The Runaway Leaves

"Free at last," shouted the leaves as they fell to the ground.

Sally was gazing out of the window, day dreaming, when all of a sudden she saw leaves with arms and legs on running down the road as fast as they could go. They were running in all directions but she found herself following the first group of leaves. It was as if she were one of them because she was able to follow where they were going. It felt wonderful to be picked up by the breeze and just float, she forgot all the problems she had and just drifted along with them.

"This looks exciting, in here mates," called one of the leaves. They had been blown into a pub. There was loud music, smoke filled the air and everyone seemed to be talking at once as loud as they could. (This was the influence of the alcohol but the leaves didn't understand this - yet!) They were blown under a table and could see everything that was going on.

At their table sat a young couple. "The kids will be okay Mary stop worrying we're only round the corner and we won't be long, just one or two drinks, what's the harm in that honey?"

Mary was not so sure, "I don't like the idea of leaving them on their own."

"Tell you what," said Don, "I'll get you your favourite drink, brandy and coke and then we'll go."

"All right," said Mary. She thought one drink, what can be the harm in that. She didn't know that Don got a double brandy and filled it with coke so she would not notice. Mary not being used to alcohol would be completely useless after that and would not worry about leaving the children.

After they had enjoyed their drinks, Don got another for himself and another double for Mary before she could say anything. She was more relaxed now and didn't seem to mind so much, she even began to enjoy herself.

"Let's have a dance girl we haven't done this for ages." After two doubles Mary would agree to anything, she seemed oblivious to all that was going on around her; even the sound of the fire engines tearing past at full speed, alarm bells sounding in the quiet night.

Someone shouted, "Don I think it's your house!"

He grabbed Mary and ran. By the time they got home their house was ablaze, one child rescued but badly burned, the other one overcome by fumes. Three years old and her life had ended tragically. With the effect of the alcohol and what had happened Mary passed out.

Back in the pub the leaves were beginning to feel quite funny, they had been catching the drops of beer the men had spilled from their pints.

"It's quite tasty, up! up!" said one of the leaves. He had the hiccups.

Unfortunately it did not take much to get him drunk, but he liked the strange feeling and told his pals to drink. They were easily persuaded and very soon they were all drunk.

The leaves were having a party of their own under the table. "This is real happiness isn't it lads?" One of them was not so sure, he had a bad head and he felt sick, another couldn't control his voice, it kept saying things he didn't tell it to say. In fact most of them were feeling it wasn't so bad hanging from a tree after all. At least they could smell fresh air and people would stop and admire them. This made them feel good and they hung more beautifully, now they were dirty crumpled up and nobody paid any attention to them.

"People made us feel needed when we were on the tree, what are we doing here, we must have been crazy."

"Oh don't be a stuffed shirt, the night is still young, enjoy yourself."

Two men were now sitting at their table and one said, "I can beat you any day, with my hands tied behind my back!"

"I'd like to see that!"

Before you could say 'Jack Robins' there was a fight, tables and chairs were being thrown and the poor leaves were being squashed under foot. Very soon another bell could be heard and police came rushing in to take the two men away. After this the pub seemed to empty of people. The leaves heaved a big sigh of relief the best way they could because they had been half squashed. The door had been locked so they could not get out. They were resigned to spend the night there, so they settled down to sleep.

Oh me, oh my, something very strange was happening when they closed their eyes. It was as if they were going for a ride on the bobs up and down, round and round but unfortunately instead of being fun, it was making them feel sick. Next morning they woke slowly one by one.

"Never again, it's that stuff we drank that made us feel bad! I'm out of here as soon as that door is open."

"Your a stuffed shirt, it's because you don't like having fun, it was good last night wasn't it?"

"It's not worth feeling like this next morning, in fact I didn't feel well very soon after drinking it," said one.

Half the leaves decided enough was enough and left the pub as soon as they could, the others stayed to have 'more fun,' they said.

"We're certainly seeing life aren't we?" The leaves agreed they would rather not experience that again. I followed the leaves that decided to leave the pub, it was an experience that I too would be glad to leave behind.

They blew until they came to a large building next where women were sat at machines sowing. In between making dresses they would stop for a chat.

"The leaves listened. "What do you think of Barbara's new dress, she looks disgusting in it doesn't she," said one.

"Well she couldn't possibly look nice in anything the poor thing is ugly," carried on another.

"How about Anne's new boyfriend what do you think about him?"

"Well, he is ugly, dirty and ignorant, just like her!"

Listening to the conversation the leaves discovered the women had nothing good to say about anyone. "How strange these humans are, they seem to get pleasure just from hurting one another."

