I am used to walking in the morning or afternoon. In Vancouver, near where I live, there is an ocean and a beautiful area with five trees. My friends know that those five trees are like friends to me; sometimes I say they are my lover. Why did you become my friend and lover? One morning I was walking, and when I got close to these trees, I felt I heard a voice. I looked back and looked at the trees. I felt the trees wanted to talk to me, but this was not an illusion. I paused and looked at the tree I had passed several times.
“Sir, are you human?” he asked.
“Yes, I think I’m human, why?” I said.
“I want to talk to you,” he said.
“Nice to hear from you,” I said.
“I felt you were ready, so I’ll talk to you,” he said.
As soon as we started talking, the other trees started talking, saying we had something to say.
After a while the birds came, and the area was crowded. I sat and watched them, talking in the language of our hearts.
“What are you talking about?” I said.
“Ask and I’ll answer,” he said.
“I want your advice and guidance,” I said.
He looked at me and said, “What strange creatures you are! We envy you; you can walk, move, and make a change. But we can’t, we’re not entitled to many options like you are. We have lived here for years because of our age. We have seen a lot of people and changes.”
“Have you seen a lot of changes?” I asked.
“Yes, I have lived here for at least 100 years,” he said.
I thought, “When I am old and dry, if they cut me off, I will have all my stories in my parts. How much rain fell, which side the wind was on, which side the sun was on, which year the humidity was higher and which year it was lower. All of these have stories that only the people of Ahl al-Raz can understand.
“Who is Ahl al-Raz?” I asked.
He said, “Whoever has ears for the wind.
The birds came too. They said: Sir, we have complaints on human being, we sing song to them, we want to make them happy, to draw their attention to the beauty of life, to share our happiness with them, but they do not listen to us.
“What do you tell people?” I asked.
“We’re telling them not to worry,” they said.
Now nobody listens to our voices, they always watch TV, or listen to the radio, or read newspapers and empty articles.
“Well, tell me how not to worry,” I said. Because I’m worried, I have moved here and I have a numerous problems. I don’t know what my future will be.
“Look at me,” he said, “sees how prettily I fly, how happy I am. I have no insurance, no pension. Every day I have to find food myself. I don’t have a fridge or freezer; we don’t have a food distribution system. When I sleep at night, I have to be careful not to be eaten by cats or other animals. Every day I have to take care of myself so that no one attacks me. My life is always full of hope and danger. Nevertheless, I sing, fly, have children, and live more or less in the cold and heat. I learned that with all this, still singing. I am teaching you to live by my life. I will not hurt my fellows or eat their teeth. Each of us goes our own way and tries to accept the reality of life.
Until then, I had never thought that a sparrow could teach me all these lessons. Another bird, which we call a butterfly, came.
“Why are they putting me in a cage?” he said.
“After all, we love you,” I said.
“What kind of love is this that you put me in prison?” he said. I don’t have to be born in a cage and die in a cage! I must be free and you must enjoy my freedom.
“After all, if we chase you, you’ll leave,” I said.
“No, dear, we’re not going,” he said. You create a beautiful environment, not only me but my friends will come. I’ll make everyone sing for you at work. I will make the world full of pleasure and happiness. But you cut down all the trees, you have dried up all the waters, you have destroyed all the flowers. You have ruined everything for the sake of a building, leaving no room for nature and us. I actually felt embarrassed.
Another tree said, “You come and sit under our shade, but you are still arguing uselessly. They are always talking about what someone did wrong to me a few years ago, who said what and who did it. We wonder why you spoil your present with memories of the past. These things you are doing are not working. Come and ask us, we have seen many people, we will tell you what to do. Many of you come and sit under my shade and worry about your future.
