Visit from Grandaddy.
In the country of Fulton, Alabama and it was the 1805 and, in a log, cabin lived a family who owned over fifty acres of land that they farmed now this family had only one child and that was special, he could see ghosts and spirits and such. He was just like his father who has the same gift, and this can only be passed down from generation to generation and it was only passed down to the males in the family. The little boy only being five years old didn’t know he had a gift, and his father hadn’t told yet because he was waiting until he came of age, normally the gift doesn’t truly show its full self until that male that has the gift reached the age of sixteen, the boy’s father got his gift at the age of sixteen and he is quite odd that his son got his early however he knew of his relatives before getting their gifts at an early age. About three miles down the road lived the boy’s grandparents who also had a farm that twice as big and his fathers except he owns farm animals and he milk, eggs, cheese, and sheep’s wool at the local farmer’s market in town which about a ten-minute horse and wagon ride. The boy’s grandfather inherited the farm from his father after he died, and his son would inherit after he died. Now the boy’s grandfather in which the boy Benji called Granddaddy now the boy and his grandfather were very close, and he taught his grandson how to milk cows, goats, and even the sheep, he even taught the boy how to sheer them. The boy loved the farm and often spent his days with the animals talking to them as he mucked out their stalls. He often days at time with his grandparents, he helped his grandmother bake, which he loved. He learned how bake bread, pies, cakes, cookies, but was Benji loved the most was cooking with grandmother. She was the kindest, most loving, patient, woman on earth, and everything she did she put extra love into it. After spending a day with his grandparents, sadly it time for Benji to go back home so Benji and his grandfather took his horse and pulled put his grandson on the horse first and he pulled himself up and sat behind Benji, and they rode back to his house. After talking with his family for a bit, the grandfather left and headed back home, to finish the day’s chores. He was getting the milk, cheese, and sheep’s wool ready for the farmer’s market in the morning, After a long night’s sleep the grandfather woke early and had gone off to the farmer’s market he packed everything he needed into the wagon and had driven off after a long day of being at the farmer’s market the grandfather was happy with what he made and had headed back home, he was driving along the road when all of a sudden a masked robber rode beside him on his horse and was holding a gun to the grandfather, he made the grandfather give the money and then shot him point blank, the grandfather fell off the wagon and the horse ran off scared out it’s wits. The robber then dragged the grandfather’s bloody body into the woods and hid it behind a tree and covered the body in leaves. When the horse returned to the farm empty the grandfather’s wife was scared and took a horse from the born and rode to her daughter-in – law’s house. When she got there, she was so distraught from crying it took an hour to calm her down. “Now mother tell me what’s wrong?” The daughter- in-law asked. “Granddaddy left for the market this morning and didn’t return, and the horse came alone, and the wagon was empty. Ok. Bessie said calmly. Now is it possible that Father had made a side trip somewhere and forgot to tell you, you know he often makes unscheduled stops at the general store? Bessie suggested. Oh. Maybe. Mother answered. This feels different, it’s not sticking right with my stomach. Mother answered Bessie. Something’s off dear. Ok. How about you stay here with Benji and I, and Henry will go and look for father. Okay, she said in a small sad voice. Her face was tear stained her eyes were red and blood shot. Try not to mention this Benji Mother, ok. Bessie replied. Okay. Mother agreed. She got up and made herself a pot of tea and she sat with her grandson. Benji was sitting outside playing in the field and stumbles on some old arrowheads and he dug up when playing. The little boy felt something strange and he turned slowly, and there behind him stood his grandaddy watching him. “Grandaddy?” He yelled excitedly as ran up to hug his grandfather. But his grandfather looked different, he felt different, he smelled different, he looked ghastly, and he was cold to the touch and Benji could see right through him. Mammy, Mammy granddaddy is here, he’s here with now. Mammy heard yelling and had come outside and ran to him, but his grandfather disappeared. Benji. Mammy said, no one is out here but us and your grandfather hasn’t returned from the market yet. But Mammy, Benji said tugging on his grandmother’s dress he was here, I swear. Now Benji, his grandmother said firmly you not to fib she said wagging her finger at him. Ok, he said and sighed with his head down. He ran off back into the field to play. Henry and his wife grabbed a horse from the barn and hitched to a wagon and they left, they went to gather the cousins that lived in the area and they formed a search party. The first place they looked was the farmer’s market asking everyone who was there if they see grandaddy, they