Emily's Tree

Emily                          

The apple tree in my old garden

My special place is an apple tree in my old garden. It was a huge tree that stretched into my neighbour’s garden as well as my family’s. It was a secret place as I was the only person who took an interest in it. It had a jagged bark and pure green leaves. It always smelt fresh and had a flat branch which was perfect for reading. I used to take a book up into the knotted branches and sit there for hours, lost in a world of letters. Or hide in it from my parents when it was time to do homework. Or duck down below the bowed branches, spying on my neighbours as they sat on a bench drinking lemonade, acting suspiciously!!!!

I remember when I was about four or five; my Dad used to play with me there. He was the monster and I was the victim, and the tree was my castle. Or the tree was a five star hotel and I was a guest there. Or I was trying to escape the tower of doom with a snoring beast below me (my dad!). That tree holds many special memories.

When I first see the tree itself, the first thing I always notice are the colours of the apples. They all are awash in green, although a few have a hint of rosy red. Then I climb the tree, taking in the fragrant scent of the apples above my head. I dodge several spider webs, covered in sparkly dew. The whispering of the leaves is made apparent, as they giggle silently. Once I am seated in the bowed branches of the tree, I can feel the scabrous bark grabbing hold of my clothes viciously and I hear the occasional gentle thud of an apple falling helplessly to the ground.

All is peaceful………………….until my neighbour’s dog pads outside. Lord Commander Woof immediately senses my presence and starts barking commands at me. I sigh and hear my neighbour come out. I retreat to the velvety leaves until all is quiet, before slowly crawling out again.

The apples in the tree were always unripe or rotten, but one year it was different. It was a hot day and my family and I were eating lunch outside, when suddenly our neighbour started a conversation across the wall. We chatted politely for a while before the subject of apples came up. ‘They’re really good yer know’ she called. ‘Me ‘an Jim ‘ave tried ‘em and they’re delicious!!’ I remember her smacking her lips together at this point! My mum ran to the tree and picked up a windfall that wasn’t too badly damaged. She then went into the house for few minutes (obviously cutting it and washing it) and returned with it half eaten. ‘They’re delicious’, she said wide eyed. ‘Absolutely delicious!!!!’ We stared, before running to get one ourselves. And indeed they were.

That was the summer before I moved house. I couldn’t take the tree with me as it is bound tightly in the earth. But I will never forget it. Nor the memories. Never…………………………………………………..