The Apple Tree

The old man awoke early in the morning to a sunny day. He felt strong today as he bustled around the little house getting ready to go to the general store and buy his groceries. Finishing off some reheated coffee, he tucked two cloth bags under his arm and headed out. This strength he felt was a narrow window of opportunity that was closing a little more each year as time went on. He hurried along the dusty road greeting the occasional passerby. The store was in view now. Grabbing the handrail, he climbed carefully up the old paint chipped wooden stairs to the porch. The storekeeper; a young man who had recently taken over the business greeted him warmly as he entered.

“Good Day Sir,” the young man said. “Nice and sunny today.”

“Indeed, and is not one to miss,” the old man conjectured.

Having finished the shopping and saying so long, he headed home, deciding to take the short cut through the apple orchard. The orchard always brought back memories of his youth, running among the young saplings. The trees had been planted as a new nursery when the old man was just an infant.

The sun was rising higher in the sky now as the old man walked down the hill along the dried stream bed that divided the orchard into two sides. He struggled with a bag in each hand loaded with groceries. Perspiration appeared on his brow as he walked carefully, avoiding small boulders and loose pebbles. His shoulders ached now as he rambled on. Finding a flat rock, he put the bags down to rest. An old tree watched him, wishing he could put his burden of apples down like the old man. The trunk was knotted and twisted, looking like a shriveled old face. The old man felt the envious stare of the apple tree. It had been a rainy year and as a result the apples were huge and the limbs of the tree practically touched the floor. They stared at each other for a few minutes reminiscing about the past. Finally the man said, “old tree, let me relieve some of your burden,” and picked a few big apples from the heavy branches. The tree raised its limbs a little in relief, very appreciative of the old man’s kindness. As a mild breeze blew through the leaves of the tree the old man clearly heard a whispered “Thank You.”

Jim - Jan. 2019