By Ronnell Kay Gibson
Excitement skitters across my limbs as I peer over the tops of all the other trees. I can see six-year-old Ruby Sue get off the school bus in front of her house and run straight into the woods. Toward me. Her friend.
Here in the easternmost part of the Berkshire Mountains, on the edge of Berkshire County, Massachusetts, I’m surrounded by red maple, sugar maple, black birch, and eastern hemlock, but I’m the only white birch tree.
Maybe that’s why Ruby picked me and calls me her BFF.
Today she’s donned a tiara and cowgirl boots. A thick white sweater covers her princess Halloween costume. She stops, cranes her neck to look up, and shouts, “Hi, Birchie.”
She tries to scramble up my slanted trunk, but her boots slide on my soft bark. I angle my trunk just a little lower, and she’s able to climb up.
“Thanks.”
Ruby Sue tightrope walks across my lowest limb—still a good eight feet above the ground—until she’s almost hidden among my golden-colored leaves. She plops her tush on the branch and swings her little legs over the side.
“Birchie, you won’t believe what happened in Mrs. Kay’s class today. Hudson dared Sooley—you remember Sooley, the one who pulled my braids yesterday?”
I rattle my leaves. I sure do. That Sooley kid is nothing but a troublemaker. He comes up with some new way to harass my friend almost every day.
“Well, he dared Hudson to eat paste. And Hudson did! Then Hudson threw up all over Mrs. Kay’s circle rug, and Sooley had to go to Principal Tanner’s office.” She slapped her knee. “What a day, Birchie. And let me tell you the best part…”
In full animation, Ruby Sue relates story after story of her adventures in first grade. My visits with Miss Ruby Sue are my favorite part of the day. Otherwise, my life is just an endless stream of gossip between the birds and the trees.
Rocks suddenly fly past me. One hits Ruby Sue in the arm. “Ouch!”
Two boys sneer up at Ruby Sue, more rocks in hand.
She turns around and rubs her arm. “That hurt, Sooley.”
Sooley cackles, then elbows the boy next to him. “Look, James. It’s scaredy-cat Sue in a stupid tree.”
Ruby grabs a tighter hold of my limb and twists to face her tormentors. “I ain’t no scaredy cat.” I can feel her heart thumping harder and faster. “And don’t call Birchie stupid. He’s my friend.”
“All those stories you tell at circle time about Birchie—Birchie’s a tree? No wonder you don’t have any real friends.”
James scoffed. “How can a tree be your friend?”
“A friend is always there for you. Birchie listens to my stories, protects me from the sun, gives me good advice… and watch this.” Ruby Sue shimmies over to a place where there’s a big bunch of branches and starts tickling where they intersect. I can’t help but laugh. My leaves rustle with the sensation.
A huge grin plastered on her face, she shouts, “He’s ticklish!”
Sooley doesn’t look impressed. In fact, he continues to scowl. “Looks like you found a tree as weird as you.” He hurls another rock at Ruby Sue. It barely misses her.
“I’m telling, Sooley.” She stands and starts to shimmy off my limb. The next rock that nasty kid throws hits her in the stomach and she doubles over, loses her balance, and slips. I try to catch her, but I’m not quick enough.
Ruby Sue falls to the ground.
On reflex I pull back one of my lower branches and whack Sooley and James in the stomach with a bunch of leaves. The force knocks them on their butts.
James scrambles to his feet, his eyes wide. “That tree is alive. Sooley, let’s get out of here.”
I’m about to smack them again, when lightning flashes, followed by a crack of thunder which startles us all. Rain pours down.
The two boys pull their jackets up over their heads and run off.
I check on Ruby Sue. She’s still breathing, but barely. My leaves try to shake her awake. Nothing.
Guilt ravages me. I’ve failed her. My only friend.
I take all my branches and bend them down till they’ve made a covering over her. At least she’ll be drier.
“I’ll take care of you. I promise,” my leaves whisper in her ear. “I love you, Ruby Sue.”
I stay like that for I don’t know how long, watching over her, till—over the sound of the torrential rain—I hear someone call her name.
“Ruby Sue! Where are you?”
It’s her father. Her mother is with him, they’re just at the edge of the clearing.
Her mom pulls her drenched coat tighter to her chest. “Honey, how are we ever going to find her in this storm?”
“We will. Have faith.”
Suddenly they switch directions. I can’t let them leave. Keeping my limbs over Ruby Sue, I rustle all my leaves hoping to make enough noise to catch their attention. It works.
Dad puts his hand on his wife’s arm. “Dearheart, look at that tree. All the leaves are red.”
What? I inspect my leaves. Sure enough, each one has changed from gold and is now blood red.
Mom points at me. “And its branches are bent in the shape of a heart.”
They look at each other, then start running. They’re a few feet away when they spot their daughter.
“No!” Mom drops to her knees and strokes my young friend’s cheek. “Ruby Sue?”
Ruby Sue moans.
Dad bends and swoops his daughter into his arms. “We gotta get her home.”
As Dad carries her from my canopy of leaves into the rain, Ruby Sue lifts her hand just enough to finger one of my red leaves and whispers, “I love you too, Birchie.”
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Oh my gosh, what a GOOD story. As a Southern kid who had a friend tree: this hit so good. I love it.
Thanks, Faith! Trees are faithful friends for sure! I spent so many hours sitting up in them playing or reading.
Such a heartfelt and creative story!
Thanks, Jim!
All the feels. Great story!
Thanks, RJ! Much appreciated!
This is such a beautiful story! Birchie’s a loyal friend, for sure. ❤️🌳
Aww, thanks, Rose!
Great story! With such a unique point of view, I wondered how a tree could protect a young girl. I loved the conclusion!
Great story! Loved it’s location. ❤️
What a fantastic story! I cried a few tears at the end. You did such a great job making me feel like I was right there in the rain!
4 stars for creativity!!