The Apple Tree

The sun was going down the hills, showering its golden rays on the farm. Grandpa Jim was inside the old barn with a garden hose doing his daily rounds of evening watering. “The kids will be here in two days” he said as he poured water on my roots. I looked up at the golden sky through the roofless barn. I have been living inside this half-ruined barn for nearly fifteen years. It must have been a bird who dropped me inside this lonely old barn as a seed. My only company was the birds who come visit me every spring to eat my apples. But things changed when grandpa Jim bought the farmhouse. When he bought the farmhouse, he had an option to remove me and renovate the barn, but he chose to keep it as it is and built a new barn for his cows. The old barn doubled down as a cover to hide me from outsiders who might steal my apples.

Grandpa Jim has four children and his grandchildren used to visit him during their spring break every year. It was the happiest I have ever been in years. He has ten grandchildren living across the country. The only time the cousins got together was during their spring break. It's all fun and frolic when the kids are here. Grandpa Jim will pluck the apples at my lower branches to make jelly, which was the kids’ favourite. They play games where they climb me and see who can get the most apples. Young Adam, who is not allowed to climb, uses his catapult to get the apples and he is an excellent shot. James and Lisa are the oldest of the lot. They used to sneak out at night and sit under me with midnight snacks, talking about their high school crushes and helping each other out with tips. I listen to their stories and it's really funny sometimes. What's even funnier is how little Evie asks me to drop some apples for her and how she gets mad when I don’t. It's too cute. Oh Evie I would love to give you some apples but I really cannot do that.

I eagerly wait every year for the kids. I always make sure to make as many apples as possible for the kids. Grandpa Jim is always surprised by the amount of apples I make. The kids even gave me a name, Appie.

It was the day for the arrival of the kids. Grandpa Jim told me they will arrive in the afternoon. As usual he plucked some of my apples to make jelly. However, it was evening and they still had not arrived. Maybe they will come tomorrow, I thought. Days passed and the kids did not come. Grandpa Jim used to talk to me everytime he watered me. But, this is the first time he kept silent. I knew something was wrong. After a week or so, around 6PM a car pulled up. I was excited as I thought it might be the kids. But it was his four children.

The mood was grim. From what I've heard from grandpa Jim, ever since he bought the farmhouse and moved here after the death of his wife, his children never visited him. They were all busy with their jobs in the cities and had barely enough time. In fact, the only times they wrote him a letter were to inform him about the kids coming. So there has to be some purpose behind their sudden visit. The lights in the house stayed on past midnight. I could not make anything of what was happening inside the house. They seemed to be in some serious discussion and their voices rose every now and then. After about half past twelve, his children left. Grandpa Jim was asking them to stay for the night, but they refused. As they were leaving he stood by the doorway and waved at them. But they didn't wave back. After they left, grandpa Jim stood by the doorway for a while.

The next morning I was anxious to hear from grandpa. When he came for his morning watering rounds, I was heartbroken. Grandpa Jim was an optimist and happy guy, but this was the saddest I have ever seen him. He didn’t say anything but his eyes reflected his pain. I heard him talking to the newspaper guy, something about writing a will.

After that spring grandpa was never as cheerful as he used to be. He sold half of his cows, he rarely came out during the day, he did not visit the annual fair which he never missed. All day long, he sat by the window looking out into the distance. Some nights I even heard him cry.

When the next spring arrived, I grew out my apples ready for the kids. But they did not come. The next year was also not any different. Grandpa Jim stopped talking to me. He used to enjoy watering me, but now he is just doing it as if it is his duty. I started feeling lonely again.

It was a winter morning. A few cars pulled up to the farmhouse. I was overwhelmed with joy to see the kids again. James and Lisa were much older. But for some reason, their faces looked sad and they were dressed in black. It took a while for me to understand that Grandpa Jim passed away. After cremating him, they came to the farmhouse to lock it. Before heading back little Evie came and stood by the barn door. She came to check for the apples. I was devastated.

Years went by and I was alone again. My only company were the birds and squirrels and my memories with the kids. After grandpa Jim’s death, his children decided to put the farmhouse for sale. But nobody was willing to buy the old farmhouse in the middle of nowhere.

After a few more years, a car came into the farmhouse. A man in his late twenties stepped out of the car along with, who seemed to be, his wife and children. It must be the new owner, I thought. He unlocked the house and went in. After a while he came out with his wife and kids and walked towards the old barn. When he entered the barn, I was shocked. I just could not believe it. Or better, I was not ready to believe. It was James!

He was much older than the last time I saw him. Now he has his own family! He smiled at me, oh I wish I could smile back at him. I was almost as happy as the good old days. If I had eyes like the humans’, they would be filled with tears right now. James wanted to make this his summer home.

The following spring the farmhouse was brimming with activity again. James held a get together of the cousins. Every single one of them visited with their families. The old barn around me was taken down and they constructed a little platform for me. Lisa grew up to be a beautiful lady and was the mother of three children. Little Evie was a university student but still looked cute as ever. Adam was working and came with his pretty girlfriend.

They sat on the lawn grilling barbecue, watching their kids climb me to see who can pluck the most number of apples.

Life was good again.