jollyelmroot

Central Park is my go to place to relax and zone out. I love traveling throughout the whole park finding what I deem, little wonders. Carvings in the architecture, finding nests, foraging various berries, petting squirrels. It’s the only escape thing I can get from the city and I don’t have the ability to travel out right now. So the parks are a go to place and Central Park is close to home.

One day I was riding my electric scooter (which got stolen) somewhere, I was looking for a spot I can call my own. Preferably a tree and I found the perfect tree. Rugged, dark bark, red leaves, thick trunk and most of all easy to climb and I was able to climb all the way up. Perfect spot! Or so I thought.

I had took off my shoes, allowing my feet to scrape against the rugged bark. Such a foreign sensation in this concrete jungle. I climbed and I was happy, my feet gave me the ability to grip onto the bark. I felt so free. So I climbed to the top, looking down on others, watching people walk around. It was amazing that I was able to see them but they couldn’t see me. Like an inside joke.

So I leaned against the trunk; feeling the cool breeze, I watched the sky begin to approach sunset. I prayed to God a bit.

This tree was mine, I found it, and I claimed it. I liked that tree. It’s was different from the other trees, not too thin, not too thick I didn’t know what type of tree it was, but it was my favorite tree.

Suddenly as I was swimming in my own victory I felt someone looking at me, and I looked up and saw a squirrel staring at me. I thought oh, now I’m a Disney princess

Perhaps this little guy wants to be my friend.

It was the typical grey squirrel.

Then it went back to its hole. Foolishly I went to look at the hole, the hole was created from a cut branch from the tree. When I went onto check the hole, I heard a hiss and a thump. I didn’t know squirrels could hiss like a cat and that told me well, it didn’t want to be bothered, however with my stubbornness I decided to hang my phone over the hole.

Had I found a squirrel den?

Well I heard a hiss again and that told me it wanted to be left alone.

The next day or so I had came to the same spot again. It was hard to find because that area was still new to me. I found my tree and climbed up.

Ahh, tranquility

Then I saw that squirrel again. Hunched over sitting in the classic squirrel pose. I turned away. I knew this squirrel didn’t want to be bothered. I then want back to enjoying the breeze.

Rustle, rustle

The branches swayed furiously, I knew the breeze blew softly so what was causing the branching to sway like that? I had thought

I saw the squirrel swiftly leaping from branch to branch my eyes couldn’t keep up.

Bam!

It smacked on my chest. The thwack almost knocked me out in utter shock.

Bam

It hit my chest again. It leaped onto another branch and faced me, grunting. I was told within myself that if I didn’t get away it’ll aim for my face. Quickly I threw some bread at the ground (someone gave me bread at my place of work but I didn’t eat it) and it jumped down to go munched on the bread and quickly began to climb back up. I knew the squirrel wasn’t appeased. I looked down,

it’ll be a big leap

I thought.

I breathed rapidly, staring down, bracing myself for the e fall and perhaps the pain that’ll come afterwards.

I jumped down from the tree, quickly grabbed my sneakers and ran uphill. I put them on once I was far from the tree, then when was finally able to take a deep breathe. I headed over back to the tree to gather my bookbag and my electric scooter. Then I drove away. A few days later I went back to the tree, staring up. The squirrel nowhere to be seen, but I didn’t climb. I admitted my defeat though, I wasn’t trying to intrude, I just wanted a spot.

After that I never went back again.