Ali and Veronika

Two sisters start to observe and voice creatures in the forest, but their innocent play soon turns into an unexpected dispute. What is the true happiness in life?

  The sun lit needles of the pine trees in a mixed forest. The forest didn’t spread far, only a small area of the grounds was covered in trees, bushes, and their long, deeply growing roots.  Other parts of the garden were taken by small grasslands with flowers, tiny lakes or man-made statues and fountains. But the two sisters liked the forest part the best. Brimming with life, full of movement. Under the dense cover a dark shadow occupied the space. A shadow was not a fiend but a friend to the animals living under its wings and occasionally a nook, a hidden small secret of the two sisters who liked to play there. The grass wasn’t too spiky, nor too long for them to get completely lost in it, and the branches of pine trees didn’t reach that low that they could form an obstacle for the two sisters in their walk. Although occasionally, they were long enough to be able to stroke the kids lovingly on their head. The forest liked its two young regular visitors, they brought laughter to the calm, solemn place, and their dresses blew in the wind, giving it the light pinkish colour, baby blue hues, or yellow ruffles. Even the ribbons played cheerfully in the hair with the help of a tiny naughty breeze.

  The two sisters liked to give everything a name. A pine tree could be Mrs. Spiky, grass was Gloria Gardeen, flowers had their own names such as the Twirled Tongue or White prickle. They gave everything a new name except themselves. Veronika and Ali would always submerge into the wonders and enchantments of their forest plays, but they were never part of them; only their careful viewers and secret directors. That’s what they loved to do the most together. And that’s what they would also do today.

 

  The two girls ran cheerfully to an old oak tree they took a great liking to. His name was Dr. Henry. Dr. Henry was a wise figure of the forest, majestic and strong, none of the girls could see to its top. It was a true ancient of the forest. And above few of his replete green branches a squirl ran back and forth rapidly, as if in a hurry to catch a last train.

“There!” pointed Veronika at the squirrel, “let’s watch them.”

Veronika was the older of the two, yet she brimmed with the childish joys and silly ideas the most. Her teeth were no secret to nobody as she grimaced all day every day, this child seemed to know no exhaustion or tiredness. Always full of ideas, always enthusiastic to try them all. Her sister, Ali, wasn’t a complete opposite to her. Always ready to back up her friend on all her journeys, she very much enjoyed the presence and craziness of Veronika’s shenanigans. But there were things that confused people, things not so clear or obvious, which take place in any real family: as inseparable as the sisters seemed, they did not do everything together. They had their own precious scorching interests and dreams. Or at least one of them did.

Ali came in after Veronika, both crouched down to a nearby bush, covered by coniferous branches of Mrs. Spiky above them. The two then watched the squirrel as it was leaping up trying to climb higher to the tree.

“What is it doing?” asked Ali whispering.

“Don’t know,” said Veronika excitingly, “let’s voice them! I’ll be Dr. Henry and you will be the squirrel!”

Ali smiled and nodded.

“Okay,” she said, “how do we call the squirrel?”

Veronika looked at her with a grin that bode no good.

“What’s your name, little one?” she thundered in a deep voice turning back at the scene. ”And why are you climbing my branches?”

Ali chuckled and in a squeaky speech replied: “Uhm… my name is Speedy.. I climb trees… That’s just what I do.”

“Well, that’s a funny game,” laughed Veronika still impersonating the tree. “Isn’t that a little… boring to just climb a tree? Perhaps you should stop and first talk to me.”

As if the squirrel could understand it, the animal stopped trying to climb higher, fell from one branch and remained sitting there, sniffing on the wood. Ali was astonished by the seeming powers of Veronika’s words.

“Now that we can properly talk,” continued Veronika, “let me introduce myself. My name is Dr. Henry, I am the elder of the forest. I am wise. My advises would prove to be useful,” she finished with an overexaggerated grace.

“Hmmm, what kind of advice do you have for me?” asked Ali again in the squeaky voice.

“All the advices in the world!” shouted Veronika. But she spread out her hands so wide her leg slipped on the leaves and she toppled over laughing. Ali laughed too. She lent her a hand and was going to say something but that’s when Veronika swiftly raised her finger “But!” she continued in her deep oak voice. “I do have one big advice for you, Speedy,” she pulled Ali’s hand to stand up and swiftly got back on her feet, “don’t climb so high,” she finished with an important lecturing pose, “for nothing good awaits you there.” (nod, nod).

