I looked around at all the other leaves on the red maple tree in the backyard of the Johnsons’ house. I felt the cold fall as night came foreshadowing the end of summer and the beginning of Autumn.

“Joseph you have some orange on you!” I screamed in excitement.

I knew that Autumn meant a change. A change of our colors; a change from being on the red maple tree, to the ground in the Johnsons’ backyard in preparation for the young children to come out and play.

As the days passed, I saw each new day full of more fiery red and orange leaves. I knew the time was nearing the start of winter when we would all have fluttered to the down and had our own chance to scream in glee. I saw little Jimmy in his little window in preparation for his first Autumn, and I felt the butterflies in my stomach as the anxiety built up for the first fallen leaf.

It was a fairly gusty morning in the Johnson backyard on November 3, 1986 when I heard the scream. Joseph had gotten loose and was the first leaf to leave the red maple tree. The entire way down, I saw his smile stretching from the edge of his red and orange, leafy body, to the stem. I was a little jealous that he was the first one, but I knew I would have my turn.

Weeks passed full of excitement as more and more of my friends fell. I was really happy for them and I was getting even more anxious to have my own turn. A few big clouds threatened the first snow of the year, but it held out.

January came, and there were only five of us left. The Johnson brothers’ came out and raked the other leaves into a pile in preparation for the last of us to fall.

January third was a very windy night, and I tried with all my might to shake free of the red maple. As my other four friends fell, they wished me luck, but I became frustrated that I was the last one. I kept swinging myself and moving around, but to no avail. The Johnson siblings were very disappointed to find I was the last one on the tree. They really were hoping to play in the leaves, but I let them down. I saw little Jimmy’s head sag as he walked into the house.

All week I kept trying to free myself from the maple tree, but I couldn’t do it. I tried everything, but without any more wind, I was out of luck.

On January sixth, the Johnson boys sprinted outside and dove into the pile of leaves. I couldn’t believe it. I was so ashamed of myself. The little Jimmy walked out and we locked eyes. I saw that he felt bad for me and I felt the hot tears running down my leafy body. I cleared my eyes, and I saw him dive into the leaves. I proceeded to spend the rest of the day watching the Johnson siblings and all my friends play together after spending half the day trying to break free.

“Time for dinner” called Mrs. Johnson as the kids threw the last pile of leaves in the air.

I saw little Jimmy walk inside. He turned around and looked at me one last time and he just dropped his head and continued to walk. I spent that last night feeling more alone than ever. I couldn’t do anything right.

That night was the windiest night of the year. I had given up however, and didn’t even try to break free. What was the point?

*Snap*

I broke free. I can’t believe it happened! My friends were blown all over the place and I landed on the roots of the red maple tree. I felt so excited that I had finally broken free until I remember that the Johnson siblings weren’t coming out again. Just then I heard the click of the lightswitch and little Johnny run out in his puffy, green jacket.

I looked up at him and him down at me. He picked me up and threw me in the air. I felt a connection to little Johnny that was finally completed and I could live peacefully for the rest of my life.

There stands a single red maple tree in the backyard of a little home over the hills and outside the city limits of New York City in a little town known as Wallabaloo. Each Autumn, the matured red maple leaves fall soundlessly to the soft ground at the Johnson household. And each Autumn, the Johnson kids sprint out the front door with their puffy, pastel colored jackets as soon as they see the last leaf fall.

Little Jimmy always watched as his older brothers and sisters jumped around in the leaves, throwing them up in the air and watching them float back to the ground. He grew fond of watching them from his little window because his mother wouldn’t let him play in the leaves yet to protect him from getting hurt. Young Jimmy understood, but he was still saddened every year when he couldn’t go out and play.

As 1986 rolled in, Jimmy celebrated his fifth birthday. He enjoyed the cake and presents, but there was something more important that was on his mind: this would be the first year little Jimmy would be able to put on his puffy, bright green jacket and join his brothers and sisters playing in the leaves! He was ecstatic and couldn’t wait for the beginning of winter when all the leaves on their little red maple tree will have fallen to the soft ground behind their little house in Wallabaloo. He watched everyday from his little window as the leaves began to grow a tinted red, leaving behind the green color of their lawn. Each week, more and more leaves lost their lovely green to behold the Autumn reds and oranges.

It was November 3rd, 1986 when the first leaf fell. Little Jimmy missed it, but driving home from school he found it in their backyard. He picked it up and brought it inside.

Journal Entry #77: First leaf has fallen. Can’t wait until January!

Little Jimmy carefully placed the fiery red and orange leaf in his journal.

January came around and all, but one leaf had fallen from the Johnsons’ red maple tree. Tradition kept the siblings from playing with the leaves, but they did rake all of them together in preparation for the last leaf to fall, but the kids grew anxious.

That last little leaf, known as Gregory, had begun Autumn just as excited as little Jimmy. Gregory had watched little Jimmy pick up his older cousin, Jack, and bring him inside. He had sat attached to the red maple as the other leaves squealed of excitement as they broke free of the tree and fluttered to the ground. Gregory felt quite embarrassed that he was the last one on the tree, but he knew that he would break free.

Another week passed and the lonely leaf stayed attached to the red maple tree in the little city of Wallabaloo. Little Jimmy and his siblings had had enough. They rushed outside and dove into the pile of leaves on January 8th, 1987. But little Jimmy had hesitated once he saw the sorrow on Gregory’s little leaf face. He saw the months that Gregory had waited to fall, but never had the chance to free himself. Little Jimmy looked over to his siblings and saw all the fun they were having tossing leaves into the air and all his thoughts about Gregory passed. Little Jimmy heard the squeals of excitement from the leaves as he dove headfirst into the pile under the almost barren red maple tree. He spent the entire afternoon throwing around leaves and hanging out with his siblings in the small backyard of the Johnson household. It was everything he had imagined. As dusk came over the sky, Mrs. Johnson called the children in, and only then did little Jimmy remember Gregory still on the tree. Remorse rushed over him walking towards the house as he heard Gregory cry out to him for help so he could join in the fun. Gregory felt extremely sad and lonely up on the tree. He missed out on all the fun, and all he could hear was the constant chatter from the other leaves on the ground.

“That was the best day of my life!”

“It was totally worth the wait!”

Gregory was about to give up when he heard the winds pick up, whistling through the empty branches of the red maple tree. He wished and wished with all his might as the leaves below flew away.

Little Jimmy was awoken by the whistling and rushed to his little window. All he could think about was that little leaf and how much it wanted to break free of the red maple tree.

*Snap*

Gregory had finally broken free and floated down to the earth as the winds calmed down. He looked around, but the Johnson house was dark. He called out for little Jimmy without avail. Once again he felt he had failed. Just then he heard the click of the lightswitch and saw little Jimmy run out of the Johnson house. He was whipped up in little Jimmy’s little hands grinning from ear to ear. Gregory was tossed into the air for the first and last time, but his life was complete, he had broken free of that red maple tree in the little town of Wallabaloo and got to play in the Johnson backyard.

“Jimmy, get back in here!” called Mrs. Johnson. Little Jimmy placed Gregory in his journal.

Journal Entry #78: Last leaf fell today. I can’t wait for next year!