Camelia and Sylvia

"There's something about that car."  The cat watched the wheels disappear down the curvy road.  Girl Cat knew something about that car.  She'd been in it several times, and when Camelia finally released her from that wire box-cave she was somewhere else.  "My people like Else."  Girl Cat preferred walks in the woods, on trails, where her nose and her paws knew what to expect. 

Camelia was not really a car lover, but it did take her to places where friends yet to meet often showed up.  Out of the woods is a town.  Camelia has begun to call the town "Home."  The winter was a cold one, and prayers were her closest company, warming her in places better than hot rocks.  Today, the car had taken her to a place where people help people.  People put seeds into the heaps of dark brown dirt there.  People dig into boxes filled with small red worms there.  People share cans and bags of food there.  Camelia liked that about this place. 

While waiting in the car, a bright gold light caught her eye.  Across the gravel lot where Car was parked, a very tall and ... well, elegant golden tree kept winking at Camelia.  The girl had never seen a Madrona as golden beautiful as this.  "Hello," the girl said looking up, up and further up.  Without thinking much about what she did, Camelia reached her small hand out and pat her palm tenderly, as she greeted the Madrona.  "Sylvia."  "Oh, Sylvia!"  The girl smiled.  "I am Camelia.  We live in the same town."  "I know," said the golden Madrona.  She had seen the girl before.  "I'm glad," they both said.

Camelia and Doug Fir

The girls often took themselves on solitary walks.  Thunder frightened Girl Cat.  Camelia seemed to be drawn by the distant rumble, and followed it out the door.  "She needs space," Girl Cat noticed most things, curling into her tail she quickly dreamed.  She was right of course, Cameilia was in that betweeny place.  Her thoughts were vibing out beyond reach.  From her dreams Girl Cat said, "Talk with Tree." 

The pump house was rumbling.  Camelia stopped to listen for a minute, long enough.  The trail leading back up the incline was mostly used by the critters.  Girl Cat would have been canopied by the salmon berries fresh in leaf and thorn.  From this angle the Doug Fir was like a sentinel.  He stopped Camelia, and the girl was drawn in like a magnet.  "Tears."  "Yes, and whimpers.  I don't know where they come from?"  "Doesn't matter.  So many reasons for them." 

Camelia stopped her whimpers and looked at the burnt and fallen trees, family to Doug Fir.  "You would know about tears, ha?"  "Yes, I would know about tears."  "Do you choose to be tree?"  "We do."  "And, do you like being tree?"  "We do, mostly."  "Will you choose differently next time?"  "Won't remember.  Doesn't matter."  Camelia leaned her chest against Doug Fir, loosened her grip on her hockey stick, and hugged tighter.  "I like this."  "I like it too," Doug Fir said.  "I like it a lot."