Ali just laughed at it. The whole scene was to comical not to laugh. But intrigued with the story her sister introduced, Ali continued.

“Hmm and why is that?” she said as the squirrel. “I think a lot of good things do await me there, Dr. Henry, like acorns, or apples or nuts.”

“Apples don’t grow on an oak tree,” laughed Veronika, “but even if you would find all of these goodies, you would simply be alone and that’s simply the worst. So you shouldn’t climb, the end.” Veronika finished cheerfully and sat down to the leafy grass. But Ali didn’t seem too like this ending.

“Why do you always need to be the one who’s right?” she said.

“It’s not me,” replied still happily Veronika, “it’s Dr. Henry. And Dr. Henry is never wrong, he’s too old for that.”

“But then you didn’t give me any chance to win,” continued Ali peevishly. “If I was the oak, my arguments would also win just because ‘Dr. Henry said so’,” she imitated her sister.

“Then let’s voice someone else,” said Veronika still in the same unbothered attitude. “Look, even Speedy is moving! let’s follow him and continue!” said excitingly Veronika and she ran after the squirrel.

“Hmm, if you say so.”

Ali followed her and both of them stopped in front of a small artificial lake next the stone walls of the garden. In front of the garden grew a big willow always looking down to the lake underneath. There, on a wide root of the willow, Speedy found his new nook for sitting.

“Okay, I will be the willow,” said Veronika.

“No, not again,” grumbled Ali, “the willow is too old too,” Let’s be equally old this time. You’ll be the reflection in the water and I’ll be the squirrel.”

Veronika’s eyes opened wide as they sparkled in a pure excitement, “Uuu I like that! let’s do that! Ehm, ehm…” she turned and inhaled greatly “What you looking at?!” she burst out so unexpectedly that Ali stumbled but immediately chuckled on it. Now they both talked in a high-pitched voice.

“Nothing!” said Ali in Speedy’s role. “Just admiring the water, sniff-sniff, it doesn’t have to all be about you.” Veronika chuckled. “Good one, me,” she said smiling. “You got me there. But don’t admire the water too much, squirrels can’t swim, you can drown.”

Ali ignored the short glimpse of concern in that tone with which Veronika phrased her last sentence. She felt trapped in this expectation of changeless future, she didn’t realize just how much until the voice of Speedy gave her an opportunity to play.

“I think I would be a great swimmer!” said Ali.

Veronika laughed again, still immersed in the very game of spontaneous story-telling. “No silly,” she said, “you would drown. Just like all the animals that cannot swim.”

“But what if I can swim?” continued Speedy. “Who are you to tell me not to? You’re like me. You have no bigger knowledge.”

“Ooh that is true,” said the reflection, still cheerfully, “that means you’re also not smarter than me.”

“True, true,” admitted Speedy cunningly, “and therefore I suggest we both do what we want. You don’t want to swim? Fine, you don’t have to, I will swim because I want.”

Veronika got startled.

“No, no,” she said quickly. “How, how do you even imagine such a thing? I am you, if you go swim, I will have to swim too.”

“Nonsense,” replied Speedy joyfully, “if I jump, you simply disappear! Have you ever seen reflection underwater?”

“Ehm….” the reflection grappled with the sudden direction of the conversation. It quickly realized it’s not so easy when the word of an elder oak is not on their side. Ali on the other hand, felt mighty, she sensed all her strength gathering up to power her reasoning and thoughts.

Then, suddenly, Veronika thought of something, the ultimate win, impenetrable argument that cannot be overthrown: “but maybe,” she started maliciously “that’s exactly why I am warning you, you know? Because I am you and we are the same, that means you yourself know you shouldn’t swim too. After all, I am you, right?”

The defeat rang like a bell in Ali’s ears. This cannot be the end of her fight! No, this will not. She just must surprise her. She must win over the situation.

“Are you a warning to me or are you a doubt?” said Ali as she felt the rush of adrenaline.

