The Fall

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Larry the leaf was just one of thousands if not millions of leaves on the great oak in the forest. To the casual observer he was not unique, looked just like every other leaf but to himself he felt special. He danced in the wind with the other leaves, he tilted in the rain when he saw the others tilt and when the sun came out, he competed for heat and light. He had a charmed life and talked with the others about the glorious sights they caught, about nature and how things changed for them as the days came and went. Larry was a happy soul and loved being an oak leaf and enjoyed the rhythm of his life. He heard rumours that things would not always be like this and even though they made him anxious he still loved being a leaf. One day a leaf friend noticed him wrinkle and frown and asked what the problem was? He revealed that he had been thinking about some conjecture he had heard and was worried that he would not always be happy and safe as there may be changes that he could not cope with. The friend leaf checked with the branch which checked with the tree and the word came back from the wise old oak that indeed things do change and the leaves would not always be safe on the branches. They had a job to do like a role to fulfill and when the time came they would have to leave the tree. Larry was anguished, he could not imagine what it would be like to leave the tree behind, this he thought is his life and without it he was nothing. He managed to get back to enjoying life but occasionally the thought would stick in his mind and overwhelm him and the uncertainty would cause him to shiver and shake but there was nothing he could do about it, he just had to carry on. Once the wise oak having heard of his concerns sent a message to say he will only have to leave the tree when he is ready and he felt a little reassured by this but how would he know?
One evening in the forest he snatched a fragment of conversation between a couple walking their dog. He heard the man say “you can just feel the October in the air”. It must have been ‘the air’ that caught his attention but he had not heard of October before. One of the leaves higher up told him it was part of the cycle of change, the season of mellow fruits and golden harvests. Come to think of it Larry noticed there were changes in other leaves, their mood was still joyous but their complexions were becoming resplendent. Some had become yellow, some red, some golden brown and some depending on the way they caught the sun were russet. He began to envy the other leaves and told the branch he too wanted to be beautiful and over the next few days he developed a range of eye catching hues. He felt great and thought change is not that bad after all. Then with a growing sense of consternation he noticed some of the leaves were leaving the branches and flying away in the wind. He panicked and through the branch sent word to the wise oak that he wanted to remain here always and the word came back “all in good time”.
Larry felt a little strange as he had less friends now and every day a friend or more he knew would fly away often without warning. Where did they go, would he see them again, were they safe, were they happy, his little cells buzzed with enquiry. He had a yearning for the summer days when there was certainty and stability, this blasted season was rife with surprises and he became anxious again. He sent word to the tree that he wasn’t coping with this uncertainty and demanded to know what would happen. Word came back that everything would be all right and in time he would feel prepared for whatever was about to happen. There was some relief in this and he carried on but was perturbed by his friends disappearing on a daily basis. Then one evening late in October he felt tired and thought he would like to sleep, a funny feeling for him as he had always been super charged with energy. “Ah” said one of the older leaves “your time is coming”. The next morning a gusty October wind whipped through the forest and plucked a bunch of leaves from the oak and Larry caught his first sight of the great Oak from a distance and thought how beautiful a sight it was, he could never have imagined that the tree would look so graceful and dignified and his distance from it gave him a new appreciation.
As his brittle body came to rest on a pillow of soft leaves he knew his work was done and he desperately wanted to sleep, it was like his time had come. The old oak spread a protective canopy over Larry and his many friends and he sensed a peacefulness he had never felt before. Larry wafted into a slumber and dreamt he had a new and equally important job, the task of nourishing the great oak which had given him life. He would now play his part in contributing to her great dignity.