Apple Blossoms

Sunlight glints off the bright green leaves as Rebecca rushes towards her tree, eager to join the tangle of branches supporting many bird nests and big, round apples. Some circumstance has pushed her to take refuge in a hug of branches, whether it be a brand-new book, a need for alone time, or craving a good cry. As she pulls herself up and into her tree, her senses are overwhelmed with various feelings, sounds, smells, tastes, and sights. And yet, the aspect that is most appealing to Rebecca is that it has become her safe spot. No one else ever climbs this particular tree, and no one bothers her when she precariously perches on the branches, making this place of solitude perfect for daydreaming.

As Rebecca scrambles to the top of her tree, her hands search for a grip on the branches, but the bark leaves tiny lacerations on her palms and dries out her skin. Her limbs sport a patchwork made of long scratches by the time she finds the perfect perch. On the days when she does not drag a book with her, Rebecca relishes the wind blowing through her hair and the warm sunshine on her cheeks. Whenever she does bring a book with her, however, climbing her tree becomes a bigger challenge to overcome as she attempts to keep her precious book from falling to the damp, lush green lawn below. Once she discovers the perfect perch, she settles in and enters a brand-new fantasy world as she turns the rough pages under her fingertips. Sometimes, stray sticks poke at her behind as she tries to get comfortable, forcing her to move the pliable ones and break the stubborn ones in order to create a pain-free seat.

Many sounds fill Rebecca’s ears during her quiet time in her tree. A choir of songbirds serenades her as she becomes enveloped in her thoughts, ceasing only when a loud vehicle on the paved road nearby interrupts them. In the distance, dogs bark at who knows what while cows moo across grassy pastures. The wind whispers in her ear, reminding Rebecca that time cannot stop just because she escaped into her tree. Whenever she attempts to read one of her cherished books, the wind plays tricks on her by flipping the pages over her hand. Sometimes, she simply focuses on the fwip, fwip, fwip of the parchment in an effort to calm her racing thoughts that seem to drown out all reason.

During the spring, the earth creates a new perfume that permeates the air and brings smiles to many faces. A deep, rich, earthy smell wafts from the soil in the fields, mixing with the scent of uncut grass greedily drinking the morning dew. While Rebecca sits among the branches of her tree, the faint pink apple blossoms rain their sweet, fresh scent down on her. As she cracks open a new book, the scent of fresh ink and untouched pages finds its way to her nose. Unfortunately, not all of the smells that greet Rebecca in her tree are pleasant. For instance, the air reeks of manure whenever a nearby farmer fertilizes their field, and in the fall, the dusty air fills her nostrils and makes her sneeze. Despite a few unpleasant scents, the smells that intertwine in the air make Rebecca’s tree an extra-special place to be, especially in the spring.

Unique tastes settle on Rebecca’s tongue every time she climbs into her tree. The most familiar flavor greets her every time she swings herself into the branches as her hands loosen bark and dirt from the tree, causing a shower of crunchy, earthy materials to land in her mouth. While the taste of dirt and tree bark is most decidedly NOT delicious, Rebecca is comforted in knowing that her tree is still healthy. On bad days, salt finds its way onto her tongue in the form of tears running silently down her cheeks that take a detour into her mouth. Her favorite taste of all, though, only occurs in a short time frame during the fall when the apples ripen into a crisp red. Rebecca precariously clambers higher up her tree as she searches for the perfect apple: juicy, crisp, red, and lacking holes from bugs. As she bites into the long-awaited fruit, the immediate crunch is followed by an explosion of juice in her mouth that is somehow both tart and sweet at the same time. The sensation of a fresh, crisp apple on her tongue instantly cheers her up and satisfies her hunger.

Every time Rebecca climbs her tree, her eyes take in a gorgeous scene. As the year progresses, apples grow from a soft pink flower into a round green ball and finally turn bright red before dropping to the ground or being hand-picked. Rough green leaves surround the apples, acting as a blanket to keep the apples safe from chilly nights. The dark brown bark on the tree trunk and branches serves as a wonderful accent in the color scheme, bringing depth to the whole scene. Behind everything is the sky, painted in various colors throughout the day, acting as the perfect backdrop for a midday adventure. Whenever Rebecca brings a book with her, the white pages reflect the sun, blinding her eyes instead of allowing her to enjoy the captivating story she holds in her hands. Below her, a lush green carpet of grass is prepared to cushion her descent as she jumps down from the branches.

Despite overloading her senses, or maybe because of this, Rebecca finds solace in her tree and runs there first when she needs time to think. Anytime she receives life-changing news, she spends time hiding in the branches of her tree to process her thoughts and emotions before facing the rest of the world. When she acquires a new book, she looks forward to experiencing the world inside the pages from the comfort of her tree. The wide variety of senses she experiences characterize her tree and surround her like a hug, creating her special hideaway where she can be alone and choose to enjoy uninterrupted time, clear her head, or just enjoy the peace of her special tree.

—Sara