The Order of the Trees (8 page)

“We wait. We see what happens,” said Dan, leaning back into Stella.

By now it was 6:00
A.M
., and Dan had brought a thermos of hot chocolate and some energy bars. They ate thankfully.

“It won't be long now, Cedar. Our parents must know…”

“Cedar?”

“Dude, where'd she go?”

“Hey there, up here!”

Cedar had climbed up Stella like she was a set of stairs. She made her way causally out to one of the thickest limbs, about 20 feet up in the air.

“What are you doing! Be careful—remember all that pain, you've been so sick!” Phillip's worry rushed out of his mouth like a river.

“I feel so good. Nothing can harm me here. Plus, I do this all the time.”

Dan and Phillip stood under the tree, necks angled back, staring at the marvel moving among the branches.

“See this little pocket of branches? This is my reading spot. I've been coming here for ages. I bring a book, sometimes a blanket and read up here for hours. It is so peaceful, just the birds, the breeze.”

“Cedar! Phillip!” came from a distance away. The tone echoed off the rocks, the trees.

Serious adult voices shattered Cedar's explanation. Her face changed completely and she made her way quickly down, like a monkey moving with ease through a tree.

Phillip and Cedar looked at each other. It was time to face whoever was coming.

They stood in front of Stella, together. Dan Bloom stood a bit back, cell phone in hand. He was not going to miss any of this.

“Thank God!” Cedar's mom called as they ran toward the three kids. Sara Montgomery's face was one of sheer panic. Hollowed eyes, disheveled hair, creases between her eyebrows.

“I thought, I thought…” she hugged Cedar tightly.

Phillip's parents emerged as part of the group and looked at Phillip in a way he had never seen.

“We trusted you. How could you do this? She is so sick!” yelled his dad. His mom looked on, shaking her head.

“Stop, everyone. It is not Phillip's fault. He was trying to help me.”

“Help you?” said Sara Montgomery, “how can breaking you out of the hospital help you! What were you thinking!”

Phillip's dad said, “Get your stuff. We are leaving. You've done enough damage here.”

Cedar took her mom's hands. Tipped up her chin.

“Mom, look at me. Look at my face.”

Cedar's mom turned to look at her daughter.

“See me. See my eyes. You know it is true.”

Tears sprouted in Sara Montgomery's eyes as she looked deep into the fiery, deer-like eyes of her wild tree daughter. She knew in that moment the way you know things. The way you feel love like a blanket.

“Kevin. Look at Cedar. She is bright. She is well.”

“But how can that be?” Cedar's dad marveled.

“Because she is home. Because her fate is connected to this tree.” At this, Cedar's parents paused, eyes locked on Cedar.

Phillip's dad interrupted the silence. “I have no idea what you all are talking about, but I have to get to work, and this boy here is grounded for life, so if you don't mind, he's coming with me.”

“Dad, I can't leave. We've made it this far. Cedar's mom is right.”

“Um, excuse me,” Dan Bloom called.

“Young man, you are coming with me.” Phillip's dad reached and caught Phillip's arm.

“Let go! I was only trying to help!”

“You'd better turn around, folks,” Dan said, camera raised and recording.

Behind the group, dozens of people were coming forward, many holding signs, calling into the forest.

“Save the Worcester Woods! Save Cedar!”

“Save the Worcester Woods! Save Cedar!”

They kept coming. Piles of kids holding hand-lettered signs. Parents holding their kids' hands. It seemed that Chester School had emptied and appeared right on the trail, right in the woods before them.

The adults were speechless, and Cedar broke into a wide smile. The morning light bathed the dozens of families that emerged around Stella. Cedar and Phillip stepped around the stunned adults and started greeting classmates, teachers, parents, friends, and many people they didn't know.

Cedar looked around, light as air, in disbelief. Phillip ran his hands through his hair, whispered, “Unbelievable.”

They didn't even notice the TV news cameras.

The group kept chanting, and then stopped to listen to Phillip and Cedar.

“I cannot believe you all came,” Phillip called out, choking on the words, “We really appreciate you.”

As he spoke, Mr. Bausch showed up behind the group, followed by several adults in nice clothes.

“… You must have some belief in us, in Cedar, and in the magic of these woods to get up so early and come out here,” Phillip called.

Cedar looked up and out on the crowd. She said, “We know little about how our environment is tied to us all. Maybe not as strongly as I am to this place, but each one of us is intricately tied to our water, our land, our home. By helping protect this forest, you protect not only my home, but yours. Our forests clean our air, they take our anxiety away, they teach us about nature and resilience, about renewal
and strength. All of which I have needed in recent days, and we will all need often in our lives.”

The group encircled Stella, listening, building in numbers. More people trickled in, gathering around the towering tree.

“This is only the beginning. We will need to fight to make sure this forest is not cut down, for me but also for you, and we all need to work together to protect forests and habitats everywhere.”

As she spoke Cedar was electric. The crowd listened raptly as her fearless eyes stared out at them. Her strength seemed to be shooting out, reaching like branches into their eyes and hearts and minds.

As she spoke, Dan pulled on Phillip's arm.

“Dude, you'd better look at this.”

Dan had started a Save the Worcester Woods Facebook page. It had over 1,000 members, and it had only been on-line one hour.

“Look at the comments.”

“Hello, this is Channel Nine News, we've just heard of your protest and would like to interview you….”

“Hi, this is your local representative. I'd like to speak to you about your campaign to save this forest.”

“Hello, this is NPR. We read your blog post on Huffington Post Youth and would like to interview you for our radio program. . . . ”

“Greetings, my name is Amy from the Forest Stewardship Council. We want to support your work to preserve this forest. . . .”

