The Life of the Living Tree
Hi my name is Allan G. Horesteen. I'm the guy that doesn't like to do any thing for anyone and was abused. But that changed when I heard my grandma was in the hospital. This was how it started out. I was a teen only 14 years old. My dad worked me until I was dehydrated and sick. And I did not want other orphans to have to have to deal with that.
So one day, when I was 21 years old, I was building a house for orphanage and I planted a tree. It was a maple tree. I made a swing set for the girls. They loved it dearly, it was the best thing they ever had. For the boys I bought a television and video games.
For Tommy's birthday, one of the boys from the orphanage, I bought a knife. He carved his initials on the tree I planted. His best friend, Becky, asked to use it too. She also carved her initials in it. This started the tradition of each parentless child leaving their mark on the tree.
One day I was at a restaurant and I saw this girl this really pretty girl. There was no one with her. So I went over to her and she said, "Hi! Aren't you the person that built the homeless shelter?" I said yes, yes I did. She said, "Well I loved what you did". And then I fell in love. And I saw there was love in her eyes too. I asked her name. She said, "Monica Aves Stenn." I asked her if she wanted to go out on a date with me. Thankfully, she said yes.
Monica and I went to the homeless shelter that day, and I used my knife to carve our initials in a small heart on the tree. When we were done talking she asked if I wanted to make flyers for stores to donate clothes, and money to the homeless shelter. I thought that was a great idea.
In 10 years we raised almost $900,000 for the shelter and had roughly 500 initials carved on the tree from the orphans. One of the boys where adopted and I thought he was going to burst into tears. And I said what's wrong, he said nothing I just got adopted and I will miss you but I already love my new parents. And when the parent's came they brought a knife and they carved their names into the tree at the orphanage. So then when the homeless shelter got that money they bought a homeless shelter for the girls. And then after a couple months, the girls' house was done. The boys' house was all video games and T.V. and they loved it. The girls planted a tree and attached pocket knifes on the tree. And made a clubhouse and the girls carved their names into the inside of the clubhouse. And the boys made a basketball court and spray painted the cement. Then one day we had to close down because we were not making enough money to support the kids. So we had to find another orphanage for the kids to stay at. And one boy about 17 years old said "can I have that tree." so I said "sure."
When the boy brought the tree to the other orphanage he started to whittle the tree. And he carved a chair and gave it to my grandma in the hospital. And from then on the orphans had there video games at the other orphanage and I had a wife that I marred.