Day 135: Tree House

Tree House
by
Matt Zurbo

 

“Dad, I want a tree house,” said Frankie.
“Sure. What type?” said Dad.
(Kid, and baby sister, walking up to Dad who is a chippy – carpenter – cutting some wood.)

“Type?”
(Frankie, scratching head.)

Well, do you want one that goes to the clouds?
(Small tree house on side of impossibly huge tree trunk. Nothing but clouds and an eagle in the air. Frankie beneath it, climbing up never-ending rope, sister in backpack.)

How about an underwater tree house?
(Frankie drifting down to it in deep sea diver’s kit, sister in a bubble.)

Or the world’s smallest tree house?
(Frankie wearing it, arms out widows, roof like hat.)

Or the smallest tree.
(On sapling so small it is bending and tree house is on roof on ground. Frankie in tree house, sister standing on footpath looking at him.)

Wait! I’ve got it! A tree house in the top branches!
(Frankie hanging onto railing of swaying tree house, surrounded by koalas and white cockies.)

Or a tree house on wheels?
(Three wheels on red pot, with soil and tree, and tree house, Racing No. 3 on side. Frankie is on porch of tree house steering down street. Sister, eating rope, dangling behind.)

What about a tree house on our house?
(Tree growing from roof of house. Franky climbing tree ladder.Sister already in tree house.)

“Or a tree house made from the tree it’s in?” said Dad.
“No!” protested Frankie.
(Dad, contemplating. Frankie protesting, Behind them is a tree house on a stripped stump. Bits of off-cut with bark still on it, and sawdust, everywhere.)

Or on a boat? How cool would that be!
(Tree and tree house on a small rowboat, rough sea, octopus arms reaching out of water. Frankie in tree house fending off an octopus arm. Sister reaching for flying fish.)

Then again, a tree apartment block would be epic!
(Tree trunk, full of windows and balconies. all sorts inside each window, including a goth, a businessman, etc. Frankie and sister, too.)

Or a tree house in space!
(Tree in pot, with tree house, with small motor and flame exhaust at rear. Frankie is space suit, drifting on cord.)

Would a moon house count?
(Tree house, just on dark side of moon. Silver tree. Moon buggy parked out front, sister in it. Man in Moon on ground waving to Frankie.)

Why a house? Why not a tree racing track?
(Tree with wooden slide and tracks around it like the Mad Mouse at the fair. Includes a part where track goes through middle of tree. Frankie and sister in tin cars racing around it.)

How about a dance house tree house?
(Members of band sitting, scattered in tree branches, playing, tree house overcrowded with kids dancing. Coloured lights coming out from it. Frankie on roof dancing, too.)

What about a pre-historic tree house, made out of petrified wood?
(Surrounded by dinosaur skeletons, cavemen sitting, deadpan, on tree house porch with Frankie. Sister sitting on one of their heads.)

Or invisible wood!?
(Frankie and sister sitting in air above branch.)

“Or a hippy house!” said Dad.
“Um… thanks but maybe not,” said Frankie.
(Dad, face it up, Frankie deadpan. Behind them is a multi coloured tree with spirals instead of branches, and little eye pyramids for leaves.)

Maybe you could make one on a dragon’s back?
(Tree house on dragon’s back, sister in it, Frankie holding reigns to dragon, riding on its neck.)

Or you could turn its tummy into a submarine house!
(Dragon with five round submarine windows and a door in its chest. Frankie and sister inside)

“Oh boy!” 
(Frankie, excited, imagining)

“Yeah!” said Dad. “Maybe you could make the world’s widest ever…”
“Wait; I could make?” blurted Frankie.
(Dad, hands wide, happy, staring into space as he imagines and talks. Frankie angrily looking to him.)

“Sure! Hop to it! Any tree house you want,” said Dad.
(Dad walking away, leaving tools, wood behind. Frankie looking down on them.)

“Thanks, Dad…”
(Frankie looking pissed off, standing over tools and wood.)

(Frankie, in pirate hat, bitting tongue, sawing wood he is standing on, in beat up, thrown together, wonky tree house, with pirate’s flag, plank – which sister is clinging to upside down, etc…)

The End.