"Oh they are not all like that really."

"I don't believe you," said one, "show me someone that is nice - if you can!"

They did not enjoy listening to the hurt one inflicted on another so soon left the factory.

"What an adventure we're having," said one of the leaves.

"I'm beginning to be glad I'm not human. I can see where I am better off, and it certainly is not here!"

"How can you judge so quickly you haven't seen many experiences yet. This place looks interesting let's go in here."

They found themselves in a hospital where all sick people were. One lady in a special uniform was holding a cup so an elderly lady in bed could have a drink. There was a beautiful light around them and it made the leaves all feel something warm and good inside them.

"That's when somebody cares," said one leaf, "they have a special light around them and it makes the other one get better quicker."

"It's called love," said one little leaf.

"It's beautiful," said another.

All of a sudden a bossy Sister came along and told the nurse to hurry there was work to be done. The light disappeared and the smile also from the nurses face.

"I thought nursing was caring for people," she said to the old lady, "but it seems that's the last thing they think about and she went away to wash the bathroom floor as she had been told.

"I could cry for her, she was so happy," said the leaf. "Now she looks so sad, it seems to me that humans just like hurting."

"Have faith, my friend, you haven't seen enough yet."

"I don't like the sadness and the misery they cause one another."

"Just follow me and you will yet see something good." The wind blew and they were carried quite some distance before it stopped and they found themselves in a garden. There was a little child playing with a ball and very happy in what she was doing. One leaf blew in front of her and she stopped playing.

"Oh what a beautiful leaf," and picked it up to show her mum.

Her mum agreed it was a beautiful leaf but it would be much happier outside.

"Perhaps it would like to go round the rose bush and keep it warm in winter so it doesn't die."

"Oh, I'm sure he would," said the girl and very gently placed the leaf around the bush. Some of the other leaves blew inside the house. It felt warm and cosy and so peaceful they all wanted to go to sleep.

"Why do we feel like this?" said one little leaf."

"Because this house my little friend is full of loving caring people and love brings happiness, a joy in living a joy in giving, a joy in caring, a joy in sharing. Like when someone puts a warm blanket round you when you have come in from the cold outside."

"How wonderful," said the little leaf, "I would like to be like this if I was a human being."

"Well my friends this was the whole object of your journey, to see how the human being is living today. We always think the grass is greener on the other side instead of being happy with what we are. We now know there are some people who appreciate very much our beauty. For them we can see how valuable we are. Now we can go back home and appreciate much more what we are. Perhaps one day all people will be like that family."

Sally came back from her day dreaming, "My goodness I never really thought too much about the human being and what he does. That night when she fell asleep she found herself back with the vision she had seen.

When the young couple arrived home they found their house ablaze, one of the children had tried to make a hot chocolate and started a fire. Luckily they were all okay but the house was burnt down.

The dreadful feeling that they might have lost their children changed their lives completely. They realised they had been very lucky and they had the chance to learn to be responsible people.

The two men who had been fighting found themselves locked up in the police station being drunk and disorderly. Each trying to blame the other for what had happened.

"Two grown men and you haven't learnt yet to be responsible. Perhaps a night in prison will do you good.

They didn't agree but had no choice. At supper time they met up with other prisoners.

Fred a hardened burglar always seized an opportunity when it presented itself and one of the drunks was like a sponge he took everything in, so when Fred told him a sob story about his bad heart and how his brother had some special powder but he couldn't bring it because he was ill. The drunk said he was only there one night so he would collect the stuff and bring it to him. He had no idea it was drugs and he would be supplying half the prison with them.

Later that day he went to the prison library as he had nothing better to do and it was almost as if someone had led him there because what he saw changed his life completely.

He said nothing when he returned to the others but in his mind he was sure he would not help these criminals.

At 4.00 pm they were released and realised what a lucky escape they had had. It started them thinking in a completely different way.

The leaves realised that even when humans do something wrong, they can see the error of their ways, - if they want to!

They decided unanimously that there was something very special about the human being when he was goo and that being able to show their own beauty in their own way was worthwhile. All went happily back to the trees but found their was no place for them. Winter had set in and the trees had gone to sleep.

"I think we should do the same," said one wise leaf. You never know where we will find ourselves if we just go to sleep."

"Ready, for our next adventure!" said another leaf.

There was a man on the floor having some sort of a fit. A bag lay by the side of him. It was found he had taken an overdose of drugs. The stuff his so called friend was asking him to bring to him when he got out of prison. He realized he would have become a supplier of drugs. How grateful he was for seeing more clearly.

                        © Denise Bonenfant