The Eternal Pear Tree

With my mother’s incurable disease, I end up with only one solution. The last doctor I saw told me a certain witch could probably help to treat her. He told me the dean of the village had a map that led to that so-called witch. So I went to see her.

— I heard you have the map that leads to the witch who cures the incurable. Could you give it to me?

I asked her.

— She’s not a witch, but I do have the map you want. It’s in the attic, you’ll find it easily. It’s in the green box with a pear shaped lock.

Her sentence wasn’t even finished when I was opening the trap to the attic. The dean walked in the same direction that I ran. She yelled at the bottom of the stairs.

— Tell her that Mary Mayer says hi!

She laughed in amusement, then somewhat whispered.

— Oh! Youth nowadays… Always in a hurry.

I looked all around the attic and I finally found it. The locquet wasn’t locked so I could open the box easily. The map was old, the oldest map I had ever seen. I could see our village, a small house and a pear tree. Our small town was way smaller on the map than it was now. I guessed the small house was where I wanted to go. Under it was written ‘apothecary’ which led me to believe I was right.

— It must be there!

I ran back home and packed everything I thought we might need along the road. I borrowed the mule of a neighbor and put my mother on it. We started to head toward the apothecary right away. I was surprised how easy the road was even with my sick mother. It was in no way the arduous journey I was told it would be. Until a storm broke off which led me to a small stable. I laid my mother in the dry hay. We stayed there until the storm passed. When we woke up the next day there was a young boy, around my age, who was staring at us.

— What are you doing here?

Asked the boy.

— We got caught by the storm and went here to find shelter.

— Where are you heading to now?

I showed him the map, a little drenched by water.

— We’re coming from the village and we want to go to the apothecary. My mother really needs treatments.

— Oh, then you strayed from the right road. We’re closer to the Eternal Pear Tree than the apothecary. I can escort you for a little while if you want.

I nodded and we walked together for some time. When we could finally see the little house from afar, we splitted ways.

— That’s as far as I go, good luck with your mother!

— Thanks! I hope to meet you again on my way back.

— I hope to see you soon too.

He smiled and ran back down the road we just took. We yelled our farewells. I then continued my road towards the small house. Soon after, I was knocking on the door and waited for an answer. I knocked once, then twice, the third time I thought I might have traveled here for nothing. I was about to turn around and go back home, but the voice of an old lady got out of the house.

— I’m coming, I’m coming, no need to be impatient.

She opened the door. It was an old lady with a sweet but mischievous face. Her clothes reminded me of a traveling gypsy I once met in the village.

— Hello! Are you the w… the apothecary?

— I’m the daughter of the apothecary. But I believe you found the right person. Why did you come here?

— My mother has a disease no one seems to be able to cure. I was told you could possibly find her a treatment.

The old lady’s eyes sparkled.

— It’s been so long I haven’t treated a patient!

She seemed so thrilled to hear about an incurable disease. It was almost frightening.

— The villagers thought you were dead.

— Who started such a rumor?

— The last person who came back after seeing you didn’t speak a word after his return. People either thought you became wicked or you died.

— Are you talking about Larwin?

I nodded. She started to laugh at the top of her lungs.

— He didn’t talk afterward?! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! He’s so stupid!

She couldn’t stop laughing.

— What happened to him?

When she wasn’t laughing she had an amused smile as wide as it could be.

— He said I was an evil, devilish, wicked witch that uses black magic to cure people. In other words, he annoyed me. Ho! Ho! I was so angry at him, that I gave him a mixture that made him talk with a high pitched annoying voice. Hun! Hun! He was so embarrassed that he stopped talking and went back to the village. He! He didn’t realise that the effects of the mixture were temporary!!! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!

I couldn’t hold back my laughter. We laughed together, until I thought about my sick mother…

— Uhm… What about my mother?

— Come in, come in, I’ll explain everything to you.

I got my mother off the mule and left the animal in a safe place where he wouldn’t run away. We entered the little house.

— Do you have something to pay for the treatment fees?

— No, I don’t... I spent almost everything we had on the doctors’ fee.

