Harvesting Acorns

by Deirdré Amy Gower

  One afternoon, while they were walking home together from school, they passed through the park. As they got midway, they both stopped at the same time and turned to look at each other. Without having said a word to each other, or having been looking in particular, they both knew in a moment that this was the place they were going to plant their tree. It was a public park, so they knew they would need permission and they wanted their tree to be safe. They ran home to Grace’s house, her mom would be home. They burst through the front door and ran through the house, finding her in the kitchen. Together, in their excitement they rushed out their plan. Grace’s mom told them to slow down and tell her one at a time. Joel said Grace could explain, which she did. Her mom said that they needed to go to the Conservation Department and speak to someone there. Once they knew if it was a possibility, they could take the next steps from there. They begged and pleaded until Grace’s mom agreed to take them to make their enquiries.

  At the Conservation Department, Grace’s mom said she would wait in the reception area, and be there if they needed her, but this was their project and they needed to make the enquiries. The Conservationist, Mr David Carter, was so impressed with their speech. He said that the park was a conservation area and he would need to take this up with the committee. He felt personally, that there was space to accommodate a growing oak, but they would need to look at water supply and what it meant for the surrounding vegetation. He doubted that the committee would allow anyone to plant in the area, all activities in reserves went through strict procedures to be approved, and usually planting of trees came through suggestions or recommendations from within the department – not from children with an idea or dream. Their story had touched his heart somehow and so he would find a way to present it to the committee. He would get back to them in a week or so.

  They felt a little despondent, but Grace’s mom told them that the Mr Carter’s positive view on their request was a good sign so they should not give up hope just yet. Also, they still had time. The acorn had not begun to sprout yet, so they just needed to be patient and trust that it would all work out. They agreed they would not worry about it and would not harass the department. If they had not heard anything within six weeks and they were ready to plant their tree, then they would check again. In the meantime, they would keep a look out for possible backup places to plant their tree.

  As it turned out, they did not have to wait too long. Within two weeks the same conservationist, Mr Carter, called and asked if they could go and see him. When they arrived, almost bursting with anticipation and a mix of hope and dread, he called them into his office. He told them that the committee had approved on the grounds that in years to come, a giant oak would be an asset to the park in the form of shade for picnickers as well as a beautiful attribute to the scenery. They agreed that the dam provided enough water for both a tree of that size as well as the other vegetation and did not pose the threat of drying up as it was in a good catchment and rainfall area.

  So, they could, under strict supervision of their procedures, plant their tree. They would be taught everything, from the correct methods of uprooting the shoot from its pot, correct depth and width of the hole they were to dig and how to care properly for it once planted. The department would also build a protective fence around it while it was still young and vulnerable.

  Joel and Grace were beside themselves with joy that they both jumped up and hugged Mr Carter. He was caught completely off guard but beamed with compassion for these spirited children with a dream. He had had dreams too as a child, some of them had come true, others had not, but they still were a big part of him, and this showed in the way he dealt with Joel and Grace and their dream.

  David Carter was a good man, a husband and father of three. He had been in conservation for twenty years. He had started out as a feisty ranger, determined to be instrumental in putting an end to poaching. He had loved working with animals. As his family had begun with the birth of his first daughter, he had felt he needed more time with them and less demanding time in the bush and had taken on more of an executive role. He loved his quality time with his family, but at times he did miss his time in the wild as opposed to sitting in an office controlling conservation of town parks and reserves.

  He had quite a bit of opposition during the committee meeting regarding Joel and Grace’s tree, but he had stood firm, and eventually the majority had agreed with his argument for the planting. He knew it was against normal regulations but had managed to provide good enough reason to persuade most of the committee members, besides the few staunch believers in strict regulation and never bending. It turned out that the majority could relate to the dreams of the young.

  It was late spring and the acorn shoot was about twenty centimetres high. It was time to plant. Joel’s parents helped him take the pot to the park where they met up with Grace and her parents. The entire committee from the Conservation Department was there – with spades, compost and watering cans. Quite a crowd had also gathered, along with a newspaper reporter. This really was a first – children granted permission to plant a tree in a reserve. Joel and Grace proudly planted their tree while everyone watched. When they were done, the conservation team built a wire enclosure around it to protect it from the park wildlife. A newspaper journalist came over and asked Joel and Grace’s parents if they could do a small interview with the children, just a few questions about their idea to plant the tree and its meaning for them. They gave their explanations perfectly as their parents watched proudly. The following day the article appeared with a picture of the two of them helping each other put the tree into the hole that had been dug for them.

  Chloe interrupted the story to ask if a copy of the article might still be available. Grace said she had a copy and went to fetch it while Joel continued with their story.

