Clearing the Radial Slot

I walked out through the ground-floor exit and traversed thirty meters of concrete pavement to a sidewalk tree well. A heavy cast-iron grate forms a square protective collar around the young trunk, partitioned by thirty-two radial slits. Near the center, a flat grey river stone lay tilted across the inner circular rim, breaking the symmetry of the opening. I braced my boots against the iron ribs and gripped the stone's edge. Applying measured lateral force, I guided the stone along the nearest radial channel until it settled securely against the outer perimeter bar. The central ring around the bark is now unobstructed.