Throughout the construction phase, Old Sam continued to provide workers with shade from the sun, a place to sit and rest during their breaks and eat their lunch. It was the only time of the day that was relatively quiet, and they seemed to appreciate it as much as Old Sam did. He never realised just how much comfort, silence and peace could result in, though he would’ve appreciated it if they picked up their wrappers and empty cans.
The construction lasted several weeks, which felt much longer to Old Sam. Much, much longer. It seemed as if the noise and dust would never abate. Fortunately, it rained quite often during this time, which not only supplied nutrition to his roots, which had become more extensive, but also helped to settle the dust and clean his leaves.
Like most trees, Old Sam was vain about his appearance. He took pride in his straight trunk and sturdy branches laden with bright green leaves. One can then only imagine his concern when small patches of discoloured bark began to appear. One of the lessons he had learned from the “elders” was that this was often a result of stress. Certainly the upheaval caused by construction had factored into it, and he hoped they weren’t permanent scars.
Finally, the day came when the work was complete, and a new family moved into the house. Unfortunately, no landscaping had been done. Old Sam was pleased with their joy and excitement, but his initial positive impression soon faded. While he was not certain how they cared for the interior of the house, they took little pride in its exterior or in the lawn. Both were allowed to deteriorate significantly. The siding became chipped and discoloured, and the lawn remained unkempt with little regard for its appearance. On occasion, family cars were driven right up to the front door, which caused ruts in the lawn and exhaust fumes filling the air. It was no wonder that many of the leaves on Old Sam’s lower branches soon became rust coloured and fell off early, well before the first frost.
Wintertime was no better. When removing the snow after a storm, they also scraped away the layer of topsoil, leaving it depleted.
It was a precarious time, and Old Sam was not unhappy when new owners arrived at the house a short time later. His optimism, however, was short-lived as they were no more environmentally conscious than the previous ones. Although they were somewhat less destructive. They did mow the lawn, albeit too short, resulting in the grass burning under the hot sun. They often parked their cars on its edge, destroying the wildflowers that had taken root.
It continued to astonish Old Sam how humans seemed not to have any regard for the delicate and balanced ecosystem that existed between all plants and animals. It was something which required nurturing and maintenance for the benefit of all. Did they not realize our worlds are intrinsically linked together in a symbiotic relationship?
