My small memories

just bits of memories i remember about my boy in the tree.

As I ran through the bush I could hear him behind me, he was laughing, my mum and dad didn’t like me using the bush as a shortcut to get home, but with Nicholas at my side I felt safe and we always followed the path. “Hey wait up” he called as I jumped over a log on the ground, I was 8 and I usually came first in races, I loved to run, I loved the wind on my face and how I had to only focus on where I was going and how to get there, when I ran its like I was in another world, I could still hear people and respond to them but my mind slowed down, it analyzed what obstacles I had to overcome to get where I was going. I didn’t want to slow down, but Nicholas didn’t know the slim path like I did, didn’t know what direction to go when it came to the fork in the road, so I slowed down till I came to a slow stop. “Is this why you always win at chasey?” he asked stopping beside me.

“You know were nearly there” I said pointing further down the path, the bit of the bush we had stopped at was burnt down, this bush always got burnt, every year some idiot would destroy it by lighting it on fire, I hated it, I had grown up finding secret cubbies and climbing trees and they had nothing better to do then burn it, it always grew back fast though, that was the best bit about it, then there were new places to explore. That’s the only time I strayed from the path, when I went exploring.

Nicholas walked over to the tree that was slatted over the path, before the fire I had used to climb it, when you got to a certain height you could hide in the branches and see the path, but anyone on the path couldn’t see you. He rubbed his hand over the blackened bark and when he brought his hand back, his tanned skin was pitch black were it had touched the bark. He walked back to me and wiped it on my white shirt “Hey” I said pushing him away, I rubbed and the black mark on my shirt trying to get it out, mum was going to kill me, she’ll know that I was in here.

“It’s only a mark” he laughed, his smile growing bigger, I couldn’t help but smile too, his smile always cheered me up, whenever I was sad he would cheer me up.

We walked the rest of the way out of the bush hand in hand, as we approached my house we could see that his mum was there to pick him up, it had been fun, playing with Nicholas all day.

As his car drove away I saw him wave from the backseat, we would see each other again tomorrow.

~~~

Three years later

~~~

“Come on it’s not that far” he said pulling my through the bushes, we had been walking along a gravel path and the next thing you knew he was dragging my through the trees, “Come on it’s just a little further, I promise you’ll love it” he reassured me, as we broke through the leaves onto a board walk I took a look around trying to place where we were.

“And we couldn’t take the path?” I asked brushing the dirt off my shirt, I reached over to him and pulled a stick out of his hair. “It would have been, less……..well shrubby” I continued as I brushed myself down, when I looked back at him he was standing there looking at me.

“You’re evil, you know that right” he said pointing at the stick I had removed from his hair, at my confused look he continued “his name was Bob, he was my friend” he said then he smiled and burst out laughing, I smiled back and gave him a small shove, he took a step back and then tried to stop laughing, he grabbed at my hand and pulled me along the board walk. “It’s nearly time come on” when we got to the end of the board walk Nicholas took both my hands looked at me, all the laughter in his eyes was gone.

“I, I need to tell you something” he said looking down “My granddad, the one who just died, he left us his farm in the will”

 “yer.” I said wishing he would just say what he was going to say

“And well, mum decided for us to move out there, she misses the farm life see” he continued tightening his grip on my hands “so umm were moving out to Gidgegannup”

I couldn’t believe it, I wouldn’t believe it, no, he couldn’t be moving, he belonged here, I felt a tear run down my cheek, I had known him my whole life, we had been together our whole lives, his brother Christopher had protected both of us when we needed it.

“What?” I managed to chock out.

 “I’m moving” he repeated, he pulled me in tight for a hug, one of our last hugs. “Look” he said looking out over the boardwalk, the sun was setting; it looked so beautiful as it touched the water, we were in the local nature preserve, he told me he came here all the time with his brother. With one hand holding mine and the other on the railing he looked out at the water, the setting sun touched his face and I felt another tear roll down my face.

He looked over at me and smiled, I smiled back, I would never forget that smile, never.

He pulled me in for a hug again and more tears rolled down my face, I could see he was crying too, he lifted my face up to his so I was looking into his eyes, he drew his face closer to mine and we kissed, it wasn’t the best kiss, but it was my kiss, I would always remember that kiss on the boardwalk at sunset.

My first kiss was my last.

“When are you moving?” I asked once five minutes of starring at the sunset had past

“Tomorrow” he replied hugging me tighter

~~~

1 year later

~~~   

“Hey mum, the board walk is just over there, can I go, please?” I begged as mum started to drive away, I quickly pointed out the driveway and she pulled in, she told me I have five minutes, I walked into the reserve slowly, looking around at the surrounding bush, I heard some birds in the distance as I continued to walk along, I walked along the gravel path looking for the small gap in the surrounding bush, when I saw it I wriggled my way throw, once on the other side I was on the begging of the board walk, I looked out at it and remembered the only other time I had come here, we stayed for an hour then went back to his place for dinner, I remember seeing all the packed boxes and knowing it was real, he was leaving, he left.

I remember that meal with him, his mum cooks better Lasagna then mine.

I looked at were the sun was, ten minutes till sunset was my guess, it was a long board walk and I would never make it to the spot in time if I walked, since he had left I hadn’t done much running, I just couldn’t focus the right way anymore. I looked down at the ground and then back up at my target, I started running, my running turned to sprinting, in a few minutes I was at the end of the board walk, I bent over huffing trying to catch my breath again. I put my hand on the railing and smiled, that kiss was still mine.

~~~

A few months later

~~~

“Hello”

“Hi, is this Nicholas?” I asked through the receiver

“Yer, who’s this?”

  “It’s Paula” I responded trying not to break into tears, mum had managed to get their phone number, I was never really good at making phone calls but this one was one I had to make.

We talked for about an hour about the things we remembered and how life was now; it was his answer to a simple question that ended whatever hope I may have had for things to go back to normal.

 “So who do you hang out with now?” I asked my cheeks sore from smiling, even though I couldn’t see him I could still picture his smile.

“Ehh, mainly just my girlfriend, she’s the coolest”

That was his response, I think a part of me broke inside, I had stayed true to him and he had gone and got a new girlfriend, when he hung up I burst into tears and ran into my room, never had I felt so broken.

He had given away my kiss.

~~~

3 years later

~~~

Coming home from the holiday I couldn’t wait to see my friends, but as we rounded the corner I was in for the shock of my life, my shortcut was gone, along with the whole bush, it was still ‘there’ but it was all knocked down, who could of done this, so many of the neighborhood kids hung out in there and we all had such wonderful memories, why did they do this?

I went from a sudden happiness to utter disappointment as I realized that I would never run through the bush again, never go exploring again, all those memories were just that memories I would never be able to make more, never be able to climb the lookout tree again.

---

I went back to that school were we meet all those years ago.

What would you say if I told you they cut our tree down?

That you can never be my boy in the tree again.

But I still love you.

Author's Note

they cut down our tree!!! they cut down our bush!!! and they put a lock on the reserve gate!!! the reasons, the school thought it was a danger, the councle calls it progress and there was too many vandles.