Gabriel was sitting on the pavement with both hands in his greasy hair, banging his knuckles on his scalp in regret as his mother came into the garden from inside the house where she was asleep the entire time, she saw him in this pose and immediately shook her head asking " What is it my boy, thinking about them trees again ?". There was no response from Gabe as Aurora came closer to him, this time noticing the broken pot near the thick roots of her tree, she was even more concerned at this point as she took his hand out of his hair and stood him up repeating herself " What's the damn problem?!". He hugged her as he burst spontaniously into tears saying " I'm sorry ma, I really am ". She understood immediately and dropped to her knees holding his ankles asking him " How? Why? run to your father and tell him to leave everything behind ".
As Gabriel put on his wooden sandals and ran out of the garden unto the path, Aurora knew her panic was not in vein, she knew that once any other soul would know about it, It would be the end of either them or the tree. In about fifteen minutes Bode and Gabriel came running back, furiously barging the garden wooden door and the bell by its side, with Bode's green eyes filled with fear and confusion he asked " Is this true? " Aurora nodded standing up on her weak feet as she hugged the tree, shut her eyes forcing the last teardrop down her white silk dress, knowing it might be the last day she would have the chance to hug it she said through her barely open lips " You know what to do".
Gabriel ran into their stronghold with clinging metal sounds emerging from the entrance, he brought out two sceptres, with the sharpest looking blades at each end, he handed them over to Bode saying " I found this two months ago by the hills, they should be useful, we must protect the tree from what would come for it!". Bode nodded walking backwards, fastening the lock of the garden gate which he well knew was too low anyway to avoid a real threat. They all went inside the house resting on the window pane with one eye, full of tears , on the tree, and the other on the path with fear and anger. They stood like this for hours till dusk with the occasional rest and sip of their homemade wheat drink until Bode decided it has been too long and said " Maybe we are fortunate, the boys probably had some other things on their mind and forgot about the incident, let's get some sleep ", Aurora agreed holding Gabriel's hand and stepping down from the chair she was resting her knees on. They went to their beds and before you knew it, they were fast asleep, except Gabriel, who had his neck curled into his shoulders and his shaky, cold hands under his bottom. He kept reminding himself the image of the eyes the boys carried when they ran off, but within minutes, he fell asleep as well.
Deep into the night, with nothing but the moon and stars illuminating the garden outside, the sound of the garden's door bell slightly but firmly chimed, with the door, slowly creaking open.
YOU ARE READING
Scarred Barks
General FictionA story of change. One of the hardest lessons in life is change. Whether it's guilt, anger, love, loss or betrayal, change is never easy. We fight to hold on and we fight to let go.
