| "This is total
destruction, total destruction I lamented.
"I
asked them over and over again not to cut the whole tree-- only the top branches or those
that were high up and in the way of the power lines--and to leave a few branches so the
tree wouldn’t die. They wouldn’t listen. I think they’re contractors, not
people from the electric company. That’s why they couldn’t care less."
"That’s it! . . . No shade for travelers now! It takes
years for a tree to grow that big," I complained
bitterly. "Everybody begged them not to cut the tree down to the ground. A man
who lives at the entrance to the alley ran over to the Municipality Bureau and asked
someone to come and see what was happening. The cutting stopped briefly once the official
arrived. He suggested the contractors leave some lower branches; after all, the trees on
this street were far from being in the way of the power lines. That’s why those two faang2
trees were left the way they are. Maybe they’ll manage to survive."
After that day, there were no more children’s voices in front
of my yard. There was an eerie silence and emptiness, and outside, where the tree once
stood, it was very sunny and hot. I felt empty inside. I missed the tree and the noise of
the children so very much. For many days I mulled over what kind of tree to plant in place
of the tamarind. Maybe I should plant a star-apple, for it gave good shade, but it would
probably be cut down eventually because its branches reach quite high and might obstruct
the power lines again. I considered a mango or a long an tree, but it too would have to be
cut down in the end. Besides, fruit trees attract children who might climb them and fall.
This thought inexplicably troubled me. It might possibly give me a heart attack before
such an accident even occurred. I considered several shrubs with beautiful blooms, but
couldn’t find the time to look for them. As I pondered the idea, I kept looking out
into my backyard, where I noticed a champa3 tree in bloom in one corner of the yard
near the kitchen. The fragrance of its beautiful white flowers permeated the area morning,
noon, and night. |
