While Waiting for Mother

The two girls walked hand in hand out of the school building, down the sidewalk to the colossal Laurel of India. Massive in both width and height, it had dark green leaves coating dozens of branches. With a strong brown stem, dark as the leaves, it stood proud before them. To them, the tree was a heaven of wonder, and they, small and awed, looked up. Did they dare conquer it?

They wore white school uniforms: pleated skirts and navy blue shoes and berets. One was six, the other barely four. The eldest, tall and skinny, energetic and messy, was determined to climb up, while her little sister, her beloved and precious doll looked at her horrified. Petite and chubby, neat from toes to curls, determined too, she told her sister, “Meg, I won’t.”
“Come on, Rosie!”
“I won’t, I won’t.”
“You can do it!”
“I can’t and won’t.”
“ Of course you will”
“No. I won’t. I’m scared.”
Meg, looking lovingly at her sister just sighed and hugged her.
“All right then. Don’t move from here, ok?”
“I won’t. You’ll tell me what you see?”
“Of course, Rosie. Indeed I will.”

And sighing again, she began to climb. Up she climbed, farther and farther until the tallest branch, looking down at Rosie, assuring herself that her little sister was well.

Rosie, from the ground, followed her big sister, the brave Meg, with her eyes, until she lost her among the green. “Good luck Meg,” she thought as she wondered what new adventure her sister was to live. Then she felt cowardly and alone, and she cried.

Not ten minutes had passed; for Rosie a lifetime, for Meg just a blink. Rosie waited, her tears watering the tree, feeding the stem, nourishing the leaves. And the tree, being grateful, drank her sorrow through its roots, converting it to gayety as it rose up to its crown. From the crown Meg felt it and her spirit rose higher still and then she lived such joyful adventures, forgetting she was up on the tree. From being kidnapped by pirates, she had been taken to the moon, met dwarves and pretty fairies and the mermaids of a pool. Suddenly her trip was over; she was called back to earth…

“Meg! Meg! Come down this instant. Never, ever again leave Rosie by herself. Do you understand?”
…and thus ended her dreams.
“Yes mom, I’ll be right down.”
And she climbed down from the tree.
“I’m sorry Rosie, I love you. I lost track of the time. Let’s go home with mother.”
“Y-es Meg,” Rosie sobbed. “But please tell me what you’ve seen.”

They walked away from school, away from the Laurel tree. Hand in hand the little sisters, their mother letting them be. And Meg brought back all her adventures, from the moon down to the sea. Rosie, bewildered believed her every word, as she always did. Her brave big sister Meg, would she ever be like her? Would she ever dare climb up the tree?