A few minutes later, I was putting the clean dishes away, and Derek joined me at the kitchen counter. “The starting point is at a spot he calls l’arbre souhaitant. Translated, it means ‘wishing tree.’”
“Oh.” I perked up. “The Wishing Tree. You’ve seen it. That beautiful old oak tree growing in the grassy circle at the entrance to the winery. The roots are so big and thick that they grow above the ground and surround the base of the tree in massive gnarly knots. Water collects in the nooks and crannies and pockets of the roots like little pools, and for as far back as I can remember, it’s been a tradition to toss pennies into the pools and make wishes.”
“Isn’t that fascinating?” he said, and grabbed my hand. “Shall we go on a treasure hunt?”
Chapter Four
Before leaving the house, Derek ran next door to get the key to the winery storage cave from my father. Then we drove over to the winery and managed to find a parking place in the crowded lot. Even this early in the day, Sundays in wine country could be challenging with so many people driving up from the Bay Area. It was especially busy this close to harvest time.
“There’s the tree,” I said, pointing to the beautifully gnarled oak that some claimed had been standing in that place for more than three hundred years.
“I’ve seen it so many times,” he said. “I had no idea I could’ve been making wishes all along.”
“Now that you know, you won’t be able to stop yourself.”
The tree was immense. Its heavy limbs, twisted and dark and covered in moss, reached sixty feet in all directions. Some were so old and thick that they skimmed the ground. The knobby branches used to remind me of a wicked witch’s crooked fingers, stretching out to snap up the next child who came too close. Of course I didn’t believe that anymore, but it always gave me a little chill when I got close enough to make a wish.
Derek gazed up through the lush, leafy branches. “Up close, it’s so much bigger than I realized.”
I pressed my hand against the rough trunk. “When we were young, my three sisters and Robin and I would stand on either side of the trunk and try to join hands. It was too big for us to make it.”
Derek pulled some change from his pocket. “It’s fitting that we make a wish first.”
“Oh, that’s a nice idea.” I took two pennies from him and tossed them into the small pool of water near where I was standing. My wishes always started out simple, but quickly grew complicated. I liked to squeeze in a sub-wish or two, and I wasn’t sure if that disqualified my main wish or not.
This time I wished for good health for everyone in my family, but then I added names to the list, like my neighbors in San Francisco and my friend Ian and a few others. They were like family, so that counted, right? Then, as always, I tagged on a wish for world peace.
“Is it safe for the tree when its roots grow above ground?” Derek wondered aloud.
“Apparently most of its roots extend down at least forty feet, so it’s not as shallow as it appears.”
“That must be how it’s survived for so long. In England we have oaks that have been standing since the time of King Henry the Eighth and before. They always seem so majestic, as if they have stories to tell and are only waiting for someone to listen.”
I squeezed his hand, pleased that we shared the same sort of daydreams. “I know just what you mean.”
“I know you do, love.” He took a look at the piece of paper he’d used to write out the instructions in English. I’d asked him to copy it because I didn’t want to bring the original notepaper with us. It belonged with the book.
After studying his notes, Derek glanced around, checked the sky for the position of the sun, and pointed toward the storage cave we’d excavated yesterday. “Starting here, we take one hundred forty-seven steps in a northeast direction.”
“Is that it? No jogging off this way or that?”
“No, just one straight shot, according to the instructions. Although there are landmarks noted along the way.”
“Should be interesting,” I said, letting go of his hand. “Okay, you lead the way and I’ll follow you.”
He took my hand back. “I say we ought to walk side by side so we can both count. In case I lose track.”
I smiled at him, knowing he wouldn’t lose track. But I appreciated that he thought I’d be helpful. “All right.”
“Let’s go.” We headed in the northeast direction he’d indicated, until we’d crossed the parking lot. I counted steps under my breath.
Derek stopped abruptly and consulted his notes. “At thirty-seven footsteps, we should be directly in front of a hedgerow.”
“A hedgerow. You mean, like a row of bushes?” I looked around and pointed. “There are some on the other side, over by the tasting rooms.”
“That’s the wrong direction. Perhaps there were hedgerows here all those years ago.”
“Maybe. Are you sure we went in the right direction?”
“Yes. Let’s keep going.”