The Visitor
Walking to school each morning in the 1950s was rather so...so, until one morning, I met an older man walking the other way. He was dressed in an old military uniform. We passed with a nod and hello. I thought nothing of it. I began to see the old man several mornings a week, always walking toward me then continuing on past me. Our nods and hello's continued. One day I asked the old man where he was going and he answered, "to visit friends in the cemetery," which was down the road. I nodded and walked on. About 2 or 3 days later, I met the old man, going the same direction. Funny, in all the times that we had passed each other, the uniform was the same each time, clean and pressed, like he was going to a formal affair.
I finally got the nerve to ask his name and who he was going to see. He told me his name was Josiah Lumpkin and he was visiting his commander in the graveyard, named Captain John Henry Walden. He asked if I would like to come with him. I'd be late for school, but yes, I'd come.
We entered a small and quite old cemetery and he walked right to Captain Walden's grave. He told me what a brave man the Capt was and how he had lost his life trying to save him. While Mr Lumpkin was talking, I turned to look at the other graves. They were all old and some obviously not cared for.
All of a sudden, I realized that it was quiet and I turned to see if Mr Lumpkin was OK. He was nowhere to be found. I called for him but got no answer. It was altogether quiet in the cemetery. Thinking Mr Lumpkin had wandered off, I began to leave the cemetary. My eyes just happened to see an old headstone with guess whose name? Yep, Josiah Lumpkin. The dates were 1801-1864. On a hunch, I checked the Capt's dates and would you believe...1799-1864.
I walked on to school...tardy. I never saw the old man, ever again.
I finally got the nerve to ask his name and who he was going to see. He told me his name was Josiah Lumpkin and he was visiting his commander in the graveyard, named Captain John Henry Walden. He asked if I would like to come with him. I'd be late for school, but yes, I'd come.
We entered a small and quite old cemetery and he walked right to Captain Walden's grave. He told me what a brave man the Capt was and how he had lost his life trying to save him. While Mr Lumpkin was talking, I turned to look at the other graves. They were all old and some obviously not cared for.
All of a sudden, I realized that it was quiet and I turned to see if Mr Lumpkin was OK. He was nowhere to be found. I called for him but got no answer. It was altogether quiet in the cemetery. Thinking Mr Lumpkin had wandered off, I began to leave the cemetary. My eyes just happened to see an old headstone with guess whose name? Yep, Josiah Lumpkin. The dates were 1801-1864. On a hunch, I checked the Capt's dates and would you believe...1799-1864.
I walked on to school...tardy. I never saw the old man, ever again.
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