The Forest Keepers

CHAPTER 1

As their car cruised down the road through the sunlit countryside towards Hilldale village, the three children riding in the back seat watched a sad scene unfold before their wide eyes. In the distance near the Village the destruction of a lush green forest was in progress. Positioned at the edge of the trees was an army of yellow bulldozers and heavy lorries, working busily, gouging the soil with their mechanical claws and mercilessly uprooting defenseless plants standing in their path. Workmen wearing coveralls and carrying saws were moving in and out of the trees dragging fallen tree trunks and broken branches. One of the men who appeared to be the supervisor was mouthing instructions, pointing this way and that. Activity was ceaseless and the rapidity and ferocity of it all surprised the children. For a long few moments they held their gaze and watched with wonderment and curiosity.

The children had left their home at Huntington town an hour back in a cacophony of noise and singsong but this had abruptly ceased once the car neared the village and their eyes had fallen upon the forest. They continued watching until the car entered the outskirts of the village and the first of the houses blocked the view of the forest. Nothing more could be seen. The children settled back into their seats, silent. Then one of them spoke to the only adult seated in the front behind the steering wheel, their mother.

What are they doing to the forest? Joe the eldest and tallest of the three asked.

They’re making room for a new housing project, their mother said with the knowledge of someone who knew well the goings on of the area. The forest has to be cleared to accommodate the homes.

Amy the youngest and smallest of the three had an important question. But aren’t there animals in the forest mother?

A few, their mother answered carefully, noting the concerned tone in her daughter’s voice. The animals will move on. They’ll find other homes. There are lots of safe places beyond the meadows and farmlands.

Sally, Amy’s elder sister also wanted answers. What will they do with the trees they cut down?

I expect the lorries will carry them away to the wood factories.

Is that where the wood is cut up into pieces and turned into furniture? Sally asked.

Yes among other things.

So the next table or chair we buy might come from one of those trees? Joe said.

Perhaps, his mother nodded slightly, aware of the effect that the soon-to-be-gone forest was having on them. There was silence in the car then and she continued steering the vehicle along the village roads. On the way they passed a church. Eventually she turned the corner and cruised towards one particular house that nestled under the shade of tall trees in a colourful flower garden.

She slowed and braked to a halt by the pavement. All right children, your grandmother is waiting. Go and say hello to her.

For the moment the forest’s fate was forgotten and the children reacted with unbounded enthusiasm to the purpose of their visit. They flung the car doors open and raced towards the front door of the house, their fingers fighting each other for the first stab at the door bell. But before any of them could push the button the door opened wide.

The grey hair lady standing in the doorway smiled down at them, delighted that her grandchildren had come to stay over the holidays. She opened her mouth to utter a word of welcome but was suddenly pushed backwards into the middle of the living room, the children having thrown themselves at her with open arms. They hugged her fiercely and she laughed with delight as they greeted her with a chorus of Hello granny!

From the kitchen doorway two animals poked their heads around the corner to see the cause of the commotion. Toby the dog and Tabs the cat were just two of the many small animals that dwelled in this house. Both had managed to maintain a harmonious relationship as they grew up together, although the cat had become put off over time as the dog’s growth overtook his own. Toby and Tabs were the ‘senior’ most of the animals of the house but all answered to the old woman who fed and looked after them.

Watching the humans embracing each other now the canine and feline gazed with wide eyes. Out of the two, Toby didn’t recognise the children who had last visited this house a year back. But Tabs the cat appeared as though he knew the children only too well. Anxious to get away quickly he stepped left then right undecided on which escape route to take.

Amy read the cat’s mind and she said, Oh no you don’t. Arms out stretched, she ran after Tabs who without hesitation turned in the opposite direction and fled to another room, tail in the air.

Toby stayed put as Sally went over to it. The dog watched her cautiously when she came by and knelt before him. Toby retreated a few steps back unsure of her intentions but when Sally’s hand reached over to give it’s head a reassuring stroke the dog moaned with pleasure, further convinced of Sally’s well meaning nature when she spoke fondly to him.

Don’t you recognise me? she said. You were such a small adorable puppy when I last fed you. How big you’ve grown.

Toby returned his affection, nuzzling his nose against her neck, licking his lips and swinging his tail with joy.

In the corner of the pleasantly wallpapered and well-furnished living room, the fish aquarium perched up on a stand attracted Joe’s attention as it had always done on previous visits. The aquarium hadn’t changed much except...Joe approached the tank to inspect its delicate occupants who swam endlessly in their only home, a volume of water held in by four walls of glass. He frowned as though memory kept something from him.

Granny, are these fish new? The one with the black tail fin and the other with the green and yellow dorsal fins? he asked.

Yes they are Joe. They’ve only just entered their new home a week ago.

Don’t they look great, much larger than the others too.

You can feed them if you like Joe, his grandmother said. There’s a cup of bread crumbs in the kitchen.

Joe went, found the cup and returned to the aquarium. With his fingers he took some crumbs and gently sprinkled them over the water. He watched the fish’s reaction as they first sensed food sinking into the clear water then began to dart towards the crumbs, their mouths forming perfect O’s as they went to swallow the meal.

Their mother entered the living room carrying bags and suitcases full of clothes and other personal belongings of the children. She placed them down on the carpet and then dropped herself onto a sofa in exhaustion.

Their grandmother anticipating their arrival had already prepared tea, milk and apple pie. Now she served these from a tray that she brought into the room. She called the children repeatedly but none would come. Only when their mother’s sharp voice beckoned them did they pull themselves away from the house pets and went to sit down on the living room sofa to have tea.

