He was Almost Absorbed by the System

Chapter One Hundred And Fifty Seven - The Life Of A Tree

A week passed in relative peace. Although K'tai-tul's mother was a little put out that his spontaneous idea was not shared with the family before he acted upon it, it was not an idea that she scorned. In fact, it had her full approval. Uncle was slightly more reserved, a little more chained to the traditional, being that it was his family line the decision effected, but even he could not deny that it was better than selling their family name away in order to survive. As T'chu-gon neighbour did not come and pressure them during the week, they felt able to breath for the first time in a while. However, nothing was yet set in stone.

K'tai-tul waited nervously in town as the third sun began to rise above the horizon.  Ch'mai-tul was with him, but today, she did not have a lesson to attend.  Today, they were waiting for O'nan-win so that they might guide him to and around the farm and discuss what he did as a tree farmer so that O'nan-win can answer any questions his students might have.  If K'tai-tul successfully took on apprentices, O'nan-win would need to contact other farms to see if they were also willing to take in youths.

When O'nan-win came into town, he was not alone.  His younger brother and little cousin were with him.  K'tai-tul's eyes starred at O'vel-win perhaps a little longer than necessary.  He was trying to figure out what it was about the man that so easily captured his attention.  Perhaps it was the easy-going nature of the man, he was quick to smile and those smiles always revealed his bright, white teeth.  He was talkative, but not to the point of being boring or annoying.  He seemed interested in what K'tai-tul had to say and was encouraging when it came to this idea and calming when K'tai-tul needed it most.  He was probably the first person, outside a family member, that K'tai-tul felt comfortable with since he was a child attending lessons.  Before he found out that he was different to the other students; he would not become an apprentice and look for a good position, he would be a tree farmer like his father.

The two children greeted each other familiarly and little L'nan-win began chatting away as if he need not take breath, while the naturally quiet Ch'mai-tul sat back and listened.  The adult men looked fondly at the children as K'tai-tul lead his draft beast to pull the wagon home.

"I hope you don't mind me joining my brother," O'vel-win said to the farmer a few minutes in.  "I couldn't contain my curiosity.  My family have always worked in careers that stem after the wood is cut for paper, so we are ignorant of the processes required before."

O'nan-win nodded in agreement.  K'tai-tul's speech had been directed at children, so he had spoken of the interesting things and glossed over the more difficult parts.  K'tai-tul chuckled.  "There is not really too much to tell," he said, lightly.  He admittedly found it hard to speak of the daily trials of his work, of certain hardships and the boring periods waiting for established trees to mature, yet having to inspect them.  With other bodies, it would be less difficult, they might even be able to replant in the handful of fallow acres they had not used for over a generation, but the boring bit would not likely go away.  They would have to figure out how to make do during those days by themselves.

So he gave them the run down of the life of the tree, from the seeds that did not always germinate, to carefully watering and feeding seedlings and removing pests, to the planting of saplings and the long walks to check for disease or rot.  And lastly, a successfully grown tree of ten years of age, that would be felled for the paper mill.

"That sounds like a fair amount of work," O'nan-win stated.  "I never realised that it would take so long to grow trees."

"That is just trees for paper," K'tai-tul stated.  "Trees for fruit are usually around a decade old before they will start bearing fruit, but the best are closer to thirty years.  We have a small orchard and care for it well as it supplies food for use and trade.  Other, larger farms often grow trees for furniture and these range from fifty to one hundred years, so you can understand just why farms are run by generations of the same family."  O'nan-win nodded in understanding.  It made things clearer why apprentices were not sought by tree farmers as well and why they generally kept to themselves.  Their trees were priceless and each one represented a portion of their lives.  To rely on outsiders would require a serious shift in thinking.  Perhaps only families as desperate as K'tai-tul's would consider such an action.