My Apple Tree by Guest Author Carrie Ranworth

Trees were an important part of my childhood in West Wilted. Our old village had many huge trees lining the streets. We could play hide-and-go-seek, shoot-‘em-up cowboys, and we could jump out and scare the be-jeesus out of anyone coming down the sidewalk. But one of my best friends was an apple tree in my neighbor’s side yard. We kids wandered around the neighborhood yards at will. No one chased us out. So…I spent a lot of time in the top of that apple tree, It helped me develop into the knowledgeable upstanding person I am today.

 

The only yard we got chased out of was old Mrs. Grismer’s. Her big black dog Pepper scared me half to death before I even got a good start on living! He was even kept on a chain. Mrs. Grismer was an old grump and so was Pepper. I always thought she should be a better role model for him. My mom said she was just a disappointed old lady and I was to be nice. I never did find out what disappointed her. But I had to be nice so I was….at a distance.

 

I could wander up to my apple tree anytime I wanted to except on Sundays. People kept their kids home on Sundays and either visited with family who came to town, or took naps after reading the Sunday paper, with the radio playing symphony music. I was never so bored in my entire short life!

 

But wow! Life was exciting on Mondays and climbing my apple tree then was great! Every climber tree has a special limb for a seat. Once I was settled without danger of falling out and breaking my neck, I could see everything going on in the neighborhood. I could see into the backyards of six of our neighbors’ yards. I could hear a few cuss words when Mrs. Elliot dropped her clean, wet britches on the ground when she was hanging up her clothes. She wore feathered hats to church on Sundays.

 

Mrs. Shelley had the largest pair of britches (underwear) I have ever seen then or since. I heard they were called bloomers. On a windy day, they ballooned out so big I thought they were going to sail the whole clothes line through the air!! I prepared myself to yell “duuuucccckkkk” really loud just in case it was needed. I yelled really loud when I was practicing and once, a flock flew over! Well, I’ve since wondered if those britches were prototypes for hot air balloons. Wouldn’t surprise me.

 

Mrs. Lowry had dingy whites. My grandma told me she probably mixed her whites and coloreds. She said never to mix men’s overalls with the whites. I’ll bet that’s what happened. Now that I think of it, I also heard that babies came from mixing men’s sox with women’s britches. I couldn’t quite understand that. There were lots of speculations about the topic of s-e-x back in the day when people were more genteel. The S word was not mentioned. Some of the ways I heard of people getting with child were unbelievable! I thought, why…. some of those ways could kill ya’!!

 

I loved sitting in my apple tree when I was eight. It helped in my education. Old Mrs. Grismer and Pepper never stopped being disappointed. Some people just don’t. Disappointment comes with life but some people never learn. I became a good climber. It helped my tall, skinny self (they called my toothpick) develop good foot – hand coordination. And most of all, I learned about hanging out laundry, especially on a windy day. Some Mondays, I thought I’d have to yell out “duck” just in case those bloomers got loose. I became a good watch-out for the neighborhood. But I had to give up the cussing when I tried it in front of my mom! That tree is gone now. But, oh, what a time I had sitting in it.