I thought I had outgrown that mulberry tree. That is until yesterday morning when Tree Guy showed up.

I watched as Tree Guy climbed into his bucket and pulled some levers. It looked fun, getting to ride in that thing. When he got up next to me, he said, “You climbed up here like a pro. Maybe I should give you a job.” I said, “You can’t cut the tree down.”

MRS TUCCI’S TREE BY JAN DONLEY 34THPARALLEL MAGAZINE ISSUE 08

When I was kid, I mean really a kid, I used to climb Mrs Tucci’s tree. I’m 15 now, and I stopped climbing that tree when I was nine. That is, until yesterday.

Mrs Tucci’s tree was the best climbing tree a kid could ask for. It’s like, wherever I put my foot, there was always a place to put my hand, and wherever I put my hand, there was always a place to put my foot.

And once I got up high enough, I had lots of choices. I could sit. I could lean. I could stretch my legs out. If I wedged myself just right in this one section, I could close my eyes and fall asleep and never fall out.

Some kids didn’t like Mrs Tucci because they thought she was mean. I don’t know, maybe she seemed …