Residential Trees

Residential Trees

     The rose bloomed in unusual colors. Pattic practically snapped his neck with his head bent backwards looking up at the gigantic tree in front of him. “I knew it was going to be huge. But I didn’t expect it to be this big.”

     Pattic walked around that tree. Still looking up at the top as he did it. “It’s as big as any tree we have on our home planet of Lollick. A whole family could live in there. In fact, I have known a few families who have.”

     “I also didn’t expect it to be so colorful either.” Pattic almost fell over a large root branching out because of his looking up. It did complain with a loud “ouch” when he stepped on top of it as he continued around that tree.

     “It must have every color there is. In every shade. From light to dark – and everything in between.” Pattic completed his trip around that three. When he did he almost walked right into Cartonna.

     “You’re talking to yourself again. Aren’t you?” Cartonna continued staring up toward the top of that tree.

     “No, I’m not. You know I always talk to my rose trees. It makes them grow big and strong.”

     “It definitely did this time. This is the tree that was barely alive only a few days ago?”

     “It’s hard to believe that it was only two inches high the last time you saw it.” Pattic looked at Cartonna. “I’m not surprised it grew up so fast – or so big. It’s the secret ingredient I use on all my trees.”

     Pattic and Cartonna started walking – toward an open door with a very bright light shining through it. As they passed each tree along that path they glanced at it. All of them were large trees. But not as huge as the one Pattic walked around. He kept stopping and looking back at that one.

     “You sure do make beautiful trees. It’s no wonder you are considered the best Grower on Lollick.” They started walking back toward that open door. “Are you going to take that tree when we get back to Lollick.”

     “No, it’s much too big for a single guy like me. I’m going to give it to a large family that really needs it.”
Cartonna smiled at Pattic. “You don’t have to remain single if you don’t want to. Hint, hint.”

     “You don’t really want to be my Permanent Lover. I take these trips three or four times a year. I’m either growing trees or bringing them back to Lollick.”

     “I don’t care how much time you spend on Lollick.” Cartonna was the one who suddenly stopped that time. She turned toward Pattic. “I still want to be your Permanent Lover.”

     Pattic smiled back. “I want to be yours too. But I can’t until I get Lollick back to what it used to be before that meteor storm destroyed it.”

     “How long is that going to take? You Growers are only about halfway through re-building Lollick. It’s going to take another twenty years before you can do that.”

     “I made a promise to Lollick. And I’m going to get all Lollickians out of those cave cities. Even if I have to do it one tree at a time.”

     Pattic and Cartonna walked into what appeared to be clear plastic. Only they walked right through it – out into a corridor. Right after they left Pattic pushed a button on a box on his chest. The door to that room slid shoot. Pattic and Cartonna continued walking down that corridor.

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     Walking through a tree trunk with Pattic hand in his. They stopped just outside of it. Pattic kissed the center eye just above the other two, in front of her flat nose that looked like something electrical could plug into it, a second after it closed. “I’ll be back with another load of trees in a few months.”

     “Are you sorry you became my Permanent Lover?” The look on Pattic’s face said he did.

     “Of course, not. I’m the one who asked you to be my lover forever.” Pattic smiled. “After five years of nagging me I had to do it.”

     Just then a giant shoe almost stepped on Pattic. Pattic jumped back out of the way just in time. He looked up at a boy about ten. “Get back inside before he sees us.”

     Pattic ran back into that tree. Grabbing Cartonna as he went past her. “It’s another one of those human children playing.”

     Cartonna stumbled, and almost fell, as they entered their residence. “I still don’t know how they can survive on a dead planet.”

     “Because they have to after their spaceship crash landed here a couple of years ago. They have no choice. They’re stuck here. Luckily there are only two hundred thousand of them. It could be a lot worse.”

     “I know. It happened about a month after we became Permanent.”

     Pattic and Cartonna was in a large open living room within that tree. He sat down in a large chair after helping her get into one. “Are you okay? You’re not hurt, are you? Did I grab you too hard when we ran back in hertwoe?”

     Before Cartonna could answer the walls of the tree began to shiver. Pattic got up and picked a piece of the wall off. “Hello. Who is this?” A few seconds later. “What? It happened again.” Another few seconds. “Thanks for telling me.”

     “Another tree got smashed by a human.” Pattic said as he walked back toward Cartonna. “It was an adult female this time. Luckily the family there didn’t get killed. They also didn’t get seen either.”

     Cartonna looked shocked. “By the time we re-populated our planet it’s going to be destroyed again. This time by humans.”

     “What can we do about it? The answer to that question is – nothing. After all, we are only ten inches tall.”