I felt my leaves rustle, as I stared into the clear blue ocean, almost blinded by the sun. I listened to the waves gently caress the white sandy beaches as I swayed to the gentle breeze and motioned my friends to join me. I smiled, peering down at the kids playing beneath my shade, laughing and teasing each other. I took in a deep breath mesmerized by the sky turning orange, then purple and black. The moon played hide and seek and the stars shone brightly against the dark night. I closed my eyes with a content smile as I drifted off to sleep.

I felt a tug on my hand as the sun glittered in and I opened my eyes seeing this yellow creeper slide along my branches. I brushed it away a few times without thinking much. It came out of nowhere. It came without a reason. It kept coming back again and again as the days passed. It spread slowly along my branches, at first it didn’t bother me. But then it started creeping up slowly, it took away my sleep first. Then my appetite as it wrapped around me tighter. Soon I had no energy to fight, my leaves changed colour. I slowed down. I could not bring myself to smile as the kids played around me. The vine became tighter and tighter. I felt suffocated, the sun nor the moon could bring me joy.

I tried to push it away, I fought hard, I prayed. The sky turned dark and ominous. The rain poured down along with my tears. I looked at myself I couldn’t recognize me anymore. I had turned brown and shriveled. I ached everywhere and. I felt so worthless, I couldn’t see any way out. It sucked the hope out of me. Breath by breath as the vine got tighter, engulfing me in it. I was cocooned in my sadness. I was just an empty shell, with no life left in me. I couldn’t smile at my friends, I didn’t want to talk to them. I was quick to anger. I couldn’t function as a tree anymore. I wasn’t me.

Days and night passed by. I couldn’t keep track of time anymore. The leaves turned brown and brittle. The water under me wafted up turning it into vapor, I saw my whole life disappear before my eyes. I hung my head low and thought I couldn’t do this anymore. I felt a tear roll down my eye as I whimpered. I felt a slight brush against my shoulder, I tried to turn away as I felt the vines tighten once more. I took in a deep breath and mustered up all my courage as I looked up. I felt the warmth on me after a long long time. I heard a voice saying, “I am here for you, maybe it’s time we seek help”. She cut the vines with her words, I felt a tiny glow of hope in me as I lifted my hands and broke another vine taking the first step. I knew it was time. Time for me to find help. Time for me to heal. Time for me to find myself.

NOTE:

Produced : Dr Shanooha Mansoor, Dr. Abdul Malik, Dr. Aseel Jaleel, Dr. Farzana Firdous, Dr Athifa Saeed, Dr Nusaiba Farouk Hassan, Mr Ali Nishan, 

Story: Dr. Shanooha Mansoor, Dr. Abdul Malik, Dr Nusaiba Farouk Hassan, Mr Ali Nishan

Written in English by: Dr. Shanooha Mansoor 

Translation to Dhivehi: Dr. Nusaiba Farouk Hassan  

Animation : Studio Surumuthi

Narration : Inaa Ali

Back Music: Flocon Luminescent Sur Mecanique Temporelle (2016) - KAENEL

Special thanks to the generous financial assistance from the public, without which, this would not have been a reality.

This is a Public domain video, Feel free to download this video in 1080HD: https://bit.ly/2Wk25gi

Brought to you by #WellMV June 2019