And Veronika was caught off guard. But she too wouldn’t give up just yet. With the newly encountered power of arguments she was about to use any logical association she had.

“Doubts save us from big mistakes,” she said. “So if that will stop you from swimming, then let me be a doubt.”

Ali turned red.

“You call my decisions a mistake?”

“Not all,” remarked reflection calmly, “but some. Some that will make you drown,” Veronika stopped for a second, enjoying the sweet taste of victory; then she tossed her head, smiled mischievously and calmly added “and end up alone.”

 Ali turned furious. That was the last straw. Her head full of ruby, grit teeth, fists clenched in rage.  “Is it about me ending up alone?!Or is it because you yourself are scared to leave?”

The voice became so spiteful, any instance of squeaky tone disappeared, the tint of the words held a strange, and to Veronika very unknown hatred within the lines. Only after this, the older sister finally turned her head from the scene to look at Ali with a small worry on her face.

“Al..”

But Ali raised her finger to stop her sister and pointed at the scene to keep role-playing. She was not giving up now.

“Ehm… I don’t just think you’ll be alone,” said Veronika a bit more carefully but firmly, “I know you will. You would leave everyone.”

“Maybe for a little,” said Ali still blazing hot in an anger “but why should I feel bad about it? Why should I feel bad that I just want to swim or climb an oak?”

Veronika tried once again to look at her sister and speak to her, but she pointed at the scene of Speedy and his reflection. The squirrel, as if it could understand the tension, just sat there on the willow’s roots in a trans. It wasn’t sniffing or running around anymore. It just sat and watched the water in such an anticipation one would really think it will jump.

“This is dangerous,” said the reflection. “What do you get if you swim or climb trees that you want to leave me so much? What do you get that you’re ready to lose it all?!”

“You’re just a reflection,” commented Speedy dryly.

“What about your family then?!” blurt out reflection. “So easy to leave and forget.”

“How do you know I am not doing it for something better?” said Speedy defending. “What if I want to find nuts for them or learn to swim to find new treats! You know nothing about my motives, you never care!”

“And you care for theirs?!” returned angrily the reflection. “If they wanted treats, wouldn’t they tell you?! If you cared about them, you would do what they want you to, you would stay!”

“Why should I feel bad for them needing me to stay?! Why should I be the only one who yields?!”

“You don’t know what you’re saying,” said the reflection. “What is yielding for you? You will feel lonely if you leave.”

‘I am not you!’ Ali wanted to shout so loud. The whole forest would hear it. But she stopped for the reflection of a squirrel indeed was him. And then she finally gave in and turned at Veronika, at a view that startled Ali greatly. Staring straight into her sister’s face, Ali could see the heavy breath and red wet eyes that were watching her all this time. And for the first time in a long while, they could tell something to their sister directly:

“If you had to choose…?” whimpered Veronika. “You would really leave?” her eyes filled with tears, lips trembled and the older sister ran away crying, before Ali could even answer, before Ali could even open her mouth.

  She didn’t want to hear the verdict. The eternity old truth of the unfair court called life. And Ali stood there in silence with her own thoughts and cry.

  The willow blew her weeping leaves, breeze stirred the lake’s limpid surface and bent the flowers to bow before its mighty grace. Even the oak branches whispered in the wind. Everything was peaceful.

“I didn’t want to hurt you, Speedy,” Ali sat down next to the squirrel. “I didn’t want to hurt anyone. But…Am I cruel? Or will I grow to it?”

‘Life isn’t fair’ thought the willow. And maybe that’s why she raised her mighty vines to push the observing creature to the lake. Frightened Speedy started kicking for his life. Turns out squirrels do know how to swim. But even as tiny as the lake was, Speedy was tinier and midway through, it became obvious his strength isn’t enough for this opponent. Ali became hesitant, she believed in Speedy and his power to swim, even if kicked and gasped, slowed down, ‘just think about what everything he might discover thanks to this hardship?’ she thought, ‘how much he can learn and explore! He has a space to try now, right?’

But Speedy didn’t look like he could hear those thoughts. He looked stuck, trapped in the water, his kicks and movement became more apparent, more rushed and more desperate every second.

