I scrambled up to the next level where I was able to stand with a foot on two separate, sturdier-looking, branches set at hip distance apart. So far so good but the next level proved trickier. Too far for me to step onto, I reached above my head to grab the over-hanging branch, then stretched and hoisted my leg over a different branch set at shoulder height. Memories of a similar position came alive inside my head and I had to stifle a giggle.
All those years of ballet lessons with my leg up on the bar had finally come in handy. What would the old battle-axe say if she could see me now? At last I could put my gymnastics skills to good use too. I combined the two and found I could jump and spring while maintaining my balance and posture. And there was me thinking the whole ballet and gymnastics thing had been nothing more than a ruse; a way for mum to get me out of the house for hours at a time so she could spend time wheedling her way into Derek’s life.
My progress may have been slow but it was steady. I risked a peek down to check on Charlie and he waved and grinned back at me, looking as delighted as I felt that I was actually doing it. When I looked back up again to plan my next move, my stomach lurched. A jogger had appeared on the path ahead, an older guy in his thirties maybe, and he was headed straight for us. The tree blocked my view but the sound of his footsteps grew louder.
I assessed the distance I’d have to jump to get back to ground to protect Charlie but it was too far. Before I could even remind Charlie about stranger-danger, the jogger’s gait slowed almost to a stop, presumably wondering what a young boy was doing in the park on his own. Sure enough, the guy spoke and left me no choice but to give myself away.
‘He’s with me,’ I said, going for my fiercest tone.
The jogger’s head jerked back as he looked up, catching me in my most exposed position yet. Oh well, at least my knickers are pretty. His eyes widened but I didn’t dare let go of the branch to wave so I dipped into character and blew him a kiss. Stunned, his feet tangled together but he managed to right himself before he crashed to the ground. He regained his balance and jogged away, muttering something unintelligible and looking a lot warmer in the cheeks than when he’d first appeared.
Giggles bubbled deep inside my belly, building in both power and volume until they came bursting out of me. Rich and free, the rare sound was loud enough to reach the jogger’s ears as well as scare the blackbird that had also been checking me out from the tree opposite. Several feet below, I heard Charlie’s laughter join mine. The two sounds entwined to become one and imprinted itself on my heart.
Driven on by a rush of energy, the next few levels proved easy. My confidence soared as I leaped from one branch to the next and I soon found myself halfway up the tree. Encouraged by the promise of a spectacular view, I climbed higher and higher until the branches thinned nearer the top. The scene that greeted me made my efforts more than worthwhile.
Hovering miles above me stretched a sky of azure blue dotted with white balls of cotton wool. Below lay a carpet of green grass broken only by the shrubs and the trees which reached toward the sky as if they too thought they could touch it. Full of natural beauty, the sheer vibrancy of colour and life brought on a bout of homesickness that strangled me and left me breathless. Enraptured by the sunlight skimming across the landscape, I drank the sight in and let the tranquillity neutralise the toxic poison running through my veins.
If only I could capture the feeling: to trap it inside a jar to be opened on those darker days when all hope was lost. Today was not that day—not any more—my soul was suddenly filled with so much joy I felt lighter than air. If I were to let go of the branch I would surely defy gravity and float to the ground like a sycamore leaf caught on a lilting autumn breeze.
I made a mental note of everything: from the exact shade and shape of the leaves to the way the sunlight hit the acorns; from the texture of the clouds to the lift of a bird’s feathers as it sailed the air currents with its song filling the air; even the earthen, damp smell of the tree itself combined with the scent of flowers left its mark on me. The antidote to my bleak sense of hopelessness, I yearned to recreate the scene on paper, except I hadn’t brought my pencils or sketch paper.
I did have my phone though.
Together with my own memory, the camera and video features would hopefully give me enough raw footage to do the drawing justice. I took out my phone, warmed by my skin, and thought of nothing but capturing the shots I needed, knowing full well that I would kick myself if I missed anything. The camera had a panorama feature ideal for capturing the view so I set it up then turned slowly in a circle.
I watched the images stitch together on the screen until a massive branch got in the way to spoil it. Where was a chainsaw when I needed one? Never mind, I wasn’t about to be defeated by a bunch of stupid leaves so I made do with cursing under my breath and climbed up another level. The angle wasn’t right now though so I had to twist and stretch in a weird position to get the same shot as before.
Frenzied fluttering in my ribs told me it was going to be worth an aching back though. At the sound of the final shutter, I brought my phone up close but sunlight hit the screen and turned it into a mirror. All I could see was my own reflection staring back at me so I used my other hand to shield the phone and brought it right up to my eyes.
‘You’re going to absolutely love this photo, Charlie Bear,’ I called out, triumphant at having captured the money shot. ‘I can’t wait to show it to you.’
No reply.
‘Charlie?’ I strained to hear him over the sounds of birdsong and the rustle of leaves, but there was nothing. I called him again, louder than before, trying not to over-react.
‘Yes, Aunty Alice?’ he called back.
Phew!
I turned in the direction of his voice and looked down to see if I could spot him through the foliage. ‘Are you O—’ A feeble squeal leaped out of my mouth and I jammed my eyes shut to block out the bird’s-eye view of the ground a hell of a long way below. The instant I closed my eyes, my balance deserted me. I swayed and pitched forwards, realising too late that I wasn’t holding onto anything any more.
Out of sheer panic, I struck out my hands and accidentally sent my phone went flying to God-knows-where. When my flailing arms found nothing to latch onto, my entire body jerked as gravity took hold of me and tugged me off my precarious ledge. As loud as my laughter had been before, it had nothing on the scream that ripped out my chest and shredded the back of my throat.
My scream eventually trailed off and left me with nothing but deafening roar of blood rushing through my ears. Just as I’d resigned myself to the worst, Charlie’s scream picked up where mine had left off. I fought against the urge to close my eyes again and watched him come to a skidding halt below me. He stared up at me with eyes wide with terror. Mine probably didn’t look any different. If I didn’t do something soon, I was going to land in a crumpled heap right next to his feet and I couldn’t do that to him.
Think, Alice. Think!
My only hope was to break my fall, but how? A forked branch was coming up fast but it was just out of reach. Unless… yes, it had to be worth a go. I’d been able to make the leap on the uneven bars to win first place at countless gymnastics competitions so I could damn well do it again now when it actually mattered. For the first time ever, I even had a member of my family there to watch my performance. Of course there was no sprung floor or deep pit filled with foam blocks if I missed the catch, but it was either this or nothing so I opened out into a full stretch and lunged.
Rough bark grazed my fingers but the connection was good so I gripped hard and braced myself for the jarring pain in my shoulders. Nothing in this world could have prepared me for the shearing agony. Either my arms had been ripped off or there really was molten lava bubbling beneath my skin. Unwilling to cry out with Charlie already sobbing somewhere beneath me, I sank my teeth into my bottom lip.