Dogwood trees

5.07.2008

The drive up to Tellico Plains was beautiful. An Appalachian town, it was surrounded by small mountains and an overflow of trees.
“This area isn’t so bad,” Randy told Ava at a pit stop. “It’s pretty up here.”
She nodded. “At least it’s that.”
He had been driving a U-Haul and Ava followed in their Chevy. She hated driving and was still a little jittery. They sat on concrete picnic tables drinking the free Coca-Cola the tourist board handed out. Randy poked his head through the open door of the Chevy and looked at his daughter.
“How’s my girl?”
Ava pulled him back out by his belt with an intensity that started him. “Randy Cox,” she hissed. “Lenny started crying an hour into the trip and didn’t fall asleep until just now. If you wake her up, I will literally start ripping tufts of hair from my head.”
It was then that Randy noticed how drained Ava looked. How angry and wild.
“Are you ok?” He handed her the rest of his Coca-Cola. “Here, drink this. Maybe it’ll help.”
Ava put her head between her legs and took several deep breaths. “I’m fine, just a little car sick.”
She righted herself and looked out of the parking lot to where someone had planted a Dogwood tree.
“You know Jesus died on a Dogwood tree.” She told him, pointing to it. It was spindly and bent over. One of its branches had been cut off so that it wouldn’t grow into the road.
“That’s silly, baby. It’s too small. Come on now, maybe you should eat a little something.”
Ava put her head between her legs again. Randy had to scoot close to her to hear.
“It used to be bigger. Then, when they used it to crucify Christ, the tree started growing all twisted and small. As if it was being punished or, I don’t know, sad about being used that way. You can see it on the flowers. They’re shaped like the cross with a crown of thorns in the middle.”
She took several more deep breaths. “My momma said you should never kill a Dogwood tree. God put it there as a reminder and it’s sacrilegious if it dies.”
Randy decided to not pursue the issue. “Sure baby.” He rubbed her back and was surprised to feel how damp it was. “Not feeling any better?”
Ava shook her head. She started crying. “I know that your will is God’s will for my life.” She spoke as though she was reciting the catechism. “And that if I submit to what you say the Lord will bless me ten fold, but its just hard.” She took a short loud breath and began weeping again. Then abruptly sat up and looked into his eyes, “Moving back to Tellico Plains is just so hard.”
Randy put his arm around her and rocked back and forth. “I know. It’s just what we need to do right now. You trust me, right?”
Ava nodded her head slowly.
The other families in the parking lot had heard Ava’s crying and were looking over at them.
“We’re all ok, over here.” Randy called out to them. “She’s just tired.”
Ava wiped around her eyes. “I’m fine,” she looked around. Her face was still red and shiny, but she managed a smile.
Everyone looked away, pretending that they had not been watching in the first place.