Tree, part II

Days passed. Pines were taken and carried out of the fenced enclosure, but tree remained, waiting for what he did not know. Till one day a young woman came to where he stood and after a brief discussion with the man who worked in the enclosure, she chose him.

The woman picked him up, handed something to the man and carried tree to a car which was parked nearby. The man helped lift tree inside. Before long, tree found himself in a house. It was a bigger space than inside a truck, but unlike the fenced enclosure there was a roof over his head and he couldn’t see the sun or feel the snow. How strange.

There was some unpleasant manhandling as the woman screwed a plastic stand into his severed base and propped him in a stand. But then she filled the stand with water and tree had a long refreshing drink. And what a relief when she cut the strings that bound his branches!

With his branches free and full, tree was beginning to feel like his old self until to his surprise the woman began stringing little lights all around him. Then she began to hang ornaments here and there – stars, hearts, angels, snowmen, teddy bears and a funny looking elephant. She capped his top branch with a silver star. This was all quite amazing, though not a little disconcerting.

A little girl came in to the room where tree was standing in his new, shimmery outfit. “Wow!” she said and began walking around him, touching his branches and the ornaments hanging there. Maybe this wasn’t so bad after all.

Tree was soon enjoying his new home. There was a skirt around his feet on which a fat cat liked to sit. Colourful presents piled up underneath his branches and daily the little girl would admire and touch him. In the dusky mornings and the dark nights, his white lights sparkled and glowed. He even heard a song especially about him playing on the stereo. He may be a little uncomfortable, and sometimes he missed the fresh air, the earth, the sun, but he felt special. Tree had become a Christmas tree.