Tacoma @ cross roads

Of all the original tacoma trees planted by the housing developer about 20 years ago along the road where I'm staying, only one remains standing today. It occupies a small patch of public land situated directly outside my house and that of my neighbour. It is a splendid tree, providing me with shade in the afternoons especially when the sun has moved north of the equator for half the year. My only quibbles are that the tree blooms far too often and the road and my compound are littered with tacoma flowers which demand my time to sweep away constantly. If not the flowers, then it is the dried, brown leaves. Occasionally, small branches also break off and fall into my space. Birds also seek the tree for refuge at night and in the mornings, I see their messy droppings on my ledge. Despite these minor inconveniences, I remain grateful for the greenery outside my window. At the very least, I can say that I get some exercise and tranquility from sweeping away the flowers or the leaves. 

I was saddened when a similar tacoma tree opposite my house was chopped down by the City Council last month. My neighbour told me that they had not complained about the tree to the Council. If that is so, then the initiative must have come from somewhere else. Perhaps from the Tenaga Nasional Berhad because I could see that the electric power line was getting entangled among the branches. My side of the road though, there are no power lines.

So this tree outside my house is the last one standing, and I would want it to remain for as long as possible. However, I now notice that there is some leakage from the underground water pipe that feeds into the neighbour's house and I'm wondering whether this could have been caused by the roots. The water authority has been informed to get the leakage fixed and I should expect their workers to come any day. What I'm fearful of is the tree's fate. If it is determined that the roots are the cause of the problem, no amount of repairs will be safe from the ever expanding roots. There may come a time that this tree needs to go too. I shall rue the day when it happens. But for the moment, I shall still enjoy the shade and greenery that it provides me.