David asked with a big smile on his face.

All three boys looked out the window at the field of trees and began to cheer. Chad, the youngest, began making chopping motions with is hands.

“Can I cut first?” he asked with a huge smile pinned to his face.

“Here’s the plan.” David told his boys. “I was thinking we dig up the tree and bring it back home, then after Christmas we can plant it in the back yard, what do you think?”

“Mommy always loved Christmas trees,” Chad said, still holding the smile on his face, but tears were gathering in his eyes

David could feel the mood in the truck change with Chad’s statement. He inadvertently popped the happy ballon. He had to say something to bring joy and happiness back.

“Yes, she did. That is why I though we could bring one home and keep it all year in the back yard.” He said quickly hoping this would help.

Bill, the middle child broke the silence when he pointed to the largest tree and announced they should bring that one home. The other two boys cheered in agreement.

“I love your idea.” All David could get out before the boys were out of the truck and running across the field towards the large tree. David chuckled to himself and went to the back to pull out the shovels and wheelbarrow, then followed the boys through the field.

The boys were basically dancing around the tree they had chosen, even though it was at least 12 feet tall and wider than Uncle Jack’s pick-up.

“Boys. Boys.” David had to call several times to get their attention. “That tree is way too tall to even fit into the truck, let alone in the house.”

“We can just trim some off the bottom to make it fit.” Tommy said looking up and down the tree.

“Even if we could make it fit, there is no way the four of us can carry it to the truck.” Buddy. “I was thinking of this one,” David pointed to the tree he had seen the cardinal in a few months ago.

“It’s kind of small.” Chad announced, looking from the large tree to the smaller one his dad was standing next too.

“Yea, dad, Chad is nearly as tall as that one.” Tommy added.

“We can put it on a table in the living room.” Daivd improvised. “Plus digging this one out is going to hard enough.”

Tommy shook his head, then clapped his brothers on the shoulders. David geared himself up for a fight with Tommy. Since Kathy’s death, Tommy seems to have decided he was suddenly a man and didn’t need to be told anything by his father.

“Come on guys, Dad’s right that one will be easier to dig up and carry to the truck.” Tommy said, shocking his father.

The boys and their day spent the next hour digging and pulling on the tree to free it from its grasp on terra firma.  Moving to the new tree to and into the truck took an additional fifteen minutes.  On their way home they stopped by a gardening center to get new soil and a large yellow planter, yellow was their mom’s favorite color. While shopping, Chad explained to the salesperson the pot was to put their mother in for Christmas and then put her in the back yard. David had to quickly explain exactly what they were doing. The salesperson smiled and laughed and stated she understood.

When they arrived home David and the boys moved the tree to the edge of the truck edge, they removed burlap they had wrapped around the roots. David instructed them to pull off the earth from the roots before they put it into the new pot. He then went inside to clean up and start making dinner. David had just started browning the meat when Tommy ran inside.

“Dad, dad, dad.” He called running into the kitchen. David pulled the pan off the burner and looked at his son. “Look what we found on the tree.” Tommy had three small whitish objects in his hand.

“What are those?” David asked, whipping his hand on his shirt then picking up one of the objects. “Looks like a stone, but didn’t feel as heavy as it should have.

“I think they’re finger bones.” Tommy said with a serious straight face. “You see, the bigger one goes right here on your fingers.” Tommy placed the longer of the bones on his finger between the first and second knuckle.  

“Well Dr. Leet, you may be right.” David said with a little more concern in his voice than he meant too. “How many did you find?”

“Just these three.” Tommy replied.

“TOMMY, WE FOUND SOME MORE FUNNY STONES.” Screamed Bill from the garage.

David grabbed the remaining bones from Tommy’s hand and put them on the kitchen counter, then pushed Tommy towards the garage. Once back in the garage. Standing at the back of the truck Chad was holding a hand full of bones, that look just like the ones Tommy had brought him.

“Okay, boys.” David said, looking outside the garage to see if anyone had heard Bill screaming his announcement. Not seeing anyone he ushered the boys inside. “Let’s get washed up for dinner, now.”

“But dad, we’re not done yet.” Chad mentioned as he pulled another clod of dirt off the root ball.”

“Uh,” David paused. “It will be easier once the dirt is all dried out.” During dinner, David was quiet as the boys chatted endlessly while eating tacos. Halfway through dinner David excused himself and took his cell phone into the living room. When he came back into the kitchen, he addressed the boys.

“Guys.” David started then took a deep breath before continuing, “Don’t be…” David’s mind went blank, he wasn’t sure how to continue.

“What the matter dad?” Tommy asked through a mouth full of tacos.”

“No easy way to say this.” David bravely started then immediately faltered looking in the faces of his sons. “Okay, here it is. The special rocks you found today cleaning out the roots of the tree. I think they are bones from fingers.”

Tommy, who had made the discovery, was not surprised. Bill looked at his fingers as if the bones might be his own. Chad took advantage of everyone else being occupied and grabbed the last taco.

Twenty minutes later a police cruiser followed by an unmarked police car pulled into the driveway. Over the next hour, the two police offices examined the root ball, while a crime scene detective collected the found bones and searched the roots for more. The detective had taken David into the living room to speak to him. Tommy, Bill, and Chad stood in the driveway and watched the police working.  David came out a short time later and with out speaking to the boys walked over to the neighbor’s house. And returned with the neighbor, Mrs. Atwell.

“Boys, I need to go with the detective, and I’ll be back. Until Mrs. Atwell is going to watch over you. I want you on your best behavior until I get back.

Bill was the only one who responded. “Okay, you be good too.” Which brought a smile to David’s face.

The police finished collecting the bones and searching for the tree ball. They took the two shovels used by the family to dig up the tree and then they left. It was after dark before David returned and collected his children and took them home. Over a pizza dinner he told them he had taken the detective to the field where they dug up the tree. He explained that they had sort of illegally took the tree, but the detective said not to worry about it, and we could keep the tree. The two younger boys cheered.

Three days later the detective called David back and explained they had found a complete skeleton in the hole they had removed the tree from. A forensic anthropology team responded and determined the body had been buried between 50 and 60 years ago.  David expressed his thanks to the detective and said he would think about how to break it to his sons.  David heard the detective take a deep breath then explained he will have to do it sooner than later.

While on site the detectives found seven more bodies buried under tress in the field. The field used to belong to a notorious mafia associate. The detective believed the bodies in the field were victims of mob hits. The news has already caught wind of the story so they may be showing up for interview with the man who broke so many open homicide cases.

Now it was David’s turn to take a deep breath. He thought of Kathy and smiled to himself; she always had a way of making him forget bad things.