049. Pine Tree


Old Man Peabody, the other man that Hill Valley considers crazy.

Peabody held a spade in one hand and a saw in the other, his face was wrinkled, his hair streaked with grey.

I gulped.

"Well, you want a tree or don't you?"

I blinked, confused for a moment, then shook my head to clear it. "Oh, a tree, yes, of course. Um...do you have a recommendation?"

"Hmpf! It's a rare person who cares for pine trees," he gestured to the tree next to us, "they just think of them as some sort of...commodity."

I wasn't quite sure what to say considering Peabody was selling them at five dollars a foot, if that wasn't commoditising...

"But they're much more than that! They have uses, they are a symbol... why else would the alien have tried to wipe them out?"

I decided it was for the best not to respond to that, of course I knew who the alien had been and he certainly hadn't had pine trees on his mind!

"Well...the thing is I haven't brought a tree in quite some time, I no longer live in the mansion, so I need something smaller...so what do you suggest?" I decided to move the conversation along as quickly as possible.

"Small one, eh," Peabody gestured for me to follow him into the barn, I had to admit he was a bit unsure about doing so.

The barn was lined with pine trees of various sizes, mostly tall, but at the very back was a collection of smaller ones.

Peabody went right up to one particular tree and patted its pines. "This one has served me well, one of the small breeds, but healthy."

I admit I don't much care about the breed, but the tree looked very nice and was probably only three feet tall, so it wouldn't be too expensive.

"It's just what I'm looking for," I declared, taking my wallet from my pocket. "I'll take it."

Peabody grunted accepted the fifteen dollars I held out and asked. "Need help taking it to your van?"

I took hold of the tree, it was quite light. "No, I'm fine, thanks for your help."

As I drove down the dirt track to the main road, I was relieved to be out of there. Although as the other victim of the town's less then polite perceptions I knew I shouldn't judge, but I find Peabody a rather disturbing fellow.

I shook my head. "The things I do for Marty McFly," I muttered. It was the kid's idea after all that I have a tree. I suppose he really couldn't be blamed, at least not for a few more years.

Of course it wasn't over yet, the fire had consumed the Christmas decorations my parents had owned, so now I would have to brave the local Sears.

Perhaps getting a pine tree would not be the most trying event of the Christmas season...


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