A WOMAN IN A TREE

I met this woman in a tree. She sat on a high branch staring down at me. I stood on the ground, about to pee. I wondered, what was she doing in the tree? Bear with me and soon you'll see. As she descended from the tree to the ground, her beauty and vivacity astounded me. Her openness and honesty, her personality and vitality captured me immediately.

But I was embarrassed and chagrinned and began to walk away when she called to me, "Hey, don't go away." She laughed in a devilish way. Her long, uncombed hair tossed uncontrolled, sparkling like strands of gold in the bright sun overhead and said. "My name is Glory." She said it simply, invitingly.

I stood transfixed as she talked. She was strange, seemed deranged but not insane. Her words spilled out fast, she cast a spell on me.

"The reason I climb trees is to relive my childhood memories and, at the same time, forget what troubles me. Can you understand?"

I nodded yes, tried my best to figure out what she was all about. She laughed, said, "No you don't but you will. Say, what's your name, anyway?"

"Pete," I said. She laughed. "What irony! Do you believe in coincidence? Do I make sense? Your initial's P. It rhymes with what you were about to do and T for tree and G for me. It was meant to be. But now I'll tell you about the tree, Mister P."

For the first time I saw her frown, her lips turn down, her blue eyes glisten with tears as I listened. "My father and I were at the sea, Dad had taught me how to swim until I was as good as him and he swam professionally, He spotted an island far from shore. A sandy beach, a tall oak tree. The water calm. the ocean blue. 'Want to try it?' he said. 'I dare you.'

"We dove in. 'Let the race begin,' he shouted loud. I never doubted he would win. He always did. But suddenly the sun hid behind a cloud, the sea churned, the waves tossed high and suddenly we were lost. Then the sun returned and burned our eyes, I lost my way. Dad did too. The mighty oak faded from view. waves heaved high as Dad and I plowed on without hesitation toward our island destination, uncertain where it might be. We swam and swam and treaded water, dreaded that we might drown as the sun came down and night consumed the once bright sky.

"Dizziness robbed my consciousness. I felt my self plunging down. Was I asleep or was I dead? Suddenly, I was on the beach, the mighty oak overhead. I called to Dad. He was not there. I climbed to the top of the tree and saw Dad futilely trying to swim to me. I shouted into the blackened sea. Hopelessly. I watched the Dad I loved go down. I saw him drown. And that was all. Well, not quite. When night gave way to a sparkling day the sea was calm as a plate of glass, as smooth as a new-mown field of grass.

"Now. when I'm high in a tree. I can see and hear my Dad calling me. 'Glory!' was his name for me. I wait for him longingly. And now you know why I climbed that tree."