I was sitting next to a three hundred year old tree, sweating. The heat was wrapped around me like an extra blanket that just wasn’t needed. Long, slightly bent live oak branches stretched out across the sky. They were still and stately, in contrast to the intertwining sable palms and their rattling dry fronds. The live oak had seen it all in its approximately three hundred years. But, had it seen a woman locked out of her car beneath its branches? Maybe, but probably not.
I sat with my back against its gnarly bark. A display of our travel water bottles was set around my feet - ornaments of summertime travel. The tot was trotting around, picking up little berries and calling them blueberries and making me nervous about whether she was going to eat them.
“Mr. Pop-A-Lock is supposed to be here soon,” I said.
“Papa-Lock?” The tot looked up, her eyes full of empty parrot language.
“No, Pop-A-Lock. Papa can’t save us.”
Over the years, I’ve been broken down many times. Sometimes it leaves a sense of desolation. The ordinary surroundings suddenly look like a vast desert. Imaginary tumble weed would blow past while I looked on in desperation. That was not the case this time. This time I had my friend Three Hundred Year Old Tree with me, lots of water, and a beautiful old city. A city I had just met one hour before—a pretty city, with a pretty feminine name. Her courtesy had already impressed me. The boy leaned his head against my leg. His cheeks were flushed from the heat and his eyes drowsy. Nothing like the heat to fill up your belly and lay heavy over your body with fatigue.
.jpg)
Then, Mr. Pop-A-Lock showed up. As it turned out, Mr. Pop-A-Lock was an enormous man with untied shoes but a pleasant disposition. He nodded to the tot, half smiling—a symptom of a pure soul. He worked his magic silently while the old oak looked on. And suddenly I was back in action. I was free like the wind. No locked doors barred me, no tree roots bound me—off we went, through the beautiful city and farther still.
Farther out, out where an interstate exit drops you at an intersection with a gas station and a Huddle House, but little else. Trees watched, hordes of them, muttering on the breeze. Out-of-towners! Out-of-towners! Welcome! Welcome! Onward, come see our downtown! Eat of our one pizza restaurant! Admire our one-room post office! We took their advice and ordered a pizza. It wasn’t like we had a lot of options.
I sat inside the van that time, with the windows rolled down and the heat still wrapped around me like an extra blanket that just wasn’t needed. It is far better to wait for pizza, rather than Mr. Pop-A-Lock. The boy and the tot were fast asleep in the backseat. Thoughtfully, the heat had tucked them in. Tall seed-heads shot upward from grass growing on rough patches of curb-less cement. Wild and unkempt it looked. An evening breeze brushed past me on its way to the city. It sent the flag pole clanging as it cooled my sweat. The place felt like a blank slate.
.jpg)
Travel has a way of making life interesting again, no matter the location. The city entices the traveler with all its offerings—culture laid out on a platter. The country has a more profound call, pulling gently toward its blank canvas. I like to paint.
We got our pizza. The trees were all a flutter as we drove deeper into their land. We reached our destination before sundown, with just enough time to sit on the dock. The water rocked me like a baby—how thoughtful. I stared into the endless ripples, coming and going, a gentle disruption to the glassy water. The sun yawned against the clouds before snuggling down into the horizon. I remembered how I enjoy the city and platters, but the blank canvas is the better of the two.
.jpg)
See? Who said old trees are not a good company!?
They are great company :)
This post was shared in the Curation Collective Discord community for curators, and upvoted and resteemed by the @c-squared community account after manual review.
Thank you.
the old trees are not only wise they are healers, there are so many remedies that are made of tree bark! difficult to understand because the human being keeps cutting ...
Tree bark remedies - interesting. That live oak definitely had some good vibes.
howdy there @ginnyannatte...only you can take an ordinary day and turn it into something of beauty!
Aww thanks @janton.
yes Ma'am you're welcome. someday I'll have more than dust votes for you!
Ok, didn't know trees could be fine company lol.. :)
On a very hot day, they are excellent :)