As the years fly by...

Keeping aside the things you want to do, to live your life according to the wishes of others isn't good. After all, time flies mercilessly; people will come and go, but you've got only 1 life...

Young Amelia stood by the window, peering out with her tear-brimmed eyes. The older children in the neighbourhood were having a blast, for they were allowed to climb trees, run freely in the grassy fields and walk by the lake.

   "You're just too young for all that Amelia!" said he mother as the little girl groaned with all her might.

   "But Tom's allowed to go outside and climb the tree in the yard! He's only nine years old, and I'm ten!" she replied in disdain. He mother let out a sigh.

   "Oh, well, perhaps I'd have let you, if you were a boy. Tom might be a year younger than you but he's an awful lot stronger. I'm sure he won't fall off."

   "What's wrong with me then? I'm strong enough! I helped Aunt Esmeralda carry a big box of paintings to the second floor. That's a pretty hefty job, isn't it?"

       "Oh, Amelia, will you ever stop this fuss? You will not climb trees, do you hear me?" With a quick stare at her husband, who was resting on the couch, she said, "Leave that to the boys, they have the little monkey instincts."
She left the room, giving Amelia a look of exasperation.

                     Amelia's father gave a laugh. "Wait till you're twelve, my girl... you can climb as many trees as you want."

The little girl wiped her tears and forced a smile. "Yes, then I will be a lot stronger... and you can be sure I won't fall. And guess what, father, I will climb till the branch at the top. All the boys will stare in awe, for no one has ever been able to do such a thing!"

A YEAR LATER...

Eleven-year-old Amelia sat on a large rock by the gigantic tree in the yard, watching the teenagers quarrel.

   "I bet no one can climb to the very top of this beastly tree", quaffed Edward, who was fifteen. "it's simply impossible!"

    "I can, but right now, my legs are aching", said thirteen-year-old Colin, who was evidently bluffing.

    "Oh, but no one can beat my record!", sixteen-year-old Vince exclaimed with pride.

    "I bet little Tom can, when he grows older, though", remarked Hilda, who was also sixteen. Vince looked hurt, but he knew that was the truth. Tom, although young, was a quick and agile climber. He was close to meeting Vince's record, but just then, his foot slipped, and he slid down the tree at full speed.

                                       Amelia, who felt very lonely, decided to move a step further.

"I'd like to try climbing the tree..."

"No, Amelia, you can't", came an instant reply from Edward. Vince nodded at the scorning Edward, and a hefty sigh of disapproval from Hilda followed.

"Amelia, wait till you are twelve", said Tom, her brother, with a cheeky grin.

"Be quiet, Tom! I'm older than you anyway. And, I'll jolly well wait a year... And I'll stun you all!"

With that, she stormed away, leaving the rest in a fit of laughter.

ONE YEAR LATER

                          "Come on Tom you're doing great!"

Tom was reaching for the branch at which Vince had set the record.

"This time, I'll do it, for sure!" He shouted down. He managed to catch a glimpse of Vince. His face was stern, though he was absentmindedly clapping for the boy. Surely, he couldn't have looked happy. Tom glowed with pride within.

    Just then, a frantic squirrel scampered down the tree, stamping on Tom's face for support. The boy yelled and once again, he slid down the tree, landing right on his feet. His face was filled with painful surprise.

Everyone consoled him, and everyone was disappointed- Except Vince, who pretended to be sad.

     Tom said in his own good-natured way, "Well, curse the squirrels... They must hate me trying to beak he record as much as Vince does."

Everyone laughed- even Vince.

"Now, it's Amelia's turn."
Amelia's face shone with glee. "And now, prepare to be conquered, dear tree!"
Amelia lifted the edge of he dress and tied it up. Her bare legs looked as strong and ready as she was. She rolled up he sleeves and set both feet on the tree's enormous roots. A lot of people from her neighbourhood, gathered around, interested to see what the girl was up to.
 "Goodness! The girl's going to climb a tree!"

 "Disgusting! She's tied up her skirt in such a weird manner!"

