The Tree With Edible Branches

Elliriana Maria-Flora Carvella Montenegro (Elli to her friends, Dorkface, dorkie, dorkaroony, or dorkatoon to her brother) tapped her phone. She was hanging precariously over the safety rails, putting all her focus on that magical snap about to happen.

The picture she was about to take was easily the most delightful thing she'd ever seen. She'd framed it beautifully; the soft cascades rolled down the well worn rocks that had stood centuries of civilizations and spread open over an expansive river that, in this snapshot at least, was a clear foamy yellow that you could almost drink.

"Get a move on Dorkface." Her brother chose that perfect photographic moment to nudge her unceremoniously out of the way. "You're not the only one who wants to enjoy the cascades."

"And we queued 3 hours to get here. So fuck off." Elli replied petulantly, taking the time to frame the photo once more.

Alejandro Juan Carlos Carvella Montenegro Junior (Alex to his friend, F*ck Off, Screw You, Stop That, Don't Call Me That, Don't be a D*ck, or Bambam to his sister) sighed heavily in boredom.

"And we queued up 3 hours because everyone was selfishly hogging the platform to take the exact same photo you can get off the net. So why not look up and enjoy the view with your own two eyes?"

Elli did. Not because he was right (he never was) and not because she was done taking the photo (she hadn't) but because that beautiful yellow foam had turned green. Suddenly it wasn't quite the same picture she'd had a moment ago. Why couldn't he understand her need to turn an elusive moment into something tangible and accurate to remember for the rest of her life?

"Water is green." She said sadly before looking up at her brother with big round dark eyes. She'd waited so long for this moment, it would be terribly unfair to walk away now, "Can we just, give it a second? Please?"

Alex was about to argue. Instead, he leaned his far taller, older, more elegant frame against the railing, dejected, giving her a moment more to stare at the small pitiful waterfall. "Don't know why you want to take a stupid photo of some stupid water, anyway."

He couldn't stop himself. He was acting like a dick. He knew that. They'd come all this way to witness some of the last natural wonders of the world, yet here he was bored. But something about these last few days had left him feeling despondent, and he couldn't quite put his finger on why. The whole point of this trip had been to spend a few weeks with Elli before he left for University. Allow her to marvel at wondrous things she'd read about rather than seen.

Of course, he'd told Elli that their parents had forced him to take her.

Alex shook his head, trying to dislodge the unease he couldn't place. Maybe it was the tall megastructures surrounding the pitiful waterfall, making the cascades feel small and irreverent. Or the throng of people standing below the scorching sun, snaking their way around the small enclosure, trying to take a peek at the once wild creature now standing alone amongst the mechanical housing spreading for miles.

Those apartments are worth a fortune, Alex thought. Maybe one day, he'll buy one for Elli. Maybe.

"Sorry Dorkface, time's up. We've only got time to see one more wonder before we leave tomorrow, and if we don't leave now we won't see much of anything."

"But I didn't get my picture." Elli's lower lip juts out just so, a small adjustment that has worked in getting her way with her brother around 67.87% of the time.

"So remember with your eyes." He replied, wanting to leave this place as quickly as possible.

"It's not the same Bambam, and you know it."

"Hey, at least you got to see it with clear water, thinking of all the suckers who have been queuing for 5 hours just to see green slime slugging over some rocks."

Elli intuitively moved as Alex herded her along, years of experience letting her know when a battle was lost. They walked down from the platform, allowing the next set of visitors to take their own inane picture, quickly losing themselves amongst the throng of an ever-rising populace.

Alex tried to cheer up her sister as they started to move away, "Come on, you get one more natural wonder, what's it going to be?"

Elli's wide eyes shone unnaturally in the setting sun, the silver reflecting back and almost blinding Alex, "I was, sorta, hoping we could go see the woods? Maybe?"

Alex made a face: "The woods? Oh, come on, dorkie. We've seen like 5 trees already. How are 5 clumped together going to be any different?"

"Well, actually, it's only four, but..."

"Right, so you've seen one more than the whole woods put together. Why don't we go check out the pear tree instead?"

His sister's face was only half listening. She started limping slightly from a misplaced bone in her left knee. But she didn't want to complain in case Alex threatened to take them both home. She played back the conversation in her head and replied: "The pear tree? What's a pear tree?"

Alex got a little more excited. Maybe he could show her something truly wondrous! Something that wouldn't leave him feeling so glum; "I read about this right, it's like a tree that, you know, grows these things call frueets that are pear flavoured, and you can eat them. Right off the tree. Made OF the tree! Wild, right?"

"I don't know... seems a bit... organic." Elli is really only half paying attention. That twinge is starting to ache in her left toe. She should have listened to mum and brought spares.

"Come on. It will be an experience. A woodland you can see from any picture, but taste? Now that's something you can brag about at school. Maybe even tell the grandkids one day. If you ever find a big enough dork to build children with." He winks at her and notices for the first time that she's walking unevenly.

He doesn't say anything but moves a little closer, making a quick analysis of the situation: "Your left knee is oscillating again, isn't it?"

"No." She squeaks and gets a centimeter shorter.

Alex lets out the natural big brother sigh that borders the realm of love and annoyance: "Just stop." He leans down and starts making repairs. It wasn't too bad this time. Alex growled mentally at his dad for not keeping up with Elliriana's body program payments. But then, getting Alex to university had always come first.

As Alex carefully and covertly cut through the synthetic skin. He promised himself that once he had cybertechnic degree he'll pay for her to have the most beautiful body ever. And that apartment. Maybe even pay the fine for allowing two children to go to university instead of one and give her a real chance at a life outside these stifling repairs.

Elli knew what he was thinking. Always so conscious of things he couldn't control. It was no more her bad luck to be born second, any more than it was his good luck to be born first. Life was chaos, and none of his computer programs could teach him that.

To save them both from the awkwardness of their thoughts, she looked back at the beautiful waterfall she had been unable to capture.

"You think we'll ever see the cascades again?" she asked with a catch in her voice that wormed its way into his heart.

He tried to remove the unease from his soul in his reply: " 'Course. It's a natural wonder Elli. Brings in millions of tourists from 'round the world. It's been there for millennia. It will be there when we bring those dorky grandchildren of yours with us. It's what we do dorkface: humans protect natural wonders. Emphasis on Protect. No one would be stupid enough to get rid of it. Not any more 'nways. Brings too much money."

He brought out a small toothpaste tube of a clear film that quickly covers the broken area of skin he'd had to cut to get to the gears within. His small gesture of brotherly love was enough to convince her to allow him to get his way.

"OK, fine, let's go find this tree with edible branches then." She smiled, knowing how much this all meant to him.

"Cool! It's going to be wicked, I promise!" Alex feels like maybe, this time, the end product will live up to his expectation.

And if not, he'll just have to take her to the VR park when they get home.