Chapter Thirty-Two

The Beginning

It was a lazy summer afternoon.

Savannah was in the backyard with her two brothers.

Mike was shooting some hoops as Ben lay snoozing beside Savannah underneath the ash tree after losing a quick game of basketball against Mike earlier.

Savannah was on the last page of the notebook Leon had given her for graduation.

She had been writing poems and her thoughts in it for close to two months.

She couldn't help but feel a sense of pride and accomplishment.

Leon would be so proud of her.

There was also a sense of excitement lingering in the air.

She was dressed in her nicest clothes and was wearing the nicest smelling perfume she had.

She was expecting a special someone that afternoon.

Savannah had been the happiest she's ever been in a long time.

Over the summer she spent a lot of it down at the pier where she watched Ben skate at the skate-park and caught up with Emily when she ran in to her once.

It was their regular meeting spot.

Savannah was glad to find a friend in Emily, she'd always admired her character, but had never been outgoing enough to make friends with her.

She'd often go out to the cinemas with Mike, surprisingly, they have a similar taste in films.

Savannah and Mike had grown closer than ever, she wondered how she managed to go a year without contact with her brother when now she could barely go a second without talking to him.

She often received letters from Grace and Mark Thompson who now reside in Venice, Italy, wishing her well and she'd do the same.

Savannah was letting the lazy sun drift her away when Ben suddenly jerked awake.

"I'm gonna go sleep inside," he said groggily, his eyes barely open.

"Okay" sang Savannah, trying to supress her giggles as he got up and stumbled inside.

She watched as Ben disappeared and all of her sudden her father was standing where Ben was.

He smiled at Savannah and approached her.

He looked and Mike as if to say, 'could you give us a minute?'

Without a word, Mike obliged, retreating inside.

"How are you, Savannah?" he asked sweetly sitting closely beside her, his back leaning against the ash tree.

"I'm great Dad," smiled Savannah.

He heaved a heavy sigh, clearly he had something on his mind, but what?

"You know; you remind me so much of my mother... she was a... wonderful woman. When I lost her, I thought I lost everything.

"And then I met your mother and then she gave me you...

"We named you 'Savannah', after my mother, 'Sehana',"

"Yeah, I remember you told me that a few years back, Dad," said Savannah comfortingly.

Her father always wore his heart on his sleeve, but she wondered why he was getting emotional all of a sudden.

"She always used to tell us as kids, 'a dream will be nothing but a dream without hard work.'

"That the biggest gifts come in the smallest of packages.'

"For every year of my birthday, she'd give me a flower seed... then on her deathbed she handed me an envelope... an envelope containing a single ash tree seed.

"A seed that has flourished into the tree above, below and around us."

Savannah's heart was about to burst out of her chest.

She was compelled, she never wished she knew her grandmother more than she did now.

"I look at you Savannah and I see her spirit in you, her strength, her beauty... the light in her eyes never died, they just passed on to you.

"Ever since you were a kid I've always known, you're drawn to this tree aren't you?" he asked, his eyes glistening.

Savannah nodded, "I always used to tell Leon that I felt a comforting presence whenever I was sitting under this tree... it feels good to finally know why," said Savannah feeling an overwhelming sense of serenity.

"I feel like I never tell you enough Savannah, but I thank god every day for a daughter like you. I'm so proud of you... I love you very, very much. Don't ever doubt that."

"I never did."

Savannah heard a honk from the front yard and she sat upright, feeling like a dozen white doves had been released in her stomach.

"Expecting someone?" asked her father mischievously.

Savannah rolled her eyes, "how do I look?" she asked her father nervously,

"absolutely beautiful," he said kissing her on the forehead.

She ran to the front door and greeted her boyfriend of two months; who she had been completely falling head-over-heals for.

Mitchell stood beaming, holding a bouquet of white roses wrapped in brown paper.

His smile dazzled like a sea full of diamonds, his eyes as blue and luminescent as tropical sea, his dark hair, messy yet neat, everything was where it was supposed to be, like an overgrown rainforest.

She threw herself on to him as he chuckled in her ear.

He smelt of expensive cologne and rugged aftershave.

She stepped back and took the roses he handed her as he kissed her on the cheek.

"Ready to go?" he asked, interlocking his fingers with hers.

"Yep," she said beaming.

They spent the afternoon in an eccentric Japanese garden park, (Mitchell's idea) and had dinner at a local diner overlooking the city.

Mitchell set her heart free, she enjoyed every second of falling in love with him with every part of her heart, because she knew no matter what, that Mitchell was going to look after it.

They were going out tonight to celebrate their acceptances to Swanstone University, Mitchell was enrolled for an environmental science course and Savannah was majoring in creative writing and literature.

It was like it was meant to be.

Everything was falling into place and Savannah could see her future before her eyes.

It was an exciting prospect, but Savannah chose to focus on now, this moment, with the person who made her heart float like a hot air balloon.

The electricity buzzing between them she could practically taste it.

"What on your mind?" asked Mitchell after realising that something distant was running in and out of Savannah's mind.

It's like he knew what she was thinking.

She wondered how he could read her so well, know how she was feeling when she herself was at a loss.

"I've been thinking Mitch,"

"yeah?"

"you know how; we've been talking about ways to honour Leon?"

"Yeah, I've been thinking of creating a sculpture of some kind," he said with a smirk as his eyes sparkled.

"Yeah, I think that's a great idea but I was thinking something more... permanent."

That night Mitchell drove Savannah and himself to a trusty worthy tattoo parlour in the city.

Savannah and Mitchell got matching ankle tattoos.

A single palm tree leaf centred by two ash tree leaves with the quote; 'why reach for the ceiling when you can reach for the moon' in a bold, script font.

Exactly the same as the chest tattoo Leon had.

Leon died with a little bit of Savannah and a little bit of Mitchell.

Now Savannah and Mitchell had a little bit of Leon, permanently tattooed to their skins and tattooed to their hearts.

They sang along to popular radio songs, laughed and cried the entire car ride home.

They reached the winding road surrounded by trees, meaning they were close to Savannah's house.

The sun had set and it was getting dark.

Tonight had been nothing but a dream. Savannah had never been more thankful for her life and the people in it.

She was at peace with herself and everything that has ever happened to her in the past.

She was calm, excited about life again and free.

Savannah sat back on her car seat as Mitchell drove and sang along to her favourite song.

He wasn't the greatest singer, but to Savannah, his voice was the most soothing thing in the world.

Then he all of a sudden stopped and his car came to a screeching halt.

Savannah flung her eyes open instantly, clearly startled staring at Mitchell with a look of shock and bemusement.

"Stay here," Mitchell said simply exiting the car in one swift movement.

She looked outside her car window, it was dark, with the car headlights she was able to see a few metres ahead.

Mitchell went behind the car from the direction which they came.

Savannah craned her neck, she could see him huddling over something, a table or a stand of some sort.

She sat quietly in anticipation, trying not to think anxious thoughts when Mitchell reappeared again.

She let out a breath she didn't know she was holding.

He buckled his seat belt and before Savannah could say a word, Mitchell handed her a little brown envelope.

He smiled at her from ear to ear.

Inside it, was nothing but a single, yet precious palm tree seed.