  Their friendship had strengthened even more from there. They walked home via the park every day to check on the tree. After a while, when they saw that it was thriving well on its own they agreed that they would let nature care for the tree without their interference. They had planted it with their dreams in mind and their intentions for the tree, but from here on out they needed to let it go and let it be. They would check up on it from time to time, and they made a pact that from then on, they would meet on the first full moon of spring every year to celebrate the planting of the tree, to remember their dreams, and celebrate their promise to each other always to be friends.

  Chapter Six

  This pact and their promise were not too hard to keep during the first few years. They were both still at the same school and lived close to each other. Their friendship remained solid throughout the remainder of their school years. At thirteen they were still as inseparable as they had been at ten. They still spent every day, except Sundays, together – either on the beach or at one or the other’s home.

  At sixteen they attended their first school dance, together, as partners. They really were a perfect couple, gorgeous to look at. Many of their peers at school were jealous of their friendship and tried to come in between them. Joel was attractive, and all the girls adored him. But he had eyes only for Grace. Grace always kept her serene sense of self. If she felt it, she never displayed insecurity at the attention of the other girls. She had such faith in Joel and his character. The boys also tried to win her attention, but soon learned where her heart was. They also knew better than to get on the wrong side of Joel when it came to Grace. He was so protective of her. Never jealous, he trusted her completely, but his concern for her was evident.

  That night, under the full moon, beneath their tree, they had shared their first kiss. It had been a magical evening. Grace had looked so beautiful in a pale pink satin dress and Joel had looked dashing in a light grey suit. Grace’s parents had fetched them from the dance and agreed to drive them to the park on the way home at Joel’s request. They waited in the car while Joel went around to open Grace’s door and then took her hand and led her through the park gates. They had walked along the ed
ge of the dam, holding hands and talking about the dance, and how they had enjoyed dancing together. Then Joel had led her to the tree. He turned to face her, took both of her hands in his, and told her to close her eyes and remember their dreams. While her eyes were still closed, he leaned in and kissed her softly. She wasn’t at all surprised. He just felt her smile briefly against his lips, and then she returned his kiss. He then took her hand and led her back to the car.

  At eighteen, and the end of their high school time, the first test of their friendship arrived, and their first real heartache. Joel was going away to study. He wanted to become a marine biologist; this was no surprise to Grace, or to anyone who knew him and his love for the ocean. He would still be home every holiday, but it was going to be a huge adjustment for them not to be able to see each other every day. Grace was going to study music and art locally. She promised to wait patiently and faithfully for him and he promised that she would always be the only girl in his heart. The day he left was almost unbearable for them both. They had spent the whole day and evening together the previous day. Sitting and walking on the beach, picnicking under their tree, talking and reminiscing about their friendship. They promised that they would do everything they could to keep up their spring full moon tradition. Tears streamed softly down Grace’s cheeks as she stood and watched the man she loved drive away, out of town, and out of her life. Not forever, but it felt as if it were going to be. Joel stared out the back window as his father drove, watching Grace waving until they were out of sight. He fought back his own tears, but knew this was what he had to do for now. He would be back for her as soon as he was done, when he could build a life for them. He knew then already, that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with Grace.

  They wrote to each other often, every day at first. Joel told her all about the university, about the friends he was making and his dorm room and noisy dorm mate. Grace would tell him about her music and art lessons, and how she was improving. They would always end by telling each other they missed each other and with ‘friends forever, no matter what’. As they were maturing, they realised that their friendship was the basis of everything. The romantic part of their relationship had come later as they had grown, but they always reminded each other of the friendship that had come first and was most important. The ‘no matter what’ for them was a reminder that whatever happened to them romantically or in their lives, their friendship was what was important, what needed to keep standing and not be shaken by life’s tempests. It may have been naïve of both of them to believe that, but their pact was what would save their friendship time and again.

  The first year was difficult. They missed each other tremendously. The letters were frequent and their love poured out into the pages. As promised, Joel made it home for spring full moon and they celebrated beneath the tree with a moonlight picnic. Grace brought the picnic basket and blanket and Joel lay with his head on her lap as she played with his hair and the caught up with all that had been happening in their lives over the last months. It was as if they had never been apart. They were so confident in their love for each other and their friendship; nothing could come in between them, not even the distance. Joel would tease her about how she was blossoming into a magnificent woman and how he hoped she was practicing her home making skills for when he came back for her. They were going to sail around the world together and then come back and set up home – but she would still need to be able to scrub decks and prepare the fish he caught while at sea. She ruffled his hair and made sure he could see her mock disgusted look and they burst out laughing.

