A story of the talking trees

Do you ever hear a story? Feel it? I don't mean words being spoken to you I mean your soul whispering it back to you. I do. I found myself on a train one day beginning to write not knowing where the words where going, they seemed to flow, and from the whispers of my soul, this story came to be. I hope that it helps someone out there with whatever it is that they are dealing with because over these past few months I found myself thinking back on this. It is more than love and friendship it's on something much more meaningful that's hidden beyond the words. 

She looked at the passing cars around her and wondered. Wondered what it felt like to go somewhere where you were wanted. Little did she know that as she wondered, behind her stood a boy who knew. He saw her standing at the crossroad, lost in her own thoughts looking out into the distance. He's been watching her for years now, a girl he loved but at a distance. She lived across from him since he was three. Hopscotch, basketball, and castles. He taught her how to ride a bike and she taught him how to smile. Back then he was a quiet kid. He still remembers the first time they met. 
     He was playing with his new hot wheels, building roads and obstacles. As he focused on his bridge of twigs, a pair of sandals and pink toenails blocked his path. He looked up, mesmerized by the golden curls, made brighter by the girls smile. " Do you want to play with me?" She asked. He shook his head and saw her smile faltered. "My mommy said I shouldn't talk to strangers," he said, "Are you a stranger?" She looked at him, stayed silent for a moment. "My name is Jenna." she finally said. "What's yours?" she asked, "I'm David." He replied. "If your names David, and mine is Jenna then you're not a stranger, but a David, I'm not a stranger but a Jenna." He shrugged, "I guess".
 She smiled down at him and said, "I know how to talk to trees. They told me you are sad and I should be your friend".

From that day on David and Jenna explored the world together as strangers, friends, and neighbors. One day the Jenna David knew had disappeared, and with her the stories of the talking trees. A darkness loomed over her house, he watched her walk past him looking lost. He heard his mother whisper to a friend, ''So sad that she lost her Dad". As David sat alone in his room Lego's sprawled around him he wondered, How does someone lose a dad? Maybe he forgot his way back home? One time when at the store with mom, David got distracted by a guitar and drums and wandered too far from his mom. He still remembers how scared he was, worried that he was lost forever. What if Jenna's dad is lost inside a store? I  have to go tell her! 
He jumped up excitedly and ran out the door. He ran and ran until he saw the familiar house, once there he banged his little fists upon the door. The door is opened and Jenna's mom looks down. "Good morning David, how can I help you?" He smiles up at her and asks, "Is Jenna home?". Excitement is evident inside his little voice. She looks behind her sadly to the stairs. "She is, but she's not feeling well today." She looks down into the boys blue eyes. "Maybe you should stop by another day." His shoulders slump and he looks away, "Okay" he says, just tell her "I can help" with that he walks away. 

Jenna never came over after that to play. She stayed inside the yellow house each day. And David, he waited every day, hoping one day she would come to play. Soon, Jenna and her mom had moved away, "a lower income housing" he heard his mother say, a different school, a different life but to David, Jenna stayed the same. As he grew older he saw the change, at least the girl she tried to fake. Occasionally, he'd see her with her friends, smoking drinking laughing the pain away. David knew that Jenna was afraid. Still, a child scared of feeling pain. By distancing herself against the world she thought she was protected, but little did she know her walls became her prison.  

He saw her try to fix her mother, while she herself clung to the broken pieces of herself. Her mother now an alcoholic, left Jenna with nothing but the broken empty bottles. She took the bottles to the center for 10 cents each she bought herself oatmeal and a banana. All this he saw, and yet he knew. "I still can help" he watched her cross into the traffic her eyes are closed, fighting back the tears and nausea. He felt his chest grow tight and his pulse start racing "Jenna!" he called out "Don't do it!" He ran without any hesitation, grabbing her arm he pulled her back onto the pavement. Her eyes wide open and mouth opened up in shock,  she looked at him and asked. "Who are you?" Without a moment's hesitation, he answered, "I'm just a stranger." He saw confusion in her eyes and then a glint of recognition. One word a whisper from her lips "David!" A tear streaked down her cheek, he smiled down at her in understanding. " I can speak to trees",  he says. "They tell me that you need a friend" she lets out a little laugh and shakes her head. "Hasn't your mother taught you not to speak to strangers?"

I think this story while seemingly written to be fiction is a reflection of my inner child. When I was younger I had a friend, although his name wasn't David. During the darkest times of my life he was the light I needed. In a way I am the girl that talked to trees, although I think it was the Holy spirit. I would often close my eyes and listen and sometimes through the rustling of leaves I was able to make out a quiet comforting voice. Unfrotunatly, the David in my life passed away tragically but I will forever be grateful for the lessons he taught me and the light that he passed on to me.