(Based On A Real Story)
One special day, on a Louisiana farm, a husband brought home to his wife a special cherry tree. The wife had always wanted to plant a tree in center of the field between the house and the barn.
After giving her husband a big thank you kiss, the wife went out into the field and planted the tree. She planted its roots firmly in the soil, gave it a drink, and then went back inside the house to fix dinner.
Dark clouds started filling up the sky around the little farmhouse, and by the time the wife had finished setting the table for dinner, the rain was pouring down.
Thunder rolled, and flashes of lightning could be seen dancing through the skies. Worried about the tree, the wife looked out the window, just in time to see a lightning bolt soar out of the clouds and hit her tree, making it go down in flames.
Tears instantly filled up the wife's eyes, at seeing her special tree gone. The husband heard his wife crying, and when he saw the burning tree, put a comforting arm around her shoulders.
"Don't worry my dear;" said the husband “tomorrow I shall fetch you a new tree even better than before."
With that promise, the two ate their dinner and then went to bed.
The next day, the husband returned from the store. He came back holding a brand new palm tree in his hands. The wife took the gift gratefully, her sadness lightening up at the sight of the new tree. After she had finished planting and watering the new tree in the center of the field, a worried thought returned to her mind.
"What happens if this tree gets burned down too?" said the wife.
"Impossible my dear" said the husband, "remember what they say, lightning never strikes twice in the same place."
However, later on, another fierce storm passed over the farm, knocking out the electricity in the house. Walking through the kitchen in order to check on the circuit breaker, the husband's eyes glanced out the window and witnessed a shocking sight.
Just like before, another lightning bolt soared out of the clouds, and struck the palm tree standing at the center of the field, setting it aflame. He couldn't believe it, science was wrong, lightning can really strike twice!
The next tree planted was a dogwood tree. Just as before, a storm came and lightning struck the tree. The fourth tree was an oak tree. again the tree planted was struck and killed.
After the fourth tree died, the wife was beginning to lose hope. She would never have a tree in the center of the field.
Seeing his wife sad only made the husband more determined.
"I will find a tree that won't get struck!" he said. “I must do it for her!"
So with one last attempt, the husband went to the store to buy another tree, and came back with a pecan tree.
This time, he planted the tree in the center of the field, then looked up in the sky and said...
"Please God, let this be the one."
Later that night, when the husband and wife were tucked safely in bed, a thunderstorm blew through, howling even more loudly and fiercely than ever before. The husband laid quivering beneath his covers, wondering if his last chance to make his wife happy would survive this ripping torrent. Finally, the storm passed.
When dawn came, both the husband and the wife reluctantly approached the field to see the fate of the pecan tree, and received an instant surprise. The tree was still standing! It did not burn down!
Both the husband and the wife jumped around with glee. They had finally found the perfect tree!
"Thank you," the husband whispered to the sky.
"Come on dear" said the wife “let’s go in and have breakfast."
With that said, the two walked off, their smiles shining brightly as the emerald leaves of their pecan tree, glittering in the sun.
The End
My great grandmother tried to plant three trees in the center of the field, between the house and barn. The first two were an oak and a dogwood tree. Both were struck by lightning and destroyed. The third tree still stands today. A huge pecan tree. In fact, all the large trees on the farm now are pecan trees.