An Oak Tree

Growing up in Massachusetts, I had always been eminently intrigued by what the change of seasons did to all of the trees around me. I was especially blinded by a beautiful and brawny Northern Red Oak Tree that stood tall in front of my always opened window. I remember the gentle breeze that she would throw my way while I read books and immersed into another world. I remember the melody of songs that the birds would sing as they jumped around her armored boughs and how those intricate whistles, rattles, and chirp sounds sent me into a bliss of tranquility. But most of all, I will never forget how our Thanksgiving night in 1996 began and ended with this tree saving our lives.

That night, the rain had thrashed against the window while Seinfeld played on the living room’s TV. Mami had taken out the roasted and buttered turkey, arroz con gandules, pernil, and the salad, and placed it on the table. My brother Fito and I helped set the table while Papi finished making his famous corn, potato, and bean recipe. To this day we still don’t have a name for it, but we eat it anyway.

We all sat down at the table and said, “buen provecho,” like we always do before eating any meal. Mami started to gingerly cut the turkey to serve us each a piece when a sudden loud bang shook our window. Papi jumped up so fast that his chair fell back and his big belly hit the table. He blurted at us to go to the living room with his mouth still full of rice. My parents both ran outside immediately in panic. It was still pouring and all we could see through the window was a pair of headlights smashed into our big oak tree. My parents came back in and told us not to worry, that everything was fine. But they lied. Everything was not fine, Mami was on the phone hysterical and calling the ambulance. Meanwhile, Papi was carrying an undersized man who was petrified and covered in an array of guilt along with shattered glass. The small man hesitated to speak at first but then with a nervous shudder he apologized. Tears ran down his careworn face as he looked around the house and at us. Mami stood with us near the kitchen while Papi tried to reassure him as they slowly walked toward the couch. Papi handed him a brown soft blanket and said, “The ambulance should be here any minute.”

“I am without words. I had no intention of ruining Thanksgiving for such a beautiful family.”

“Oh, come on! Things happen, we are all alive and well.”

“I’m Mike, by the way, it’s a pleasure to meet you. Thanks for the hospitality. I was on my way home and the stupid pedal extender broke, I couldn’t reach the brakes and my car drifted from this rain. I lost control!”

“I’m glad that tree stopped you from hitting the house, you would have run right into the kitchen and into us, that tree saved us all.”

“Yes, you are right, and believe me, I am relieved that this happened with just me in the car. I have a newborn child at home asleep with my wife. I was on my way back from buying formula.”

The roads flooded and the uproar of the storm continued. Thirty minutes passed and we were all still waiting on the ambulance. Soon after, my parents and Mike were all exchanging laughs. Mike was eating Papi’s unknown recipe and fell in love with it. They ended up teaching Mike how to play Dominoes! He won the third round and felt so happy that he jumped up and sprained his ankle when he landed on it. I mean, could this night get any worse? Papi ran to help Mike up AGAIN, he pulled him up by both of his arms and placed him on the couch.

“Mike, just try to relax a bit before the Tow truck company gets here, alright buddy?”

“Ok, I’m going to call my sister Betsy to pick me up after they tow my car.”

Mike hopped on his good leg over to the end table and picked up the red landline phone and dialed Betsy. Shortly after the tow truck arrived, his sister knocked on the door. She was a tall, morbidly obese young woman with gorgeous long black hair. As soon as she came inside, the room turned into an awkward silence that Mike broke when he said, “She was the adopted one.” Betsy threw him a sneered look and whacked him on the shoulder so hard that he rolled off the couch. He quickly got back up on his short legs and fixed his long blond curly hair in embarrassment. As they were leaving, Betsy asked Mami if she could use the bathroom, so Mami had me and Fito walk her to the guest bathroom down the hall. Within five minutes of me and Fito talking near the bathroom and waiting for her, we heard loud farts and groans. The toilet sounded like it struggled to flush for the second time so Fito and I ran upstairs holding it in and then burst out in a peal of uncontrollable laughter.

Finally, Betsy walked out of the bathroom. They were ready to leave our home. Mike hugged my parents goodbye first and Betsy hugged them second and said to Mami, “I didn’t know you had a cat, its litter was really full when I went to the bathroom.”

“What? Our cat died two weeks ago.”