“She lived in a Mango Tree,” she heard the kids shout as they ran past the house. Her husband had built the tree house when their kids were little. This was where their kids spent many hours playing and even slept there on hot summer nights. She had been spending more and more time up in the tree house lately.
As she climbed the stairs she thought she heard their laughter. They shouldn’t be up here now, she thought, it’s time to get ready for school. The caregiver came to the house later that morning. When she couldn’t find Miss Grace in the house she knew where to look. She found her asleep on the old bunk bed. She woke the old woman saying, “Miss Grace you know you shouldn’t be up here. You’re liable to fall and break your neck.”
The neighborhood kids would often sing out when running past her house, “There was an old lady. She lived in a Mango Tree….”
Notes Tied On The Sagebrush 
That’s amazing – 🙂
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Thank You 🙂
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Oh please don’t kill the mango tree with your nails…
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Do you mean if you build a house in a Mango Tree it would kill the tree? This story is in response to a prompt so it’s not me 😀
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Yes, do they build the house around the tree or on the tree(s)?
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Not sure. I think they build them around the trees but you could google it.
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So sad when you get old and can’t do the things you want to do because you are too fraile. And to top it off, having the neighborhood kids make fun of you.
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Yes. Wanted to show some of her life history and now she has some dementia so that is why she thinks her children are in the tree house and need to get ready for school.
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I wondered about that and now you have answered my question.
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Glad to clear it up. 🙂
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Loved it, thank God the tree holds fun memories for her.
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Thank You! Yes she still has some happy memories.
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Very touching story. I hope she finds happiness when she visits the tree house.
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Thank You. Yes she still has all her memories of her earlier life and she can relive them when she visits the tree house. 🙂
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Wonderful story! 🙂
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Thanks so much Tanya! 🙂
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This is sad
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Yes.
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Quite a sad story. I’m guessing her children grew up and left home long ago? Well written!
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Thank You! Yes she has some dementia and is having a kind of flashback or hallucination that she hears her children and thinks it is time for them to go to school.
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Touching and sweet, dementia is a horrible disease.
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Thank You. Yes it is hard but she does still have memories of her younger years. I hope her children will come to visit her soon.
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Lovely story, Deborah. The photo prompt and your writing have me wondering how the tree house ended up being surrounded by a parking lot…
Nothing is sacred these days; is it?
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Thank You. Yes the photo is provided by the host of our flash fiction challenge. Yes I see the parking spaces. No respect for tree houses I guess.
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It’s so sad to see the elderly reach the point when they are no longer living reality, but are in the past. Too bad the house is in a tree, although it is truly a beautiful one. Otherwise, I see no reason why she could not go there for her own comfort. The children are young and do not understand the aging process, but they may have to deal with the same thing one day.Lovely, but sad story.
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Thank You. Not all elderly end up like this but Grace has some dementia. She is drawn to the tree house because of her memories and getting the past mixed up with the present.
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Loved your tale Deb! Nicely done. I think the tree is older and the staging on it is built into the tree, and somehow it has survived the years. Thank you for participating in the Mondays Finish the Story challenge. Be well… ^..^
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Thank You! Thanks for the information about the structure.
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This is a beautiful and fun story. So nicely written.
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Thank You Kim!
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The tree house in the photo looks like an oasis in the parking lot. I Grace’s tree house being like an oasis for her.
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Yes JoAnna I like that idea too. 🙂
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I imagine this, is what I meant to type. It’s getting late here.
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Sad that Grace is suffering from dementia, but fortunate she has a caregiver to watch out for her. Those children need to behave better. Good story and well done, Deborah. 🙂 — Suzanne
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Thank You Suzanne.
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I hope they figure out a way for the old lady to continue to visit the places she loves!
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