Meet Me By the Old Oak Tree

Chapter 3

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            On my last day of middle school, I didn’t go out with my friends to celebrate or even celebrate at home very much. Scarlett was probably still in bed. She was only getting worse. I texted her when I was in the car with mom.

            Meet me at the old oak tree?

            She responded a few minutes later.

            Sure

            When I got home I ran to the old oak tree and saw Scarlett sitting on the ground underneath it.  Scarlett was so weak and sick. Her blond hair was lighter as was her skin. She had dark circles under her eyes and she was insanely skinny even for her. She didn’t have any energy and I felt terrible about asking her to come out to the old oak tree but I just needed to be with her here now.

            She didn’t stand up when I approached, she didn’t even smile. She looked up.

            “Hey,” I said to her and sat down next to her. We stopped sitting on the branch last month at some point. She didn’t have enough energy anymore.

            “Hi,” she rasped. “How was your –,” she was cut off my coughs. I just watched her. It usually passed and it not I would run in and get her water. Surely enough it passed.

            “My grad was awesome!” I said not needing her to waste her breath talking. Then I went on about what we did. She seemed interested. Something different from her bed at least. After about a half hour she said that she needed to go lie down. I wasn’t finished talking and she’d interrupted me but I instantly stood up and helped her inside. She never interrupted me. She never asked for anything. I knew that it was bad.

**

            I texted her to meet me by the old oak tree. She’d see it when she was all better again. It was late summer, next year I would start high school. As always I waited for her by the old oak tree. I attempted to sit on the tattered tire swing. I was much too big for it and it hurt both me and the swing to sit on it but this swing was Scarlett’s favourite and I wanted to be with her through this.

            I still knew that Scarlett would be fine, though. She always was. I talked to her often, but she didn’t say anything back. We still spent time by this old oak tree. I mostly told her about my memories, about all those times when we were little. She just listened. She didn’t even smile anymore. It was too hard for her.

            After about three hours, mom came home. I saw her through the glass. I was curious where Scarlett was. I knew what happened, mom’s face said it all, when she looked at me. But it couldn’t be true. It just couldn’t. She’d meet me by the old oak tree. I knew she would. She’d read that text and met me here.

            I stayed out there for hours. I knew she’d come. She wouldn’t abandon me like that. I refused to believe it. I felt tears coming down my face. Stop it, I ordered myself. Stop crying. She’s not gone. She’s still hear. She’s coming. I got excited when I heard my house door slam. It was mom. She came over and smiled at me.

            “Come, Ellis, let’s go inside,” the voice she used on me was soft and hesitant, like I was an animal who would attack her at any moment.

            “No,” I said. “She’s coming! I told her to meet me by the old oak tree. She will come!” I yelled. Mom looked at me sympathetically. She wiped tears from her eyes.

            “She’s gone, Ellis. She’s not coming,” said mom calmly. I just shook my head and stayed sitting on the branch.

            “Stop lying to me! I know you’re lying to me! You told me she was going to get better! She’s going to get better! She can’t be… She can’t be…” I couldn’t finish. I started crying. The vicious tears wouldn’t stop falling off my face. I rubbed at my face aggressively asking them to stop coming. Mom rapped me in a hug.

            “Shh…” she smoothed my hair and rubbed my shoulder. She couldn’t be gone. I knew she was but she just couldn’t. I loved her so much and she was gone. Forever. She was never coming back. Ever. What was I going to do without her? She meant everything to me. She was my sister and my best friend.

            After I don’t know how long, mom took me inside.

**