Name: Fiza Ahmad

Key stage and year group: year 10

Age and dob: 15 years old 16/10/06
Title of story: The tree
School: Ursuline high school

The tree
I admired the magnificent tree in the garden from beneath it. This isn't only a plant that
developed from a little seed that was watered every day for more than a century. It's not
merely a giant, awkwardly placed piece of wood in our garden. It's not just a nasty,
shrivelled trunk with loads of names carved into it. To me, it was more than just a plant; it
was extremely important for my family and me. The tree is as beautiful as my family to me.
For decades, this tree carried memories and secrets.

It all began When my great great grandparents moved into this house about 100 years ago,
and the first thing they did was plant a seed to commemorate the beginning of their new
chapter; not an ordinary seed; it was far more than that it was a special unique seed my
great great grandmother had treasured for years waiting for the perfect moment to plant.
When they had planted the seed, they had to wait exactly 5 years for the tree to grow, as it
was on that day that they experienced the most magical moments of their lives. They
carefully carved their names into the tree, and the enchantment had taken over their lives.

Every person who had carved their name into that tree had been granted one desire during
their lives. When their children had come of age, they had also carved their names into the
tree and yearned for their desired wish. Most of my ancestor’s wishes are still a mystery,
but I am aware that they were all very wise wishes. The tree has grown with our family and
only accepts our family's requests but with some exceptions of what u can wish for.
Each morning, I come to this tree and water it with my siblings, waiting for the day when I
finally decide on my life's wish. This wish will most likely be the most important day of my
life, one that I will remember forever and tell my children about, just as my mother told me
and my grandmother told her. Our family has a tradition, and I hope that my children,
grandchildren, nieces, and nephews would look forward to it as much as my great great
grandparents did when they first planted the magical seed.

We watched the tree age, but it also watched my family age for decades. The random hazel
chunk of wood in the massive garden (which stood like a bear asleep) knows more about
my family then I would ever know. It has been observing us and capturing all of our special
moments like a camera since the days we have been running around the tree chasing
eachother, learning how to ride bikes, scoring our first goals, splashing the pool in the
summers, having our garden birthday parties, and celebrating our family and achievements
together. It isnt just the tree that accepts our wishes it is like a family member but one who
stays forever and watches our family grow on and on .Whereas others don’t.
For decades, we watched the tree age, but it also watched my family age. The random hazel
hunk of wood in the enormous backyard (which stood like a resting bear) knows more about
my family than I do. Since the days we were chasing each other around the tree, learning to
ride bikes, scoring our first goals, splashing in the pool in the summers, having our garden
birthday parties, and celebrating our family and achievements together, it has been
watching us and capturing all of our special moments like a camera. It's not just the tree
that grants our desires; it's more like a family member who lives with us forever and
watches our family grow. Others, however, do not.