And the list went on and on.

Phillip and Dan read, jaws dropping.

Meanwhile, as Cedar closed her comments, the crowd erupted in applause.

Mr. Bausch approached quickly with two other adults.

“Phillip, Cedar, I am so glad to see that you are all right! You gave us quite a scare.”

Phillip smiled his small smile. Mr. Bausch continued, “I want to introduce you to two of your town select board representatives. They granted the approval of this development and are interested in hearing more about your side of things.”

With that he winked.

Phillip knew Mr. Bausch was a good guy.

The town representative spoke first, combed dark hair bobbing, “While we appreciate your efforts here, this development is perfectly legal, and, unfortunately, the forest clearing will begin today.” He looked in physical pain to be standing in the woods with all of these people.

Cedar's eyes were burning holes in the representative,
and Phillip stammered, put off by the condescending tone of the man and struggled for words. Dan looked up and smiled.

“While we appreciate
you
coming out here, you are going to have to answer to all of these people who want to save this forest,” he waved his hand to the cheering crowd, “and to all of these people, too.” He held up his computer, showed the town selectman the page and the comments. Then someone else tapped the representative on the shoulder, and a video camera was shoved in his face.

A news reporter had pushed her way into the scene, her videographer right beside her. “Are you a town representative who voted on having this development? What do you plan to do to save this girl and preserve this forest? Will you ignore the will of the people here today?”

Visibly stunned, the representative said “No comment!” and started walking briskly away. Dan smiled. The news media was here, and they weren't going away. While the fight ahead to save the forest might be long, today, they were winning.

Cedar, Phillip, and Dan sighed in relief, and laughed a little. They hugged their parents, who were now, at last, accepting what was happening.

They looked up at the mighty Stella, and all of her tree family, bathed in late morning light, surrounded by hope and beauty and change.

THAT WAS THE DAY
that changed everything. The news media far and wide covered the story of two kids who started a protest to save their forest, and the girl who was found as a baby in it. Donations came pouring in from all over the world into a Save the Worcester Woods fund set up by Cedar's parents. The Town Council put the development on hold, and Cedar's health improved. At the hearing later that month, Cedar's parents had raised enough money both locally and on-line that they simply bought the land, and turned it into a park for all the residents of Middlesex, Worcester, and beyond.

Cedar's health blossomed. She seemed to grow like the trees that were newly protected. The fire in her eyes was back, her long limbs stretching and growing. Phillip emerged as a school leader, the
perception of him after the protest changed forever. He stood a little taller. He wasn't afraid to speak up to anyone, any more.

Cedar, Phillip and Dan did start that environmental club at school. Dan started a blog about their work, and a YouTube channel featuring their projects. Soon, they were organizing other campaigns to save local habitats and to demand that companies respect the environment. They had thousands of fans, and they continued to raise money for their work with the fund set up by Cedar's parents.

Dan was welcomed into the Order of the Trees, held each week in the newly formed Worcester Woodland Community Park. They had to limit the membership to 20 local kids, and are considering opening another chapter.

Perhaps, dear reader, you could start your very own chapter of the Order of the Trees. Who knows what kind of magic you will find there?

1.   Due to Cedar's belief that the trees are her forest family, she has personified them by naming them. Do you believe plant species, such as trees, have their own personalities and deserve names?

2.   Why is Mrs. Doneaway so harsh when it comes to reprimanding Cedar and Phillip? Does it have something to do with who she favors and who she doesn't? Or is it because Cedar and Phillip are different from the other kids and she is childish when it comes to judging those she doesn't know a lot about?

3.   Dan used social media and technology to inform people about the demolishment of the Worcester Woods. Was that a good move on his part? If he hadn't used the Internet to help, would the movement still have gotten the attention it did?

4.   Were Cedar's and Phillip's parents' reactions acceptable when they made it to the Worcester Woods?

5.   Even if Cedar and the link between her living and dying was not connected to Stella and the rest of the trees, do you think Phillip still would have done so much to try and save the forest?

6.   Do you agree with Cedar when she says the forest is an escape? Do you spend a lot of time in the forest as well?

7.   Because some trees have longer life-spans than the average human, does that mean Cedar will have a prolonged
life? Or is it possible that she will live a normal life and Stella will only serve as her life support for as long as Cedar needs it? And when Cedar becomes old and it is time for her to pass, will Stella pass away with her?

8.   Do you know of any environmental groups in your area? Are you or someone you know a part of one?

9.   How does Cedar react to the malicious things Miranda and Sam say and do? How does Phillip react? Why do you think Miranda and Sam are so mean to them?

10. Would you have helped saved the Worcester Woods with Cedar and Phillip?

11. Is it possible for Cedar to be a child of the forest? She has an unexplainable connection with the Worcester Woods. Could it possibly be something otherworldly, something magical? Or just a strong love for nature and the trees?

12. The story goes that Cedar was found at the base of a tree, whom we now know as Stella. Is it possible that the trees sent Cedar in order to save them? And if so, did they work some sort of spell on Phillip to help Cedar?

13. At the beginning of the novel, Phillip is a little hesitant to accept the invitation for joining The Order of the Trees. How do his views of the forest change? Why?

14. Compare and contrast Phillip at the beginning and end of the novel. How and why has he changed?

15. Besides keeping Cedar and The Order safe, why was it important for Phillip to save the Worcester Woods? Why is it important to save any kind of forest?

16. If you had the chance to save a forest, would you?

17. Do you think Phillip gained the confidence he had to save his friend and the forest by becoming friends with Cedar? Or did he have it within him all along?

18. Was it right for Phillip to lie and break the law so he could save his friend and The Order?