Harvesting Acorns (5 page)

The
next office had a sign on the door: EDITOR. No guessing that this was going to
be her new office. Edward gestured to her to lead the way.

“It
is your office, after you – you may invite me in, if you wish.” He chuckled
again.

Chloe
slowly opened the door. It was such an executive looking office, with every
gadget imaginable neatly set out. She had floor to ceiling shelving and she
could already imagine all the research books she would collect filling them.
She had a huge desk and a desktop computer with an enormous flat screen
monitor. In one corner was another water cooler, a filter coffee machine and a
glass-fronted bar fridge stocked with fruit juice, sparkling flavoured waters
and wine (she assumed for end of week winding down). There was also a
well-stocked basket of biscuits, dried fruits and nuts as well as a bowl of
fresh fruit. She knew that working overtime would be a pleasure with such
luxurious amenities. She didn’t realise she had been ogling the office
wide-eyed, and was oblivious that Edward was watching her, an amused look on
his face.

“I
take it this pleases you?”

“Most
definitely! I can’t wait to begin,” Chloe glowed. She greeted the other staff
members and left. She would have an early night, she would be meeting James in
the morning – and most likely every morning for as long as it took for the
first acorn to fall and for James to share his story.

C
hapter Four

For
the next few mornings she sat with James under the tree. As he wasn’t about to
share the acorn story just yet, Chloe asked him about all sorts of other
things. ‘How old are you?’ ‘Where do you go to school?’ ‘Do you have brothers
and sisters?’ The answers to these were brief: ‘Eight years old.’ ‘The primary
school is three streets up.’ ‘No, I am an only child.’ He did not volunteer any
information other than what was asked.

Chloe
decided to tell him a little about herself, seeing as though he seemed to be
the quiet type of child. She told him where she had grown up; about her school;
and what she had enjoyed doing as a child. He listened quietly, not commenting
much at all. She asked him if he played any sports or what he did as a hobby.
He replied that he liked to ride horses and swim. He did not play any other
sports at school and took a bit of disapproval from his teachers for this. As
for hobbies, he liked to draw and write poems about all the things he saw when
he was outdoors. Chloe told him that she also liked to write about things that
she saw, they had something in common. James smiled and asked if she would like
to read one of his poems someday. Chloe told him that she would like that very
much.

After
five days of sitting under the tree, making small talk with James the big
moment arrived. If she had not been there to experience it and had merely been
told of this momentous event, she never would have believed it to be true.
Rather something out of a fantasy fiction novel. They seemed to stop
mid-sentence without knowing why. The wind picked up suddenly and blew across
the park. The ducks flew up out of the pond and everyone around them clutched
their jackets close, packed up their picnic goods and headed for their cars. A
great gust blew through the upper branches of the giant oak and then in a
moment, all was still. And then it happened… an acorn fell, right in front of
where James was sitting about two feet away.

They
both sat in silence just staring at the acorn, neither daring to move. Silently
James got up and went to fetch the acorn. The anticipation for Chloe was almost
unbearable. Finally! She was about to hear the story of the mysterious acorn harvesting.
She felt wonderful and very lucky to be a part of this special event. She didn’t
know why, she didn’t even know what it was about – it could be something very
childish for all she knew. But she didn’t think so. She felt that somehow she
was being let into a magical secret that no one else had yet been allowed to
witness. It felt mythical and like she had stepped through a doorway into
fantasia.

James
turned around, still silently. If he felt excitement he did not show it. He was
so calm and collected. He carried the acorn like it was a diamond. He inspected
it thoroughly for a few minutes. Then he placed it in a jar of water, waited
for a few seconds, took it out and threw it away. Chloe was dumbfounded.

“James!
We have been waiting out here for days, you have been waiting even longer, and
you throw it away! I don’t understand.” She couldn’t help sounding frustrated,
and felt a little guilty.

James
looked at her and then back at the tree.

“It
wasn’t healthy. It would never sprout. Healthy acorns sink, unhealthy ones
float. That one floated. There was no point in trying to plant it.”

Chloe
took a few seconds to mask her disappointment; she was so sure all the waiting
was over.

“So
now what, we wait again for more acorns to fall?”

“Yes,”
James replied, “but it won’t be long now. Mature oak trees produce about two
thousand acorns per year, but each acorn has only a one in ten thousand chance
of growing into a mature oak.”

Chloe was amazed at how this little
boy knew so much.

“James,
how do you know so much about acorns? Do you read up about them?” she asked.

“I
do now, a little bit, but most of what I know is from the stories my
grandmother and grandfather have told me.” James really spoke in a manner way
beyond his brief eight years.

“I
must go home now, it is almost time for lunch and my mom will be mad if I am
late. I will see you tomorrow.” He picked up his cooler box, said goodbye and
hurried off before Chloe could ask any more – about the acorns, and why his
grandparents had told him stories about acorns. This really was all very
puzzling for her.

This
enigma had begun to consume her every thought. She found herself impatient to
meet James under the oak tree every morning. The next two days were eventless,
no more acorns fell. Chloe learned not to push James for information until he
was ready to share. It took every ounce of her patience to just sit and wait,
most of the time in silence. It was also rather cold sitting outside waiting. They
were now already two weeks into the first autumn month and it was confirmed by
the chill that made its way through her jersey.

The
following morning, day eight of their acorn wait, proved to be a good day. She
arrived a few minutes before James and was absolutely delighted by what she saw
– at least thirty acorns lying beneath the tree. She almost ran to collect them
but fortunately stopped herself in time. This was James’ project; she would not
ruin it for him. So she waited for him to arrive so he could collect them.
Besides, he knew the process – she did not want to disturb it and risk damaging
the acorns. Not with a one in ten thousand chance of survival.

