Word spread quickly and the entire neighborhood turned against Roger by treating him with heavy silence and absolute disapproval whenever he stepped outside. During a neighborhood gathering later that week I gave a speech about the deep meaning of planting something that lasts for generations. The community fully understood my message and the social isolation finally broke his stubborn pride.
Roger knocked on my door the very next morning and offered a genuine apology for going entirely too far. Instead of holding a grudge I handed him a pair of work gloves and told him we were going to plant a new tree together. Our entire neighborhood gathered that weekend to help us place a young sapling into the soil while Roger worked quietly beside us to finally make things right.
