The Birthday Gift - Part 2

Read Part 1 of the story here.

After Tom cleaned the room, he went to take a look at the Bonsai. He was surprised to see that the torn branch was attached to the stem with a white tape. He thought, ‘Mom should’ve done it.’ He touched the part with an intention to break it again. As soon as he did that, the tree opened his eyes, shouted, ‘Don’t do it!’, and almost bit Tom’s hand. Tom jumped back with fright. The trunk of the Bonsai shriveled and expanded as it spoke. 

The Bonsai shouted, ‘You harm me. I bite you', and showed its sharp wooden teeth.

A Bonsai that speaks! Tom mumbled, ‘You can speak!’

‘You bet!’

‘Do you…do you have a name?’

‘Biter’

‘Did my uncle make you?’

Tom’s uncle was a scientist. He remembered that the last time, he visited his lab; he was working around many plants.

‘Yes, made for you. I heard you hurt plants. Made to teach lesson.’

Tom swiped the sweat off his brow. The Bonsai shouted, ‘Water, water, water me or I bite you.’

Tom ran to the kitchen to fetch water. 

His mother asked, ‘Good morning Tom. What’s the hurry?’ 

Tom gasped and said, ‘The Bonsai, it speaks. It bites. Have to go. It needs water’, and left with a jug of water.

On the radio a man’s voice boomed. He said, ‘It was a routine day. I went to the forest preserve to cut a tree. I raised my axe. The tree’s branches snatched the axe from my hand. They wrapped around my neck and tried to kill me. I wiggled away from its grip. I was lucky.’ A woman’s voice said, ‘The trees are against us. The Government has to be blamed for creating these blood-thirsty creatures, in the name of self-defending trees.’

Tom’s mother reduced the volume on the radio. Her brother designed the perfect pet for Tom. A pet that barked orders.

The End.

The Biter

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Image from google images