“Do you want to meet with them?”
I thought about it. About my father planting those trees when I was eight years old. About Gordon Hale signing an authorization to cut them down because they blocked his members’ view of the valley. About the presumption that my land was just a resource for them to manage.
“No. The notice stands. Thirty days.”
The Escalation
The calls started on day ten.
Gordon Hale himself, his voice trying to project calm authority while clearly panicking underneath. “Eli, we need to talk about this. Let’s be reasonable here. Neighbors work things out.”
“I gave you notice. It’s legal. It’s final.”
“You can’t just cut off road access to an entire neighborhood. There are kids, elderly people, emergency services—”
“You cut down six trees on my property. Without asking. Without permission. Without notifying me.”
“That was a surveying error—”
“No, it was arrogance. You decided my trees were in your way. Now my road is in yours.”