The children spent the rest of the morning in the garden with other small animals. On the grass the kids played fondly with a rabbit named Twitch, a guinea pig they had named Sniffer and a few hamsters whose names was always a topic of discussion and disagreement as each child proposed something different. But the animals were a source of great fun and the children amused themselves, dividing their attention between the creatures, alternatively feeding them and trying to make them run and jump and perform acts that the little creatures were not used to.

While the girls continued to play with the animals, Joe’s attention drifted. He stood and gazed across at the forest that was visible just beyond the houses. He spotted the figures of workmen in overalls jumping down from the large vehicles or emerging from the forest, carrying with them an assortment of heavy equipment—saws and diggers. They appeared to be leaving. He guessed that the men might have finished with their work for the morning and were about to break for lunch. Sure enough as he watched, the men climbed into a van which soon pulled on to a road and sped away.

Before long the children’s own lunch was announced. Their mother called them from the back door.

Children, come inside. Your meals are waiting.

At the dining table, the children sat excitedly holding their forks and knives ready to attack the food that their mother served from large porcelain bowls.

Lunch was consumed with great relish. It consisted of steamed vegetable mostly greens including peas, lettuce, mashed potatoes chopped carrots, rice, yoghurt and pickle among other things. Both mothers had combined their cooking skills to make this a scrumptious meal that fattened the children’s tummies when they finished.

After Joe washed down his meal with a glass of juice he asked his mother, Could we go to the forest?

In her reply his mother sounded uncertain. Well, the work is still in progress there. It may be better if you kept some distance.

Mother, I saw the men leave for lunch. I think they’ll be back much later. As soon as they return we’ll come back home.

Oh do let’s go mother, Sally insisted. The forest won’t be there for long. We’ll just wish the trees good bye.

Yes and I saw lots of flowers along the way here. At least we can save them, Amy said.

Their mother and grandmother looked at each other and smiled secretly. Finally mother relented. Fine, you can go but on one condition, you return home as soon as the men come back to work.

Yes mother, the children exclaimed in unison.

They left the table. Amy suddenly felt tired, sleepy eyed and was in two minds whether to go to bed for a quick nap or follow Joe and Sally who

were already at the front door slipping into running shoes. Of course Amy didn’t want to miss any fun they might have and so followed them out of the house and along the road.

CHAPTER 2

The children didn’t need to walk very far. Once past the scattered dormant homes where very little outside activity was visible save for a few elderly people tending their gardens, the children waded through the waist high grass until their feet met a clearing. Here the brown and red soil was visible, turned over, broken and messy at some parts but at others places flattened out with a criss-cross of huge tyre prints.

The children inspected them then turned their attention towards the large unmanned yellow machines parked by the edge of the trees. The girls followed Joe as he walked towards the enormous bulldozer that towered above them. Over awed by the sight of the mechanical beast he said, Look at the size of the tyres. With his knuckles he wrapped against the black wheel whose diameter was as wide as his own height. The tyre was rock hard. Amy became adventurous and moved around to the back of the bulldozer before reappearing some moments later on the other side. She looked up at the driver’s seat positioned a few feet above her head.

Joe, how do we get up there? she inquired looking at the side ladder. How does it move? I saw those men pulling and pushing these sticks.

Amy, Joe said in a discouraging tone, even if we could get it to move you wouldn’t want it to hurt the trees would you?

Goodness no, Amy said almost remorsefully. Suddenly she wanted nothing more to do with the monstrous vehicle and she ran to the edge of the trees where Sally was knelt plucking flowers and inspecting white mushrooms that sprouted from the base of the trunks. A moment later Amy joined her and together they gathered whatever things that delighted them.

While his sisters did so, Joe looked up at the very still trees and made some interesting observations. Compared to the normal trees in the countryside these were taller and their trunks were of an impressive breadth.

Isn’t this an unusual forest. It’s very presence here is strange, he said to no one in particular. And everything looks different since the last time we were here.

On a previous visit, their mother and grandmother had accompanied them only till the edge of the forest but never inside. Back then the children had never paid much attention to the forest. But they were now on their own and a little older.

Sally looked up and agreed with her brother after a few moments of observation.

You’re right Joe. Look how the branches stretch out. And the leaves, they appear a darker green.

Joe ventured further into the clusters of trees. Now and then he pulled a stray tendril or stem of a plant that weaved across his path. He looked up at the branches. He could hear bird calls from high up but could not see the feathered creatures.

Bird watching was one of Joe’s hobbies and he practised his past time whenever the opportunity arose. On outings with the family or on school picnic trips to the countryside he would use his binoculars and peep up into the trees for signs of abstract colour or he would follow the birds flight path as it flew in the sky overhead. Sometimes knowing that a bird had settled down into a nest he would wait until the winged creature left. He was very patient and meticulous about his hobby often collecting books, learning about the bird habitats, eating habits and other behaviour while at the same time using notepads to record any observations he made.

Looking up into the trees now his eyes caught sight of not a bird but a creature with a bushy tail scampering up a tree. On a second look he recognised the animal. It was a squirrel. Joe alerted his sister about his discovery.

Look, he pointed in the direction of the tree where the squirrel was racing up the trunk with amazing speed and agility.

The girls looked up. Sally spotted the creature almost immediately but Amy’s eyes had to search for the tree in question before she saw a bushy tail disappear into a cluster of leaves at the top.

Was it a squirrel? she asked breathlessly.

Yes, Sally said, I think it may have seen us.

Do they always move so quickly?

They’re busy creatures with work to do just like us. They have little homes to look after and food to collect.

Are they here to look after the forest? Amy asked.

Yes, Sally