 "Pray she doesn't fall!"

  "What a creature she is! Look at he way she's rolled up he sleeves. And doesn't she care about the fact that she's a girl? Girls don't climb!"

    But as soon as she reached for the fist branch, the girl was stopped by a familiar voice.

"Amelia, get down from there this instant, young lady!" Her mother's voice boomed amongst the crowd.

The girl climbed off immediately, her face pale with fear.

Her mother approached her angrily. "Put down your skirt you shameless girl!"
The woman's eyes were filled with hot tears. There were laughs from the crowd, and cries of insult were poured at both of them. "What a beastly girl this woman has brought up."
          "Both deserve to be whacked!"

         "Well if the girl is this shameless, he mother should be too!"

Amelia's mother gad a strong personality. She addressed the gathering,"Well, I don't approve of the fact that girls should climb trees either, and I've already warned my daughter enough. She's had this dream at the back of her head for years now. And about bringing her up, it was I who once told her to follow her dreams. She did just that. And if you people can't see it that simple way, then I'm terribly sorry. For you."
        Amelia stared at her mother with surprise. Had she changed sides? Had she stood up for her daughter although she'd deliberately disobeyed her?

          When the crowd of people subsided, her mother looked at her with a calm expression. "Amelia, dear, people have their own opinions, you know. And they all see girls as frail little creatures who spent time indoors knitting or baking."

         There was a short silence. Tom and the others had gone to someplace else in case the scoldings extended to them too.

           "But, now that you've said all that, I think they've changed their minds, Mother."

            "Amelia, you are so naive... Do you think it is that easy to influence a bunch of people? Besides, I've told you not to climb tree, for God's sake! Why don't you go pick a few flowers from our garden and make a bouquet for your father? Or join your friends in making beaded necklaces. I could arrange_"

              "No Mother, it's not what you think! I'm not that kind of girl. maybe the others in our town spend time under the shade of our wonderful trees, but I just can't force myself to do that. I've always wanted to do this, and I just need you to agree with me once", the little girl pleaded with tears cascading down her red cheeks.

"God, I've never seen a girl cry like this to just climb a silly tree", said her mother, placing a hand on her forehead. "All right. Just once, at this year's tree-climbing fest that the lot is holding. What a silly thing it is, goodness! And then, this matter shall never arise between us. Is that clear?"

Amelia nodded immediately, a smile brimming the edge of her mouth.

A FEW MONTHS LATER... 

          "The annual tree-climbing fest has been declared open! The farther you climb, the better you become"- announced young Colin, who was very proud of his motto.

"Amelia, would you like some cake?" asked Hilda from her cake stand. She was in charge of refreshments. Amelia didn't answer. She was engrossed in the large tree she was about to climb. She ran her fingers over the hard, grayish bark.

To any adult, this sight would have seemed curiously funny- the fact that the most important thing for that little girl was that tree.

But within her heart she found the most prestigious thing that had ever happened to her. She loved that tree with all her might.

            "Ah, Vince. Time for you to climb, old chap!" called out Edward, who was looking forward to the competition. Vince strapped a pick-axe in his belt. He rubbed his hands and looked up. Almost all the youngsters in the town had come to cheer for him. His best pals, his worst enemies, the girls in his class... of course he was bothered about the first two.

           "And here I go!"

Up went Vince, straight up like a panther, his technique almost flawless. The cheering grew louder. 

The moist surroundings after the cold winter rains brought in the soggy, mysterious scent of the woods to the spectators. The branches created a gentle creaking noise as Vince dashed up them with a hard face. 

              After fifteen minutes or so, he reached the point of his record. His hand reached for one of the higher branches, and he clung to it with all his might. The crowd gave a tremendous applause to him. There were only about ten feet more to scale the beast when Vince's arms gave away. He slowly jumped down to the nearest branch below him, and climbed down with expertise. 

              His friends cried out, "Well done, lad! We're proud of you Vincie!"
              His enemies, in the meantime, cried out, "You gave up! There were only about eight feet more, and you gave up!"