  The second year was a little easier, they had got used to being apart. They still wrote, but once a week. They were both very much into their studies by now and their workload had increased. They found these distractions made the time go faster and Spring full moon arrive earlier. Again, they shared a magical evening beneath the tree and the stars. Grace brought her violin and played her perfected rendition of Schubert’s Ave Maria. Joel was brought to tears by the emotion that Grace put into her playing. She really had a talent, and he made his own silent wish that her wish of all those years ago would come true, that she would perform in Carnegie Hall. She had also brought a framed drawing for him. It was of the park with their tree. It was now ten years old and already a proud looking tree. It would be another twenty years before it would produce acorns, but it was flourishing in its environment, as was the love between Grace and Joel.

  Their time together was really special and unencumbered by all the usual expectations from love and romance. It was natural and free and thrived on their mutual respect and trust. They were quite unlike all the other young men and women their age. It was the 60’s and free love was the flair of the times. There were many temptations surrounding them, but they stood strong in their values. They knew they would be each other’s first, but had mutually decided to wait until they were twenty-one. It had not been easy, not with a love like theirs and with the intensity of how they missed each other. By their next spring full moon, they would both be twenty-one.

  The third year was a little more trying. They were both stressed out with their studies. Joel was in the final year of his Bachelor’s degree. He still had another two years to go, but this was the last chapter of one milestone and was very demanding on him. He was not able to write as often as he would have liked to. Grace understood, but found it hard having less contact. She was also stretched with music eisteddfods and working on her art portfolio.

  On top of this was the anticipation of their next spring full moon and the significance it had for moving their relationship to another level. They were both excited and terrified. Their friendship had progressed steadily over the years, from childlike friendship to romance. This next step was gigantic and there would be no going back from there. It was a commitment to each other of a vastly different kind and could affect their friendship in so many ways. Grace knew with all her heart that Joel was her man and she trusted him more than anyone, so she knew he would never do anything to hurt her. It was just that they both knew that their friendship would lose its childlike quality that had been so uncomplicated.

  However, they also knew that there was no one else on earth with whom they would rather share that experience. Joel was anxious about how he would be able to say goodbye again when he needed to leave. How he could share a moment so precious with Grace and then walk away from her, leaving her alone. There was so much to consider, he never ever wanted to hurt her or cause her a moment’s pain or sadness. He decided to stop worrying or planning, and just see where the moment led them and that he would gauge Grace’s emotions and follow her lead. Even though they had planned this for a long time, he Joel didn’t want to rush her or make her feel pressured or obligated. He loved her too much and would wait forever if he needed to.

  The evening arrived and they had their traditional moonlight picnic under the tree. Later, Joel took her to the seaside cabin that his parents had for when family arrived from out of town for holidays. His parents had been letting him stay there on his visits home now that he was officially an adult and needing a bit of privacy and time alone.

  He told Grace to close her eyes and helped her out the car. Then he picked her up and carried her up the three small stairs and into the cabin. He positioned her in the middle of the living room and then said that she could open her eyes. She gasped as she took it all in. He had lit candles all around the room and had soft music playing. He popped the cork from a bottle and handed her a glass of pink bubbly champagne. He proposed a toast to their night ahead and to their future. He told her how much she meant to him and how he absolutely adored her. Tears streamed down Grace’s cheeks as she moved towards him. He took her glass and put both his and hers on the table and asked if he could have the next dance.

  They held each other close and danced slowly, magic glittering in the spaces between them and intoxicating them in transcendent bliss. Grace took Joel’s hand and led him towards the room. Slowly they undressed each oth
er and he laid her down gently onto the big white bed. He cupped her face in one hand, and then traced it down her neck and arm until his hand met hers and he entwined his fingers with hers. The connection between them sparkled with years and years of love and growing passion. Their lovemaking was sweet and shy and they both knew in that moment that their hearts would be bound forever. They spent the rest of the weekend together in the cabin, just loving each other and cherishing every moment they had together. Joel would be leaving on the Monday morning but neither of them mentioned it, trying just for two days to love obliviously. They knew this would be the hardest goodbye they had had to endure this far. They also knew that missing each other was about to magnify in intensity.

  That Sunday evening Joel drove Grace home. He took a detour and took her for a long coastal drive. They both sat in silence, a dark gloom filling the car. When they got to Grace’s home she could barely look at him. He got out to open her door and as he helped her out she had flung herself into his arms and sobbed into his chest. It was the first time he had ever seen her so heartbroken and not composed. He had seen her cry before, but always with a maturity and understanding of the situation that she was sad about. This time he saw the utter despair in her eyes and felt it in the wrack of her sobs. He just held her for what seemed like forever. He did not want to let her go. Then all of a sudden, she pulled herself away and told him that he should not come the next day to say goodbye. She did not want to go through this a second time, and then she turned and ran inside.