James
arrived soon after and his face lit up.

“They
are here,” he beamed.

“Yes,
they are. I didn’t want to disturb anything so I didn’t start collecting them.
But I would love to help if you can tell me how,” she hinted hopefully.

“All
right, I would love your help.” James opened the cooler box, took out the jar
of water and two dishtowels. He opened the jar, gave Chloe a dishtowel and kept
one for himself.

“First
you need to inspect the acorn. It needs to be dark brown; nearly black and you
must easily be able to take the cap off. Green ones are immature and have
obviously fallen before their time. Also make sure there aren’t any holes –
that means insects have eaten out the inside. They will not grow.” James explained
in such detail, Chloe was surprised again by his knowledge.
He continued:

“Then
you need to put it in the jar, like I did the other day, and make sure it is in
good health. If it is, dry it properly and then put it in one of the zip-lock
bags over there. If it is unhealthy, throw it away. Here, watch me first.” He
picked up one of the acorns, inspected it, and put it in the water. It sank. He
took it out and dried it properly. Then he opened the cooler bag and took out a
small zip-lock freezer bag and placed the acorn inside.

Inside
the cooler box was a layer of ice and then a tray racked above, but not
touching the ice. He placed the plastic bag with the acorn on the tray and then
closed the lid. He then sat back on it, next to where Chloe sat on the bench.
Chloe held her breath. Was he going to tell her or did she need to ask?

James
began slowly and quietly, in the manner in which Chloe had become used to after
the last few days she had spent with him.

“The
acorns need to be kept cool until they are ready to be planted. My grandfather
says it is called… strati… um, strati… oh yes, ‘stratification’. In nature the
acorns fall in the autumn and then they get covered by snow until spring when
they sprout.  So if you want to plant your own acorn you need to copy nature.
When I get home I will put all the plastic bags with acorns into the fridge
until they are ready to be planted in a few months, just before spring.”

Again, amazed, Chloe stared at James.

“That
is very clever James. Now can you tell me…” she had not finished her sentence
when he pointed towards the other acorns.

“It
is your turn,” and he smiled. It was the first time he had interrupted her. She
took that as his way of pacing her with her questions and the information he
shared. All in good time his look seemed to say. It is all a part of the
process. She picked up the first acorn and examined it. There was a hole at the
bottom. She decided to test James’ theory about healthy versus unhealthy acorns
and put it in the jar of water anyway. It floated right on top of the water -
clearly an unhealthy nut. She took another one. This one was very dark brown.
She tested the cap – it came off easily. Next she put it in the jar of water
and it sank to the bottom. She had found a healthy nut! She dried it off and
put it in a zip lock bag and onto the tray in the cooler box. James was
watching her, smiling.

“Well
done,” he said, “you learn quickly.”

Chloe
laughed.
Here
she was, a well-travelled, research-adept, thirty-one year old; and she was
being taught by an eight year old!
And she was completely
absorbed in the lesson and eager to know all she could about harvesting acorns.
She no longer wanted to rush James for the mystery of why he was doing this,
why he knew so much about acorns. She was enjoying the learning and knew she
would know everything exactly when she needed to. They went through the rest of
the acorns in the same manner, keeping some, throwing out the rest.

When
they were finished, they had five healthy acorns in the cooler box. It was time
for James to get home for lunch and for Chloe to get back to the café. She had
agreed to have lunch with Phoebe. They had not spoken much in the last few
days. Chloe had been too preoccupied with James, and preparing to start work
and move into her new home that when she was not with James she was either
locked up in her room or out shopping for a few items here and there.

She
and Phoebe spoke a lot over lunch; it was as if they had not seen each other
for years and years. Chloe told her all about her preparations and Phoebe
offered all the help she could.

“You
have already done so much for me, Phoebe; I don’t know how I will ever repay
you.”

“Enough
with the gratitude,” Phoebe teased, “It is making you sound pitiful and helpless.”
She winked at Chloe. “You are neither. It has been a pleasure, and you have
brought so much warmth into our lives.”

Chloe blushed. “Ok, it is just so
overwhelming. I arrived here without a job, without a home, without a friend –
and within a couple of weeks I have it all.”

Phoebe nodded knowingly.

“That
is how life works. When you take a leap of faith and leave a situation that is stable,
but not in line with your conscience and values, God, or whatever your belief,
I do not want to impose mine, steps in and paves a new glorious way for you. It
is your only duty to let it be and unfold as it should.”

Chloe
had begun to see this. What was happening in her life was nothing short of a
miracle.

“Now
tell me,” Phoebe continued. “I could not help noticing that you have been
spending a lot of time with James. Care to tell me what that is all about?”

“Let
me just say, I didn’t think that there was anything that an eight year old boy
could teach me, but that little guy surprises me day after day. How does a little
boy get so smart?” Chloe was interested to learn about James’ life, about his
family, and especially the grandparents he had briefly mentioned.

“James
is a very quiet and introverted child. Consider yourself special that he has
allowed you into his space and that he continues to spend so much time with
you. Not many people have had that privilege. Do not push him for more than he
is ready to share.” Phoebe gave the impression she was not about to share any
more on that topic either and Chloe did not ask anymore.

Phoebe
offered to help Chloe shop for things for her new home. Fortunately for Chloe,
as she had sold all her furniture when she left her hometown, the new place was
furnished. However, she needed to buy kitchen utensils, linen and towels. She
was quite excited about this. It was like a ceremony of sorts to make the space
her own. Phoebe asked her assistant to run the café for an hour or two and as
soon as they had finished their lunch they left for the shops in Chloe’s car.