              The breathless Vince gave a smile of ecstasy to his cheering friends and said laboriously, "I did... my best... would've let go... if I went further!"

              Colin had his chance and he climbed only a few feet before he gave up.

A lot of other boys had their go, but none could reach anywhere near Vince's new record, or his old one.

Amelia watched all the events with interest, waiting quite impatiently for her turn. Every now and then, when a boy came to climb the tree, after some cheering she would yell, "Hurry up!" and "We don't have all day for you" and "I could knit a frock by the time you got forty inches off the ground."

              At last, it was Tom's turn. The boy who went before, Damien, walked up to Vince and Edward and whispered something to them. Edward looked troubled, but Vince marched up to Tom and said, "Tom, you know the branches are a bit wet, don't you?"

"Yes, why Vince?"
"Well, Damien says that it was hard for him to climb. The branches were creaking in a horrifying manner. We ought to rethink allowing else to climb."

             "WHAT!!" shouted Tom in horror. "No, you can't stop the competition Vince! You know that."

Vince frowned. "Fine, Tom. I know you want to try and beat me to it this year, so I'm going to be fair to you and allow you to climb. But be careful- be ready to land on the lower branches in case any branch breaks_"

"Fine, I'll take care of myself, thank you."

             Cheers arose in the crowd for Tom, though not as loud as Vince's cheers.

Tom began climbing, and Amelia cheered with all her voice. His arms were indeed very strong, and they threw his body up the tree, fast. His sister tried her best to learn Tom's technique that she would lack due to her poor experience.

            Tom's speed enthralled the spectators- even Vince was biting his nails.

"Tom, you can do it! Come on Tom!"cried Amelia. The crowd followed her example.

             And Tom, who looked as agile as ever, reached the branch where Vince set the record. He let out an ecstatic scream that sent Vince's face go pale. Vince looked very much like he wanted to cry.

             Tom glanced up at the final ten feet. He lunged for the higher branches, and he caught hold of one with ease. 

Winter rains had done the high branches more harm than poor Tom had dared to imagine. His fingers were fixed on the branch, but the weak branch couldn't hold his weight and gave way.

             The squeals and shouts of joy from the crowd changed to screams of terror as the poor boy fell down the tree, undisturbed by the foliage. Amelia shut her eyes when his body landed. In front of her. The members of the crowd scattered about, some running to the boy who had fallen, others searching for help. And some like Amelia, who stood there with her eyes shut, barely breathing, barely thinking, in her own world, trying to escape from reality.

            Had her little brother just died? Had he fallen straight down the two-hundred foot tree she had dreamed of climbing? Was the cool sensation on her foot the blood that had sprayed from her very own Tom?

           Later, she would weep. For many reasons.

She would weep on hearing her parents sobbing and wailing.

She would weep for her dear brother whom she'd loved as much as she loved herself. His face would stain her memories, and she would live with his screams lurking in the depths of her mind.

But she would also weep for her days of dreaming of climbing that tree was over. The tree she had loved. The tree that had betrayed her.

Reviews

[matrixmark]

I really like your dialogue. Very crisp, the beginning conversation between mother and daughter was cute. I dont normally read theae type of pieces but, it was a refeshing change to have read this. I like the way in which you structured it - inching forwards in time and making the reader eager to see what would happen next. Tour grammar skills are really good, enabli g the reader to fly throught the piece without having to re-reas a sentence.

OMG! WHAT A SAD SAD ENDING. I wasn't expecting that.

Mark.

[Namrata Nandagopal]

Thanks Kripa...
I'm so grateful for the support you give me. Haven't met you, but your still a great friend☺️
Simply love your works too..👍🏻👍🏻💕

[Namrata Nandagopal]

Thanks for your reviews!
Oh.. The sad ending... I usually don't do that but I just wanted to experiment with a bit of tragedy.😅
I'll try making things less tragic the next time I write something. Thanks for enlightening me on the reader's view, Mark!!

[Kripa Anna Cherian]

Hats off girl.. You are really good.