The Leaves on the Trees
/One man comes to grips with climate reality
————
The leaves never came. Everyone had heard of climate change, but many did not believe the global news.
Jack had heard the stories of increased intensity of storms, flooding, drought and wildfires. He didn't believe it.
His father used to say, “Don't believe it till you see it. Damn Democrats lie about everything.”
And his mom would say, “Listen to your father.”
And Jack did listen. He went to University. He married his college sweetheart. He became a financial advisor. He had three kids, two cars and a dog. His family took vacations, bought name brands and had barbeques with the right kind of people. Family men, Republicans, the best of the best.
There was no real change just climate fluctuations. Everything would work out. It always worked out for him.
He walked out of his house after kissing his family a goodbye. He started his BMW and began his drive to work. It was an unusually cold April.
The radio could be heard …”and that was Vivaldi's Troubadour. Can you believe there saying a polar vortex is sweeping down through Canada and the Eastern USA?” “No way! It's April!. Weird I guess. But speaking of April. We all know what that means.” “Opening Day.” “Opening Day for our Brewers. That means free tickets if you can tell us who played second base in 1985.” “313-8675. You know the drill ...be our twentieth caller! …”.
Jack had tuned out polar vortex. He scrambled to put the Bluetooth in his ear. He ran the red light and was lucky there was no traffic. He didn't notice. He was caller twenty. He called his wife to make babysitter plans. They were going with Roger and his wife to opening day. He felt like the luckiest cat in the world.
It was a few weeks after the polar vortex swept east of Milwaukee that his son came home perplexed. “Dad, can we stop eating meat?”
Jack said, “Stop eating meat!”
Son said, “Maybe just a few days a week. Like we could just cut …”.
Jack said, “Dammit! It's that New Green Deal and Cortez-Demo bullshit. What have I told you before?”
Son said, in bored verbatim style, “Don't believe it until you see it. Politicians lie to spend more money.”
Little Johnny looked over at his mom for support. She said, “Listen to your dad. Your grandfather worked at City Hall and knew about these things. Do you remember when your father would tell us stories when we were visiting from college?”
Jack said, “That's right. Good times, good times.” Jack had a faraway look in his eye. JJ knew the conversation was over. He thought about what he had learned at school about the meat industry, deforestation and methane. He went into the bathroom and took his anxiety meds.
The news that night briefly mentioned a tsunami on the other side of the world. There was also talk about refugees from a drought getting up in a war in DRC. Jack didn't know what the DRC acronym meant so he talked over it. “How was practice today? Are you ready for the game on Friday?” His daughter, Charlene, played softball.
She said, “Yes. We've been running drills with our coats on. It snowed last week. Just for a few minutes on Wednesday.”
Jack said, “I must've missed it.” His eyebrow raised a little. “That is odd.”
She said, “Yeah. It warmed up this week ...finally. It looks like Spring is finally here. Maybe we will go right into Summer this year. That might be nice. Don't you think so JJ.”
JJ looked over slightly perturbed, “Have you seen any leaves? You guys play all over the city. Have you seen any leaves anywhere?”
She shook her head, “I can't say I've noticed.”
Jack said, “Don't worry about it. Worry about the geometry test coming up. How is the new tutor working out?”
JJ said, “Fine.”
Later that night …
Jack said, “...and he seems to have gotten more sullen. Are we sure the medication is necessary?”
Cynthia said, “He's always been sensitive. Try to cut him some slack. Maybe there's a girl at school.”
Jack said, “I guess you're right.”
It was last day of school, in June, when the absence of leaves on the trees became obvious to Jack. He asked Cynthia if this was normal. She said, “I don't know.” They suddenly were shook by the yell from the back of the car.
“NO, NO, THIS is NOT NORMAL. THERE are supposed to be Leaves on the trees. They are CONIFERS for fuck's sake! Jesus Christ Superstar.”
Jack and Cynthia said, “There is no need for language like that. I don't what they are teaching you at that school, but we don't tolerate that kind of talk in this family.”
Charlene looked at JJ. “Well in his defense it is really weird. We were talking about the seasons in physics class. The teacher said 97℅ of scientists agree something is off about the climate and that fossil fuels are one of the culprits.” She smiled at JJ, “Some say that the New Green Deal doesn't even go far enough. They sa…”.
Jack bellowed “What have I told you kids a thousand times! Don't believe it until you see it! Politicians lie to steal your taxes!”
Charlene collapsed into her seat embarrassed. She heard her brother quip, “But Dad, we don't see any leaves.”
Jack pulled into the driveway and stopped the car. He said, “Look there are leaves.” He raised his hand to point. He and Cynthia looked up, scouring the treeline. Cynthia said, “Jack, where are the leaves?”
Jack said, “Where are the leaves?”
It would take a good two months before the primetime news acknowledged the lack of leaves on trees that Summer. It took two years, as the bark began to decay, for the scientists to confirm the roots had gone into a form of hibernation to conserve energy. The ancestors of modern trees go back 500 million years. Truly the great-grandparents of all land life. There was so much we didn't know they said. It took another election before politicians agreed that something must be done. By then it was called the Blue-Green New Deal that took trees and coral reefs into consideration.
Cynthia began volunteering with her local Sierra club with JJ. They called it Mother-Son bonding time. Jack came along sometimes. He even showed up to protest a pipe-line project near his parents town.
Charlene decided to minor in political science. Honest politicians could make the world better she said.
Jack skimmed the sky, everyday, on his way home from work. He believed the leaves would come back. He just didn't know when.
By Alex Almeida
From: United States
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