The Leaf Holding On (short short story)

Most folks in Anderson City said Fall had come early in 1989 and this launched an idea in Jonas Streeb's mind. Jonas was always thinking, reading or writing something down in a brown notebook. At least that's what people thought.

Actually, Jonas loved nature and loved to draw all he could. He secretly called his drawings 'Photograph Sounds.' Why? I guess that would take some composing.

Jonas only told one friend his plan the next Summer. The friend wishes not to be identified.

Jonas climbed up three branches and marked his initials on a leaf. He said, 'When this leaf falls to the ground, Autumn has begun.'

October and November days were over and, halfway through a December, the leaf hung on. Jonas refused to believe Autumn had passed and Winter had begun. He took a wooden folding chair outside to watch the leaf daily.

Gale force winds and the leaf held on. The calendar days went flying by and it was March 31 and the leaf held on.

On April 1, Jonas' friend woke him up early by phone and said, 'The leaf has fallen.' Jonas ran outside before breakfast and saw the leaf still hanging on. It was an April fools joke and really not a nice one.

Unknown to Jonas, Eddie Shane knew his plan from day one and had climbed the oak tree at night. He carefully removed the leaf and put an identical looking leaf in its place with lots of superglue.

Quite a few years have passed since this happened. I moved to a new city and kept in touch with a few childhood friends. Jonas still lives with his mother and friends say he still goes outside daily waiting for that leaf to fall. That's some superglue.