Visiting some of my grandchildren last week, one of them showed me what she can do. Yup, that’s her way up in the tree. Amazingly, she came down as easily as she went up.
It reminded me of a long, long time ago when my now 55-year-old twin brothers got stuck in a Fir tree. They couldn’t get down and my father was the hero of the story. The book is still a work in progress, but this is what happened. We were about to eat dinner…
Mom looked around, “Where are the twins?” There was no sign of them, even with everyone looking. Now Mom began to get frantic, “Where are they?” She hated kids getting lost.
Just as Mom was walking towards the other campers to ask about two naughty four-year-olds, the family heard a familiar giggle. They looked around but couldn’t see anyone. The giggle sounded again. It seemed like it was coming from the sky. Everyone looked up. There were a couple very, very tall pine trees near to the camper. Could the twins have climbed such high trees? The family still didn’t see them.
Robert was the first to spot them. “Look,” he shouted, pointing up into a fir tree.
“I can’t see anything,” Caroline said, peering at where he was pointing.
“There, way up high,” he responded, still pointing.
Everyone craned their necks, searching for what he saw. There they were, so far up the tree that they were almost invisible from the ground. Both Peter and Michael were in one of the trees.
Mom, who was afraid of heights, grew pale, “How will we get them down?”
Dad said sternly, “They got up; they can get down.” He looked up where his sons were crouched. “Come down from there. It’s dinner time,” he shouted.
Peter answered, tearfully, “I can’t. I’m too high. I’m scared.” His voice was high and thready with fear. Mike said nothing, but Caroline imagined that she could hear him crying. Now what? She held her breath, worried for her brothers. How would they get down? Would Mom and Dad call a fireman? Nope.
Remember that I told you Dad was a hero? Yup. He was. He told the boys not to move and set right out climbing that very tall tree, up, up, up, until he reached Michael. He told Peter to hold on tight and wait, because he’d be back. Then, Dad climbed down the tree, holding Mike tightly. Caroline wasn’t sure how he did it, with only one free hand.
As soon as Mike was deposited on the ground, Dad climbed back up the tree. Peter was waiting, holding tightly as he’d been told. He was way out on a limb, so getting him was dangerous. Dad weighed a lot more than Peter. Dad gently assured his son that he was coming. He crept out onto the branch, inch by inch, as the people below held their breath. He was there.
Dad put his hand around Peter’s arm and told him that it was safe to let go now, but that he should move very slowly. Peter had a hard time doing it, but he eventually decided that he’d rather hold his dad than a tree branch. Dad, crept backwards on the branch, holding onto his son. Ah, he reached the trunk! Once again, Dad carefully descended the tree and, at the bottom, he deposited the frightened child next to his brother.
Mom had tears flowing down her cheeks, as she gathered them into her arms. But, her lips were white and her voice tight, as she warned them that they’d better never, ever do that again. Dad laughed, “Meta, they’re healthy boys. That’s what boys do. Leave them alone.” Then, Mom shouted at Dad, and he got angry back. Caroline didn’t like hearing her parents shouting but, when she grew up, she understood. When you’re that worried, the worry sometimes comes out in yelling. You just can’t help it. They’d been very worried.
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