Gemotions

He was sweating, that much was clear. His tie was loosened, his collar a little askew. Mr. Peterson, the usually unflappable lawyer, was standing before me, hat in hand, and requesting the demise of a perfectly healthy birch tree. The reason? It was making his backyard “too shady.”

A grin threatened to split my face. It was the perfect absurdity, the peak of neighborly disputes.

I nodded slowly, considering the request, rubbing my chin. "Shady, you say?" I couldn't help but add, "And is that really such a bad thing?" The man's face shifted, his entire posture became more cautious. The fun was just beginning.