The Pine Tree Has Grown
By Susan Knight | A look at what it means to return to a place after decades away.
Written by Susan Knight | Seeking Veritas Guest Writer | Sankarsingh-Gonsalves Productions
What makes someone depart from a place? And what does it feel like to return after several years have passed? It’s a scenario that unfolds frequently enough to be considered commonplace; ordinary and unremarkable. And yet, as the following short vignette reveals, bound up within every departure and every return is a unique story reflecting the lives and thoughts—and oftentimes turmoil—of the individuals involved.
Turning left at the intersection, she drove a little bit farther until she reached the grey brick house with the pine tree in front. She pulled into the driveway. Sitting in the parked car and looking at the house, she paused to collect herself.
It had been 27 years since she was last in that exact same spot, sitting in the parked car and looking at the house. She remembered that day—Sunday, April 3rd—clearly, as if it were yesterday. She had paused back then too. But that pause was different, as she was considering all the ramifications of her departure. She had known that once she left, there was no turning back.
So much had happened in her life since then. So much they didn’t know about. And now here she was, 27 years later. Was she really there or was this a dream, as if she were inhabiting some sort of parallel universe? Despite the surroundings being familiar, the moment felt surreal.
The grey brick house looked the same, except for the pine tree in the front yard. She recalled when it had first been planted, barely three feet tall. The neighbourhood boys would run and try to jump over it, with some of the older boys actually being able to clear it without touching it. It had grown so much since then; it now towered over the house.
How long could she sit there in the driveway? She got out of the car and made her way to the front door. Another pause, followed by a deep breath. “On the count of three,” she told herself. “One, two, three,” she counted in a whisper, and without leaving room for hesitation, she forced herself to ring the doorbell.
About the author: Susan Knight is a writer, certified health and wellness coach, and author of Living Well: Self-Discovery, Connection and Growth | Contact the author: http://skfreelance.com
This scene is a masterclass in using a physical object, in this case the pine tree, to measure the weight of lost time. By contrasting the tree’s memory as a sapling that boys could jump over with its current state as a towering presence, you give the reader a visceral sense of those 27 missing years without needing to list every event that happened in between. The parallel pauses at the beginning and end of her journey create a beautiful symmetry, showing how the courage to leave has transformed into the courage to return. The writing is lean and purposeful, focusing on the internal tension. This makes the reader feel the exact moment her hesitation turns into action. It’s a quiet, cinematic opening that leaves us leaning in, desperate to know who is on the other side of that door.