Underneath The Willow Tree

• Ruby Goward , Grade 7
• Short Story
• 2017

As children they played underneath the willow tree that they planted together. They were so close that some swore that they saw love in their eyes when they looked at each other, but they were only children. It was love nevertheless, and they were so deeply embedded in it that there was no going back. It's strange that two children so young, at the age of seven have something so special, that the rest of the world strive for it.
People say it's easy to get children to trust you and these two trusted each other with their lives, they never fought, argued or even squabbled. One day when their ball rolled onto the road Grace ran out to get it and as she bent down a car came rushing around the corner, but because she was bending down, the car couldn't see her. At the last minute Jack saw the car and ran to alert it to stop, but he knew he wouldn't be able to warn the car in time, so he ran onto the road and pushed Grace out of the way. When she was off the road she turned around just as the car hit Jack and he fell. She screamed his name over and over "JACK!!"She called "JACK!!" "JACK !!". She ran and held him in her arms crying his name softly.
The rest of the day as a blur for Grace with people running around and ambulance sirens blaring. The next thing she remembers is going to the hospital with Jack and their family's, where they checked him for signs of life. Once it was confirmed that he was no longer alive he was taken home to be buried, underneath the willow tree.
* * *
It's been seventy years since Jack’s death and Grace still goes to the willow tree everyday, rain or shine, to spend time with him. A special magic binds Grace to the willow tree, if she fails to come to the tree for one day, a leaf will die and fall to the ground, if she leaves, the tree it will die. Grace has never wanted to leave because she would have to leave Jack and the willow tree behind. Her family, her brother and sister, her nieces and nephews have all moved away from the small town. However, the problem now was that they wanted her to come and live with them, as they worried about her, all on her own at the age of seventy seven. If she fell no one would know. Grace didn't want to leave and this is what she would say; " How can I leave him when he gave his life for me?" She would ask and they would reply " that's all in the past now." But Grace wouldn't leave Jack, for the sacrifice he’d made and for the love he'd shown her, she loved him.
On a particularly sunny day Grace went to the willow tree early and lay down by its thick trunk next to Jacks grave and fell asleep, never to be awoken again. The priest found her and arranged a proper burial next to Jack, they both lay together, underneath the willow tree, and it bloomed forevermore.