Olive Flowers
an Olive Branch and Seaweed story
After the fire, Olive Branch was ready to get back to work. There would be no stopping, no pausing, no planning. Just going. Going. And more going.
"We need a plan," said Bird. Bird was a wise bird, and usually, Olive Branch valued his input. But not today.
"A plan?" asked Olive Branch. "A plan for what?"
Bird flapped his wings. "What do you mean 'a plan for what'? How else do you expect your olives to grow back if you don't take the necessary precautions to do so?"
"Can't we just leave it? Let it happen on its own?" Olive Branch asked.
Bird scoffed. "Oh, because you were making so many olives leaving it on its own."
"That's low, Bird."
"I'll go as low as I want to."
"You-"
"Stop. Both of you" interrupted Seaweed. He sounded amused at their bantering, which of course, he had to have been because that was the only thing Olive Branch and Bird would do.
"Sorry," Bird apologized, but he still sent a dirty look at Olive Branch. Could birds even shoot dirty looks?
"Sorry," said Olive Branch. "But I still think that I don't need a plan."
"Olive, I have to say, Bird is right. Weren't the villagers plotting to get rid of you because you didn't make enough olives? And that was when you left it alone." Seaweed lectured. Olive Branch grumbled.
"Not you too," she said.
"Yes, me too," said Seaweed. "We just want to help you-"
"I don't need help!" Olive Branch shouted. "I am perfectly capable of doing this on my own!" Seaweed was quiet. Bird tweeted loudly.
"Now you've done it. See if I come back to help you," and he flew off, never once turning back.
As it turned out, Olive Branch could not produce any olives. Try as she might, not a single olive flower blossomed.
After the third week of no results (and a brooding silence from Seaweed (honestly, how the plant could tay quiet for so long astonished Olive Branch)), she finally called upon Seaweed for his help.
"I'd love to," he said. "But first I must-"
"Find a way to contact Bird, I know." interrupted Olive Branch.
"No," said Seaweed. "Gloat. I told you that you couldn't do it on your own, but you insisted that you could, and look where it's gotten you! Nowhere!" as Seaweed continued berating Olive Branch for her very foolish decision, she thought with fondness how unfortunate it would have been to lose this friendship because of her pride and ego.
Bird, the every loving- well, some of those words weren't child friendly. No matter how infuriating Bird could be, or how strange it was that he always knew when to show up, Olive Branch was thankful to see his familiar flapping form.
"Ready to listen to us now?" he asked.
"Yes, I am. And I'm sorry for not listening to you before. I was wrong." Olive Branch said.
Bird nodded. "You were. But thank you for apologizing. You are forgiven."
"Gee, I was so worried for a second there," Olive Branch said sarcastically. Bird laughed.
The next few weeks proved that indeed, Olive Branch should have listened to her friends sooner. Olive flowers had already begun to bud.
"I think there's a lesson to be learned here," said Bird. Seaweed groaned.
"Please don't," but Bird acted as if he hadn't heard.
"It reminds me of a story. There was this hare and tortoise racing, and the hare was like 'fast is me and I am fast. I'm so winning'." Olive Branch thought that the hare sounded a bit like her, and could understand why he thought fast would win.
"So then the turtle was like 'slow and steady wins the race' and-"
"Don't be silly, Bird. Slow and steady has never won the race." Olive Branch said, then almost winced, thinking of how slowandsteadyhadliterallyjustwonherarace-
"Says you." Bird said.
"Yes, I do say." Olive Branch retorted, never resisting the urge to argue with Bird.
"Don't start again, you too."
This part really picks up after chapter seven (the second actual chapter in Olive Branch and Seaweed) after Olive Branch was burned by the fire. This was just a scene that didn't really make it into the final part because I felt it unimportant, but enjoy!
-ThatOneBrokenDeskYouHadToSitOn