— It’s all right, I actually have a request that can cover everything for you. This year, the Eternal Pear Tree has grown a single fruit as it does every one hundred years. I was about to pick it off, but since I need to take care of your mother I won’t have time to do it. If you go there and harvest it in my stead, I will treat your mother for free.

I jumped and hugged the old woman.

— Thank you! Thank you so much! I’ll go right away.

I ran outside and realised I forgot to say something. I turned to face her. The old lady was there, but she was too far away to hear me so I yelled.

— By the way, Mary Mayer says hi!

I continued on my momentum and rushed to the pear tree. I could hear the woman yell.

— Wait…!

But I just kept going. I assume she must have said something like 'young people nowadays’ afterward. I arrived at the tree soon after. It was way bigger from up close. There was a ladder, so I climbed it to help me get in the tree. I looked everywhere in it, but there was no pear to be found. I got off the tree and sat on one of its roots. I was in despair. My only hope was gone. That’s when the young boy I saw in the morning showed up.

— Why are you alone? Did something happen to your mother?

— Oh, no! I left my mother with the apothecary, she is in good hands. However, the old lady said to grab a pear from this tree to pay for the fees, but I couldn't find it.

— This tree never even grows any fruit. I believe she sent you to a wild goose chase. I have an idea to help you. Come pick apples from the orchard with me. I could give you some of them to pay for the fee.

— Your… You’re sure you won’t get in trouble for it?

— No, most of the apples rottens before we can sell them… It goes to the pigs.

— I’ll help you for sure then!

We both went to the orchard and picked up all the apples we could. After a few hours we had filled many baskets with all the fruits we picked. The boy said I worked enough to take a basket.

— Do you want to come with me?

I asked him.

— You helped me so much, it would be unfair not to see the results.

He nodded and we went to the little house together. I didn’t have to knock this time, the lady opened the door before I even put my fist on the door.

— I’m sorry, I couldn’t find the pear… It wasn’t there… So we picked up apples to cover the fee.

She laughed.

— The pear disappeared. Ha, ha, ha!

— It’s not funny!

— Just come in. Both of you!

I felt a bit bitter, but I entered her house anyway. My mother was seated on a chair and looked a lot better. There was someone next to her I didn’t expect to see there. It was our village’s dean.

— Old lady Mary!?

— Oh, rushing little child. You didn’t listen to any of us in your hurry. I would have told you I was going to see my old friend Anny the medical herbalist. A great healer.

— And I would have told you that my old friend Mary, since she said hi, might want to come visit me and get the pear beforehand. Also, notifying me of her well being would have been enough to cover the fee. Thanks for the apples though.

— At least, your little escapade gave us time to prepare pear jam.

— Start the treatment for your mother.

— And to bake bread to go with the jam.

Both the old ladies laughed together. I asked them.

— What’s the story about the Eternal Pear Tree? Why is it so important for both of you?

— It is said that the ones who taste its fruit for the first time will live to taste it a second time.

— And if two people eat it together…

— They will stay friends forever!

The two ladies seemed like children trying to finish each other's sentences.

— You can’t be both over one hundred years old…

— I’m 112.

Said Mary.

— I’m 114.

Said Anny.

— I’m 12.

Said the young boy.

— And she’s 14.

Said… My mother!? We all laughed together.

— So, let’s eat, shall we?

The old ladies put a little bit of jam on slices of bread and gave it to everyone, except for my mother who got a piece of bread without jam.

— You won’t taste the pear?

I asked her.

— No. I don’t need to live over 100 years old. I would only drag you down.

I was disappointed, I would have loved to live a hundred years with my mother.The young boy had a completely different question in mind.

— If the first time you eat it, you live until you can eat it twice, what does the second time give you?

It was Mary who answered.

— The thing we couldn’t get during all those years since the first time we tasted it.

— I don’t understand…

This time it was Anny who spoke up.

— You’ll understand when you get older. I won’t spoil you the surprise.

He faced me.

— Are you ready to be my eternal friend?

— Let’s see about it.

Everyone took a bite in their slice of bread. Some had a good idea of what the future was holding for them, but me and the boy, we had no idea what to expect. Only mysteries were in front of us.

To be continued?