Harvesting Acorns (8 page)

Grace
placed the acorn in the centre of the pot and Joel covered it gently with soil.
He would take it home with him when his parents came to fetch him and then
would put it in his garden where it would be exposed to rain and the natural
elements until it sprouted. This would happen mid to late spring so they had
some time to decide where they would plant it permanently. Grace’s mom brought
some hot cocoa out to them and sat with them looking up at the stars, trying to
point out the constellations and engaging in conversation about all sorts of
things. Joel’s parents arrived and joined them for about half an hour, and then
told Joel it was time to go home and they helped him carry the now heavy pot to
the car. He gave Grace a big hug and said that he would always do everything in
his power to keep their dream alive. She promised the same thing and they waved
to each other as the car drove away.

It
had been a special evening that would be with them both throughout their lives.
They now had dreams to hold onto and to pursue with everything they had. They
also had the benefit of knowing that wherever they went in the world, there was
an oak tree sending down roots into the soil, anchoring them to their homes,
their origins, their true selves and sending up shoots, carrying their dreams
on their behalf up to the heavens. It was comforting to have this
representation, a physical totem of their goals, something to revisit and
remind them when they lost sight of everything real and dear and of substance.
They would strive to build their characters as solid as the oak would become.

At
school the next day, it was all they could talk about. They recounted over and
over what a perfect evening it had been. How the moon, the stars, and the
weather, even their parents, had aligned with their planned ceremony. They felt
that their dreams had been blessed by all the elements and the universe and by
God himself. For the next few weeks, they kept rushing to Joel’s garden first
thing after school to check for sprouting. The anticipation was almost too
much, even though they knew it would still be several weeks before the shoots
should appear. When they arrived and did not see shoots, they would rush off to
the beach to carry on with their usual activities. They would sit discussing
where the best place would be to plant the tree. They knew oak trees grew very
large, so it would need a lot of space. Neither of their gardens was big enough
for a full-grown oak. Joel had also read that oak trees soak up a lot of water
from their environments, so it would need to be somewhere close to natural
water, or it would either not get enough water to survive, or would rob the
surrounding plants of the water they needed to survive. It was proving quite a
challenge, and they would spend hours walking around the village looking for
suitable places, enquiring with local authorities when they came across
possible places that were public venues.

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.

C
hapter 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 edge 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.