Chapter 9 - The Chestnut Tree
Later that afternoon, Daniel walked out of the foundation building and stepped onto the clean cobblestones of Riverside Station.
The old spot near the alley where his vendor cart used to sit was no longer just damp pavement.
In its place, surrounded by a small, neat ring of low iron fencing, was a newly planted ten-foot American chestnut tree, its green leaves opening wide to meet the spring sky. At the base of the tree was a small bronze plaque set into the stone.
Daniel knelt down on one knee, his trousers touching the edge of the soil, his fingers gently clearing away a few stray leaves from the bronze lettering.
The inscription read:
“To see a man after status has been stripped away is the beginning of wisdom.
Dedicated to those who gather the chestnuts in the rain.”
A soft shadow fell across the plaque beside him.
Daniel turned his head to see Marcus standing a few feet back, holding a satellite tablet in his gloved hands.
"The board meeting for Cross Meridian starts in twenty minutes, Mr. Cross," Marcus reported dutifully. "The helicopter is waiting on the roof of the Westin."
Daniel stood up smoothly, adjusting his navy blazer, looking back one last time at the warm light glowing inside Eleanor’s shop across the street.
"Tell them I'll be there in ten minutes, Marcus," Daniel said quietly.
"Yes, sir. And your car?"
May you like
Daniel looked down at his polished leather shoes, then back at the bronze plaque resting beneath the young chestnut tree.
"I think I'll walk," Daniel smiled, taking a deep breath of the clear spring air. "It's a beautiful day for a walk."
