he almost said it seemedit didnt seem   they  were  being felled  trees that surrounded him all his life were felled 

one by one  by   one    terribly

                                     it reminded him of his boyhood in Chicago when all the stately Dutch Elms that grew on either side of the thoroughfares and side streets colouring the concrete and curbs beneath underwatergreen and arched up above him like sensate cathedral ceilings  they were infected  then block by precious block neighbourhood by neighbourhood they were cut down

on his side of the block alone fifteen trees were felled  their mirrorimages on the opposite side of the street were also felled

their stumps were chomped down by enormous mechanical toothed rotary diskstaken down below groundlevel  then topsoil was shoveled out of dump trucks to fill their swallow graves

he never saw a seedling or sucker rear its head  and this wasnt only the Chicagoland area that suffered wherever Dutch Elms grew across the entire country they were eradicated

it was a holocaust

he didnt mind that it happened in the rest of the countrythe rest of the country didnt mind or worry about him

it was similar to when a family member dies usually the immediate family grieves are diminished everyone else and everywhere else things continued moving brusquely forward  without notice   without sympathy

not that he wasnt guilt of it  or ignorant

the parkways were denuded

he felt exposed

here and there other species of trees remainedbut they were spotty  

the sun penetrated to the ground now no longer peering through leafy fingers that rendered its light opaque  soft
sometimes it was utterly blindfolded by large leafy hands and you were cool or cold in its shade

the saving grace of his youth was that the towns military school for boys housed inside an enormous compound was closed  its contained real estate and the promise of an increased tax base for the city superseded the need to discipline and educate wayward boys    

the black wroughtiron speared fences suspended between brick pylons were to be torn down first the demolition of the brick classrooms dormitories and outbuildings would follow however the development corporation provided the citys residents a unique opportunity should the people wish they could come inside the walls and help themselves to the young orchard and arbour trees that the cadets planted and were tasked to maintain the thought process that conceived their being was a sincere belief that boys who hadnt shown they cared about anything  wouldnt until they had skin in the game 

those saplings were their trees

try as he may to convince his father that they ought to help themselves to some of the trees  replant the parkway in front of their housethey had lost two elms  his father working two jobs wasnt interested

Fuck it he stammered at the door between the kitchen and the back porch Im going 

his parents may have spilled their coffees on the kitchen table to his profanity 

he didnt know

he was already coming up the sideyard pulling his Radio Flyer loaded with rolled burlap shovels a pick handshovels

he walked three miles across town

the corporate security guard at the front gate called him Mr. Ambitious  let him pass

that day he unearthed a sugar maple which really caught his eye  before setting to dig he also tied strips of burlap to other trees he fancied to hold slips of paper with his last name and address on it  he declared them his 

pulling his wagon and maple behind him as he left at dusk he told the guard he had made dibs on several other trees and he would really appreciate it if anyone else tried to dig them up would he please intercede on his behalf and stop them

Intercede. Behalf.

Yeah I read a lot

Alright. I’ll check on them tomorrow so I know which ones they are. As you know today was the first day, you probably noticed you were the only one inside.

I did  But Im only going to be able to get them one at a time and I dont think because thats the only way I can that I should lose my trees to someone who may have truck or trucks or bring a crew to dig them up 

You dont wanna break a kids heartdo you

You’re persuasive, kid.Oh, excuse me, you’re persuasive, Mr. Ambitious, though now I’m confused, whether ambitious or persuasive fits you best.

he stuck his hand out Howbout Joe

the guard took it I’m Mr. Cragg.

Mr Cragg my pleasure Nice to meet you I really appreciate your help

You bet, kid, er Joe.

Thank you

You’re welcome.

he transplanted four sugar maples two in the parkway before his house two in his backyard

his neighbour a Chicago cop paid him to transplant four maples for him two in his parkway two in his backyard

some other neighbours got in on it ones and twos

Mr. Cragg said he never saw a kid work so hardwork like a son of a buck Boy, you work like there’s no tomorrow.

he smiled 

he was too tired to talk

he still had to walk three miles home

1453,  Twosday,  1  5. 18

1444,  Thursday,  3  5. 18