He was sitting there, a statue of imperfection, on a very high tree limb. Naturally I looked up, and because there was nothing much above him, he looked down. Our eyes met for a second. I moved on.

On my way home, I passed him again. I looked up again. And since he had not moved his gaze from the time I had first passed him, he still looked down. I wanted to speak. To ask him why he was up in that tree. But I didn't.

It rained the next day. I had somewhere to be. So an umbrella was my only choice. He was still there, except this time, all of his clothes were drenched, and his hair hung limp in his face, which was still pointed down. I looked up further. To the sky, to make him think I had seen a bird or something. I once again had the urge to ask him that question, but it rained harder, and I moved on.

It stopped raining on my way back, and I shook the umbrella to dry it. I paused before I reached the tree. I scanned its trunk until I reached the high branch. The one where he sat and looked down. I moved on.

The next day it was snowing. But I had somewhere to be. So I grabbed a winter coat and left. I looked up. There he was, except this time, he was shivering involuntarily, and his hands were deep inside his pockets. His shiver made me shiver, too, deep down inside, and it almost shook the question right out of me. But I moved on.

It stopped snowing before I went back home. I looked up as I passed the tree. He was there, still looking down, still shivering, and covered in snow. My mouth opened to ask, but nothing came out. I tried again. Nothing. So I moved on.

That night, the snow melted, and the ground was damp in the morning. I followed the same road. I came to the tree. I looked up. There was no one there. I stumbled over something in my path. And for the first time, there he was looking up at me, and I was looking straight down at him. For the first time, the question leapt out of me.

Why?

I knelt over his body; I knelt in the melting snow; I knelt in his blood; I knelt in my tears.

There was a smile upon his face.

Why?