The first 9 months

Susan seemed to always be under that tree. She spent her days relaxing on her checkered blanket. If she could make it happen, she would eat outside with dam, breathing in the sweet fresh air.

She would pare her potatoes and carrots beneath the tree, she read beneath the tree. She even did her washing beneath the tree.

Damian said nothing, the tree was giving his new wife the emotional support she needed, although it was quite annoying to pick the occasional leaf from his pie.

One day the beautiful wife was sitting beneath the tree on a cold snowy morning.Her hands moved in fast measured movements. She held a knife in her hand and an apple in the other. He legs were curled up to the side, she gazed into nothingness with a dreamy fashion on her face.

She reached her head up and felt the wind blow lightly through her long hair.

She watched the leaves swish this way and that... She felt herself almost be one with the tree. The leaves went this way.... They turned their yellow belly's over to show the green topside. Everyone in a while she would spot a little fly land on a branch.

She would raise a delicate hand and shoo it away.

She felt her body swish and away slightly With the wind... The wind chimes from the neighbors porch clinged softly in the near distance...

"Ouch!"

She looked down and saw a bead of blood. Growing larger on her finger. She moved her bowl of apples carefully to the floor, and brushed off the cut. More blood flowed from the wound, she stared at the swipe of blood on her other hand. It had already dried a dark brown of mince.

"If only I had a child who's this blood ran in their vains."

The way that she suddenly felt her heart grow light, she knew she should have her wish.

And with that she rise from her sitting position to wash her hands.

When a month has passed the snow was gone.

She would spend her days hanging up her washing on the long cord that ran from the fence to the house roof.

In two months everything was green, she invited her friends, the sleezy marilyn and the obnoxious lorlei to have glorious picnics in the glorious sun.

In 3 months the flowers sprang out of the earth, the surrounding grass of the almond tree was made beautiful with the Daisy's and dandilions.

In 4 months the trees were full of lead, and the branches were thickly entwined; the little birds began to sing, so that the woods behind the house echoed, and the blossoms fell gracefully from the trees.

When the 5th month had passed, the wife stood under the almond green it smelled so sweet that her heaped within her.

When the 6th month had gone, the fruit was thick and fine. But yet, she remained still.

In the 7th month she gathered the almonds and ate them eagerly, and she was sick and sorrowful. She no longer payed beneath the almond tree. Damian grew worried. His wife had been well so far..

And when the 8th month had passed, she drew a weary breath and called out to her sweet husband.

"If I die, bury me under the almond tree."

Dam had kneeled down to her level and held her quivering hand beneath his own

"You will not die Susie. You are my sunshine. You will get better. You will die some day, just not from this.

But she just pulled her hand from his grasp and snuggled deeper beneath her covers.

When the 9th month passed, she was comforted and happy, her illness had passed, and she gave birth to a small baby boy.

She smiled as she held his little head in her arms, this little potato thing gave her more joy than all the money in the world could have.

But as she was driving home in her small car after buying groceries, a truck driver ran a red light. The car was totalled, and a both lives were lost.

Damian would stay up all night kneeling at the almond tree where his wife lay and beg,

"Why?"

He called her name and begged her to come back, but he knew that his efforts were in vain.

He felt he would never love again. But in the next year he met HER.

Rose. They met in a parking lot, she had a small child too, just barly a year younger than john

Her name was Marjorie.

Rose was kind, but she was the exact opposite of Susie. She had her blonde hair short in tight curls that came to her chin.

She wore only the fashionable outfits, but still, Damian fell in love with her.

They were married soon, and he carried the woman over the threshold of Susie's previous home sadly, he wasn't paying any attention, he hadn't noticed when he came home from work one day and she had changed the pretty blue striped wall paper to a plain white.

"The wall paper..."

Rose just stood back with both hands on her hips. Her calf length white denim pants were fancy and new.

"It's a geuorgous color isn't it honey?"

She smiled wide and clapped her hands.

"This is such a beautiful house! But what about that almond tree? It does nothing but take away the sun from our sitting room."

Dam sat down on the bait and poured himself a glass of whiskey.

His eyes were tired.

"The tree stays rose."

Rose looked annoyed and took away the glass.

" I just meant as it doesn't seem to make any sense with-"

Damian stood up in anger and felt the whiskey bottle fly out of his hand and hit the wall.

The glass splintered the new wallpaper and the Amber liquid drippes in thick streams onto the floor.

"THE TREE STAYS."

He jumped up from his seat and walked out, passing his son and stepdaughter in the hallway.

Rose was impassive. She stood in shock for a second before wiping away the tears from her face and welcoming her daughter.

"It's ok Margy don't cry, daddy is just a little upset ok? He's not going to hurt you or me ok?"

She stood up and took her hand.

"Let's go to Amy's house ok? You can have a little playdate while we mommy's can have a grown up talk."

She turned to John who hadn't been noticed untill now.

She reached behind the fridge and grabbed the hand broom.

"Clean up this mess."

She tossed the broom at little John who, only 5 and a half years old, reluctantly cleaned.