  Ali couldn’t stand that view anymore, she must help him, can’t just stand and watch. Ali ran closer to the lake and found a big branch as if a miracle, it was awaiting her on the ground. She reached out the branch to the middle of the lake. Carefully balanced so that she herself won’t fall, she gave Speedy a lifebelt to rest in, a safe place to land, a moment of hope. Starled, wet squirrel gladly accepted the assistance, it gripped its claws on the wood and waited impatiently for Ali to raise the branch high and slowly and carefully carry it to a familiar ground. After Speedy jumped down, he looked tired but grateful. It didn’t take very long until he became his old, restless, lively self, as if the striking shower didn’t just stir his blood, but also woke him up from the strange, peculiar slumber that tyrannized him since the time the girls role-played. Ali smiled when she saw her friend well and safe. “Bye-bye Speedy,” she whispered as if only he could have heard it. But before she even finished the farewell, Speedy already ran on to the treetops and slowly vanished in the maze of limbs.

‘It’s time,’ thought Ali as she watched the silhouette of their short new acquaintance disappear in the forest leaves, ‘time to talk with Veronika.’

 

Ali walked in the forest, her companions where the moss, that did not yet receive a name, the Twirled Tongues and lot of White Prickles. Veronika always loved White Prickles. And now she found her curled up around them, surrounded by the huddling arms of Gloria Gardeen, protected from the sun by enchanting offsprings of Mrs. Spiky. Veronika didn’t look up and kept looking to the ground, face hidden behind her legs that held her crossed arms, view to right or left covered by strands of hair and ribbons. Ali came closer to her and she sat down next to her.

“What happened there?” came out from the crestfallen curled up ball of Veronika. The voice was partially frustrated, partially offended but most of all insecure. And as overwhelming as the simple emotion of anger was to Ali, she could recognize the fear that subtly accompanied the question.

“It doesn’t have to be two extremes,” replied Ali calmly. “Why do you always have to force me to stay?” the question was tired, greatly exhaled, but calm and genuine.

Veronika answered viciously “I don’t fight!”

“No. you. don’t!” reacted immediately Ali but she was still calm, only more firm and speedy. “Instead, you create pressure, in games, on acts, in moments I cannot address. If you felt so bad after I moved into a new room, just say that.”

Veronika curls up and pulls her knees even tighter.

“I didn’t mean to do that,” she said while she started to sniffle, “I didn’t know I do that,” she sobbed.

“Huh,” Ali sighed and put her hand on her knee. But Veronika continued sobbing.

“I didn’t want to subtly address,” she said, “I didn’t want to address it but…” another big sniffle, “I think, I think I just needed to know you won’t leave me…”  the last word got almost lost in the crack of Veronika’s voice.

Ali turned to face her knees and tried to hug her through them.

“It doesn’t have to be two extremes,” she repeated. “You shouldn’t have forced me to play your schemes.”

Veronika let go of her knees, in split-second clenched her arms around Ali, hiding her head between them, pressing it against Ali’s chest. “You shouldn’t have forced me to play after you yelled,” she sobbed hugging her sister.

The hug surprised Ali as she squatted there, now seized by the grip of the two arms clutching her back.

 “I can leave and come,” said Ali and felt the squeeze of her back grow tighter. But she continued. “I can try to be on my own and be with you” hands gripped even tighter. “I never said I will leave forever” even tighter, “but I will leave!”

Then, silence.

Veronika and Ali both sat like that for a while; in the suffocating hug of a strange force. What a strange force it is, that possess such a power of making mortals be capable of pulling this tight. None of the girls moved an inch. Not even after Veronika finally spoke up after a long while.

“But if you had to choose,” she sobbed, “you wouldn’t leave me, right?”

Ali didn’t answer; in her mind she thought of the squirrel she went to save from a lake. She wrapped her arms around her sister tight. And in that hug, Veronika slowly calmed down.

Author's Note

notes:
- I tried to put bigger effort into describing the scene, I still rely heavily on a dialogue as that’s how the ideas come to my mind, but I tried to think of describing the simple appearance of locations and characters a bit more
- story idea subtly inspired by a short story “False hitchhike” by Milan Kundera
- an attempt to finally ‘write what I know’ (as I noticed I never do that) – I succeeded partially…