Every Fall

There’s always a reason to look forward to a particular season. For some, it’s autumn, and the reason is love.

I’m having a relationship with a tree… or I might be, depending on how he responds to my confession.

That’s an odd thing to say. Nonetheless, it’s the solitary subject that took my mind away from the possibilities of summer. The season next to it is what I look forward to.

I met him a year ago when my mother and I moved to grandma’s small pension house. Despite what she says, nana is weak with age and needed help running the place.

One crisp morning as I was raking fallen leaves in the backyard, I noticed a man standing near the window to the salon. I believed it was a customer so I approached him from the back and called his attention. The smell of mothballs wafted in the air around him as he turned to face me. It tickled my nose and I sneezed. I immediately apologized. As I did, I looked up to see his face and was taken aback by his youthful features and disheveled hair. I had thought that he was a middle-aged man judging from the old-fashioned clothes he was wearing but I was wrong. He chuckled and asked if he smelled that bad. I apologized again and offered him our available rooms. He was declining my offer when I was called to attend to another customer. I waved at him and left.

I woke up pretty early the next morning. It was still dark outside. I was passing by a window when I saw a man standing next to our old elm tree. I squinted through the darkness of the lawn and made out the face of the man I met yesterday. I could see the bare skin of his shoulders, the rest of him hidden in the shadows. I grew suspicious but what happened next shocked me even more. As if gracefully losing his balance, he let himself fall backwards against the tree trunk , the shadows swallowing him until he was gone.

That day, the elm tree held my attention more than anything. How I managed to approach the tree was beyond me. I was probably more curious than I was scared. It was also the lack of foreboding aura that a haunted tree should possess.

I felt its rough bark with my palm.

I felt peace.

“Do you like it?” To my surprise, a chuckling voice asked from the other side of the tree. It was him.

“I saw you this morning. By this tree.” My question sounded more like an accusation.

He blushed a rich red tint “B-but I didn’t have any clothes on then! You saw?!”

I found myself stifling a laugh. My first encounter with a ghost was nothing like anyone would imagine. I assured him that the shadows covered most of him.

“So you’re haunting this tree?”

His smile grew warmer and his eyes looked peaceful.“No. I am this tree. I’m glad you came over to get to know me.”

That was the start of our friendship.

We talked about many things and how he came to be. In the autumn season, he leaves his physical self; the elm tree. He mentioned that staying in it through the fall season would be the end of him. He’s not a ghost after all. But what really mattered to me was that I’m happy staying beside him. I found the peculiar thumping in my chest quite absurd. Even so, it’s there and I know it’s real.

And now, at this moment, with this letter, I bring forth my feelings. I anxiously watched his face as he read it.

“I’m sorry…”

Time stopped for me. The only thing that existed was my heart which banged loudly against my ribs.

“There’s someone… I’ve loved for a long time now. And I believe, this would be my last autumn with you…”

With that, I lost the strength to face him again.

Autumn ended.

Grandma’s condition was deteriorating. My mother and I grew busy taking care of her and I could only hope I would forget my pain soon. All through winter, I stood by grandma’s side. She called me to her bedside one morning with a soft smile.

“The spirit of the elm tree leaves its body every fall… and must get back to it before the first frost.”

I was stunned. Whatever it was that I was trying to bury deep inside me all welled up to the surface. I rushed to her side and cried. So Nana knew.

“He’s quite shy but energetic isn’t he?”

I nodded, still sobbing, my face buried on her chest.

“He’s gone now…”

My eyes shot up to her. She was looking away, outside the window. There was still the elm tree, branches covered in melting snow.

“He stayed outside his body all through winter… This morning, he said goodbye.” Not saying anything more, she rested her head and slept.

That same afternoon, she left us. I stood beside the elm tree after the funeral. Today, my loss is more than one.

I felt my mother’s arms wrap around me. “You had a great friend… And nana, she had a great love.”

I looked up, eyes wide and cheeks still damp. Mother smiled down warmly at me and with it came my realization.

“He… Knew she’s leaving...” My voice cracked as my eyes flew back to the elm tree. For a brief moment, I recalled his face back then, the first time I saw him standing by the window.

Not going back to his body to stay beside her… That idiot tree.

“Nana made him promise not to appear before her again when she got married. Stubborn, isn’t he?” Mother chuckled softly. “That’s what she said when he showed up this morning…”

I couldn’t help but smile as I picked up a golden leaf underneath the snow and tucked it in my jacket pocket.

The autumn marks the beginning of the end after all. Although the leaves have fallen, the memory will stay.

Author's Note

This was an entry for Hero TV Forums' fiction-writing contest. It was my first time joining and the theme was "Autumn" with a 1,000 word-count limit. I really had fun making the entry, I hope you have fun reading it ^^ Comments will be greatly appreciated XD