Branches

by Jeff Baker

Bernie was standing there at the front window staring across the street at the neighbor’s lawn. He didn’t hear his boyfriend Tim until he was right beside him.

“What’s up?” Tim asked, putting his hand on Bernie’s shoulder.

“Huh? Oh, nothing.” Bernie said.

“Glad they did all that when we were away at work.” Tim said, looking at the neighbor’s lawn.

An old grey tree had been cut down in the neighbor’s yard, the thick trunk laying in pieces like thick wooden nickels at the edge of the lawn and even in the street.

“They’ll be hauling those away in the next few days,” Tim said. “I hope!” He grinned and kissed Bernie’s cheek. “Be a relief to get it out of the street, right?”

“Mmmm? Oh. Yeah.” Bernie said.

“Hey, what’s with you?” Tim asked. “You okay?”

“Oh yeah,” Bernie said, turning to Tim with a wistful smile. “Makes me think of when I was a little kid. Granddad had a couple of old trees in their yard cut down. Left the chopped-up logs in the front yard for about a month. Not in the street though. Then one weekend all the grandkids came over. Me and my brother and my cousins. You couldn’t keep us away from the chopped-up trees.”

Bernie smiled at the memory.

“We loved it! We played on the stumps, on the chips on the ground, on what was left of the branches. It was a castle, stepping stones across a river, part of a space station. Even the top of a tree city.” Bernie said. “Hey, we were all grade-school kids. Should have known better but we didn’t. Hey! Grade school kids!”

Tim laughed and Bernie joined in.

“And, of course, we all got really dirty. Little wood chips all over us.” Bernie said. “And bugs. Of course we got bugs.”

“Of course,” Tim said.

“Grandma had us take off all our clothes on the back porch and she shook them all off and sent us inside to take baths and showers. Boys in the bathtub, girls in the shower just off Grandma and Grandpa’s bedroom.” Bernie said. “And she washed all our clothes.” Bernie laughed again. “We were all spending the night anyway and we all got in our pajamas right after showers. Baths. Whatever. Actually kind of fun!”

“I’ll bet!” Tim said, smiling.

“Anyway, Grandpa ordered pizzas.” Bernie said. “And I don’t think any of our parents ever found out. Geez! This was back in the Seventies…Grandma and Grandpa would be…what? In their hundreds right now.”

Tim and Bernie hugged and then stood and stared at the tree on the lawn for a few minutes.

“Wanna go play leapfrog on what’s left of that tree?” Tim asked.

“Not a chance!” Bernie said. “How ‘bout we order pizza?”

—end—