#16 As I approached the deserted house at the end of the road, I saw...
It looked as any deserted house should-broken down, peeling paint, missing roof shingles, a few broken windows. As I approached, I saw that there was a single tree in the front yard of the house. It had bright green leaves and strong, thick branches. No other plant life grew in the sandy dirt surrounding, and I wondered how the tree managed to to remain healthy for so long. Maybe someone in the town nearby took care of it, but why the tree and not the house? I finally reached the tree and walked around it. The trunk was wide, and the bark was thick with layers. On one side, I found a couple carvings in the wood. There were random hash marks, names, and carved initials surrounded by hearts. It appeared to be the tree where couples liked to make their marks.
“Appreciating the old thing?” a voice said behind me. I started a bit and turned around before answering.
“Yeah, I’ve never seen such a big tree by an abandoned house before. I was just looking at the carvings.”
The old man that had approached me smiled kindly and walked up to the tree. “Many memories are with this tree. It’s been around longer than I have.”
“Do you know who tends to it?” I asked. “It obviously doesn’t stay this well kept on its own.”
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