A text from Mikki woke me early the next morning.
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Have you seen the newspaper? It’s official. We saved the forest, Alberta! Call me! |
I jumped straight out of bed, ran to the letterbox in my pyjamas and brought the paper back inside. Mikki was right. There we were on the front page of the Kingfisher Gazette!
Twilight Forest Concert Leaves Audience Spellbound
Kingfisher Shire has revoked its decision to remove a historic grove of pine trees after a captivating live concert performance in the forest last night. The Twilight Forest Concert was the mastermind of eleven-year-old eco-activists Mikki Watanabe and Alberta Bracken.
‘We wanted a peaceful protest,’ Mr Watanabe said, ‘where people could appreciate the true essenceof trees through a language we can all understand. Music.’
And understand they did. In front of over one hundred and thirty people and to an online live stream reaching thousands worldwide, the largest tree in the pine forest could be heard across the night, pulsing out its musical signals like an orchestral church organ… even if the pine’s cultural heritage is slightly out of tune with the other native tree species in the Kingfisher National Park!
‘We had so much support online,’ Ms Bracken said. ‘Including technological support from leading thinkers, scientists and musicians from across the globe…’
Mayor Pizzey from the Kingfisher Shire, who had given approval for the trees to be removed, said he was sceptical about the concert at first but promised his daughter he’d attend, just one day before the trees were to be cut down.
‘I was completely blown away,’ he said. ‘To be honest I’d never thought that trees were… well, they’re no different to people in the end, are they? Doesn’t matter what country they’re from. What I learnt from these kids is that trees are beings, and have a right to live.’
Mayor Pizzey said the decision to revoke the removal of the pine forest was a ‘no brainer’ after the concert. ‘Not only that, we’re hoping young Alberta and Mikki will assist the council in promoting forest bathing in the Kingfisher National Park and that the Twilight Forest
Concert can be a regular summer event. After the disappointing tourist season we’ve all had it could be just what we need to put Kingfisher Bay back on the map,’ he said.
I called Mikki. He’d been on YouTube all morning.
‘We need to go to the forest again to make a celebration video,’ he said. ‘The channel has gone completely nuts. Should we ask Clementine and Seth to come too?’
But Clementine didn’t want to come to the forest. She had something of her own to celebrate. Dad was officially moving back in and she’d have him all to herself while Mum went to Sydney for her TED Talk. Don’t get me wrong, I was feeling happy about being a family again too but … well … just not as excited as Clementine. I guess I was still worried about Mum and whether there’d be another phone call from the police. Before I left for the forest, when Mum was packing her bag for Sydney, I couldn’t help bringing the whole shoplifting thing back up.
‘Oh, Alberta, I don’t know what got into me,’ she said. ‘Your father and I have been speaking to professionals and apparently it’s not an uncommon reaction to grief … people do all sorts of irrational things … all that hoo-ha with your father … It’s been a very stressful time, darling.’
‘So does that mean you won’t do it again? Is it something you can actually control?’ I asked.
‘Oh no, I’ve learnt a harsh lesson,’ Mum reassured me. ‘And I’m getting expert help too. I’m sure it’s—’
‘’Cause I really don’t want to have to visit you in jail.’
‘God no!’ Mum said, zipping up her carry-on. ‘Oh, Alberta, I’m so ashamed. The whole thing is just a blur.’
‘You should be ashamed, Mum,’ I said with a deadpan face. ‘Milky Bar is not even actual chocolate!’
We both laughed and Mum gave me big hug.
‘So proud of you, my girl,’ she said. ‘Thank you for being so understanding and keeping it a secret from you know who,’ she whispered.
‘You mean the almost nine-year-old who’s still carrying on about that slumber party?’
Mum laughed. ‘Oh, Clementine can have her hideous slumber party if she must! And that dreadful fish finger hog of hers too!’
A car horn sounded outside.
‘Got to fly, lovely!’ Mum said. ‘That’ll be my cab.’