Meeting Abigail Benson Part 2

It’s that time of year again when not only deer are in season on Haida Gwaii, but trees as well.

To any average person, hunting for a Christmas tree looks like you might see in the movies. An axe or saw tossed over the shoulder of a well-bundled human. A family slogging together through the snow. Searching the forest, to find the perfect tree in which to bring indoors for the holiday season.

On Haida Gwaii however; it looks much different. Clusters of families head to the woods with firearms and earplugs. Dressed warmly but not too warmly because of the mild temperament of the island’s climate.

You see, tree hunting on Haida Gwaii is just that. Tree hunting.

For obvious reasons. Abigail and Apple chose to stay as far away from the wild forests during hunting season. During the Christmas tree hunting season, they take even more caution.

She certainly didn’t think any less of her neighbors. But this was a custom that Abigail was more than grateful she was not invited to.

Since the passing of her mother, her social calendar had dwindled to nearly nothing. This was largely due to the decline of Abigail’s health. She often felt dejected and alone, especially during the holiday season.

It’s always eaten away at her over the holidays. Often she reminds herself that there was a time when she was invited to festivities. Even the strange tradition of hunting with guns for Christmas trees. Those days are gone, and she’s been told they will never return.

The decline of her health took more than her energy. It stole her sense of well-being and robbed her of a normal life. People gradually disappeared over the years as the pain took over. Leaving her alone. She missed her friends. She missed having a life. One that involved more than farm chores and the occasional horseback ride. More than that, however, she missed her mother.

The pain didn’t take her mother, though. Cancer did.

She was now just a solitary human. Her only friends were 4 legged. A horse, a pony, and two cats. Alone in this world. She was a woman who decorated and giant aloe vera plant every year for the holidays. No one would know. So why should she put the effort into a tree?

Abigail had started to decorate the giant aloe the first year the pain had started to steal her life. It was a simple solution that required little energy. Energy, Abigail’s greatest and most precious personal resource, is something she guards carefully. She found that making simple sacrifices was the most effective way to protect this.

At first, she thought this was weird, but it couldn’t be nearly as weird as shooting the top off a tree with a gun. After all, it was green and spiky. Giving it two out of three of the major Christmas tree components. This made it an ideal candidate. It was simple. Didn’t shed needles and occasionally she watered it, anyway.

Abigail thought if she felt up to it this year, she might make a wreath. She could lay it at the base of the plant, bringing the scent of the season into her home.

She thought for a moment about how far away she had drifted from the rest of her peers. A little connection to the world around her might be nice. If she could muster the energy, she might set up the imitation tree. Simply for the sake of feeling like she fit in, she felt like she should try. Even if it only made her feel a little more attached to her peers in this time of loneliness.