Tree Whisperer

Chapter Nine: Brenda

Chapter Nine: Brenda

"Brenda," Nathan said. "I'm sorry." Why was he sorry? Couldn't he see I didn't have an answer for him? I didn't reply though.

"What's wrong?" Nathan asked, peering down at my face.

"Nothing, I just wish I had an answer for you," I sighed, staring at the swirls of brown in the dirt before me. I started tracing random shapes in the dirt as Nathan responded.

"Oh. Hey, why don’t we try to figure out why you can see me?"

"Yeah, sure. But we should go home and sleep on it," I said, as a yawn exploded from my chest. “We’ll probably have a fresher mind in the morning. And we’ll be more awake.”

“How about I walk you to your tree and then I’ll go home,” Nathan suggested. I nodded okay.

            Nathan and I started walking back to my tree as an awkward silence droned on behind us. Actually, I'm exaggerating. The sound of bees filled the air and the leaves on the trees rustled in the slight breeze. 

Nathan and I continued walking as we thought over the events of the day. The birds sung their harmony while squirrels ran throughout the treetops. After arriving at the street across from my tree, he stopped.

"Does your Mom know about me?" Nathan asked. “Like, does she know there’s anybody that can see you?”

"Well, no,” I responded. Why hadn’t I thought of that? Ahma would blow her top if she knew there was someone that was human that could see me. She would go absolutely ballistic.

"I don't want you getting into trouble. Bye Brenda." Nathan waved and started walking towards where ever he was planning on going, whether it was his house or somewhere else. I think he said he was going to his house.

*****

The next morning, I woke up earlier than normal so that I could walk to school. I grabbed my backpack and was off. It took a few minutes to get there. When I arrived at the school, Nathan came running up to me. What was he doing? We stood under the tree that he had told me to meet him under when I had a cold. The yellow trees swayed in the slight wind passing by.

"I think I found a way that will help other people see you! It, well, it isn't really why I can see you, but if other people will be able to see you," Nathan explained excitedly.

"If I grab your hand, maybe something will happen to make people be able to see you…?” Nathan explained.

"I… I don’t know. I doesn’t seem…” I tried thinking of a word that wouldn’t sound offensive. “…possible," I replied, harshly. Then I realized, I shouldn't have put the idea down so hard. It was a good idea, I had to admit.

"I guess we'll just have to try." Nathan grabbed my hand and ran up to someone.

"Hello, can you see me?" Nathan asked.                                                                               

She turned her back to Nathan and replied, “YES!” When she turned around, I noticed she was on a hot pink phone. Oh, so she was just replying to whoever was on the phone. That sucks…

I nudged Nathan. “She probably can’t hear you. Why don’t we ask someone else?” I whispered. He nodded and tugged my hand so that we were facing a guy who had been sitting alone on a bench outside of the school. It looked like he was doing math homework. Nathan tapped the guy on the shoulder. “Can you see me?” Nathan asked, purposefully annunciating each word loud and clear.

The guy ignored him, continuing with his math homework. I slipped my hand out of Nathan’s and whispered, “Ask again.”

“Can you see me?” Nathan repeated. The guy turned around, abruptly dropping his pencil.

“Ye-Yeah. Why?”

Nathan shrugged. “No reason.”

Quickly turning around, Nathan grabbed my hand and pulled me towards a separate bench. “Well, that completely backfired,” Nathan sighed, throwing his head in his hands for a moment.

“Well at least we figured something out,” I pointed out.

“And what was that?” Nathan asked pulling his head out from his hands.

“Well now we know that when we hold hands nobody can see you either.”

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