said he was here and left about four ago and that someone who was leaving had seen last on the road heading home. A neighbor who was out farming claimed to see a masked robber on a horse hold an old man at gun point and he heard a gunshot and he saw the man take money from the old and saw him drag him into the words. The family searched and went down the road and followed the wagon tracks, they get out of the wagon and look closely at the ground and were surprised to see another set of hoof tracks beside the wagon, and it looked like grandaddy’s wagon had veered off the road and tipped over, but that wasn’t all there were droplets off blood and there was a trail of it, the family followed the trail of blood that led into the woods and stopped behind a big oak tree and there was lump of something that was covered up by leaves. They began removing the leaves and much to their surprise they found Granddaddy and he’d been shot, and he bled out. Henry cried and cried, and his wife consoled him and hugged him tightly. As pulls away from his wife he saw his father standing on the road waving at him and smiling. They carefully picked his father’s body and carried to the wagon and they rode back his dad’s farm where leave in the barn and cover him until the funeral. After they were done, they dropped off the cousins and rode back to the house where they would his grandmother the news. Mammy was in the kitchen cooking supper and watched Benji as he played in the field closest to the house, she missed her husband so, little did she know that her husband was in the kitchen with her, he was behind her with his hands on her shoulders trying so hard to console her, she just stood there and cried. She heard the horse and wagon come down the drive and watched them go into the barn. She came and told them that supper was ready, she asked if they found Granddaddy and they shook their head yes not knowing what to say. “Is he alive? Mammy asked. Bessie shook her head no and said I’m so sorry Mother. What happened?! She demanded. Granddaddy was shot and don’t know why. Some neighbor claimed to see a robber hold grandaddy at gunpoint and he shot and robbed him then drug his body into the woods, that’s where we found grandaddy. Just then, Benji came he been standing there listening to the whole conversation. Granddaddy is dead?! No! He screamed and yelled and cried and ran into the house and up to his room, but he saw his grandaddy earlier today how was that possible if he was dead? Just then his father came up. Benji. His father said in firm father like voice. Yes, Papa? We have to talk son. There is something I have been meaning to tell you. Benji sat up and wiped the tears and snot from his face. You see son, in our family we are incredibly special and there is a gift that has been passed down from generation to generation and we can see ghost, and spirits and even other things. Can I tell you a secret? It’s just between you and me son, ok? The boy shook his head. I saw grandaddy today he was on the road and he was waving and smiling at me. Now son. Did he come and see you today? Yes, Papa. I was playing in the fields digging up arrowheads and his was right behind me, I ran up and hugged him he felt and look different. Those arrowheads you found were grandaddy’s he took those and buried in the fields when he was child and his father before him. You see son, before this was our house and land it belonged to grandaddy and he gave me and your mama as a wedding gift. Grandaddy wants you to have those arrowheads so you’ll have something to remember him by and son you meant to find those arrowheads. I’m so happy you got to see grandaddy and that you got your gift early. You see son, I didn’t get my gift until I was sixteen. Does Mama, and Mammy know about our gift? Umm..., his father paused for a moment. Yes and no and neither one of them like to talk about it. Why? His father queried. I tried telling Mammy, but she didn’t believe me she thought I was telling a fib. I’m sorry son. Your Mammy is grieving right now, and she is hurting. Do the girls in our family have our gift too? The son questioned. No son. Only the men of our family have our gift, some of my cousins do and I bet they saw grandaddy just like we did. Is our gift bad? Oh no son not at all. His fathered answered. It’s kind of neat seeing things like we can. Let’s get you to bed we have a busy day tomorrow; we have a funeral to plan. Ok Papa, goodnight. Goodnight son. The boy’s father held him tight and told him that he loved him. The next morning, they all drove to the grandfather’s farm and prepared for a funeral, Bessie’s cousin brought flowers from her garden, her other cousin brought a casket that he handmade and the other cousins made food and brought it. Everyone met at the local church for a nice service and buried the grandfather in the local cemetery. About a year later after Granddaddy’s death, the masked robber appeared again as he moved through town killing and robbing people, there’s ghost story that the robber died mysteriously and that he was supposedly killed by Granddaddy himself, and that the robber was stabbed to death and then trampled on by a horse, when they found his body, it was bloody and mangled, they it was barely recognizable and the look on his face looked he was frozen in fear. They claim that Grandaddy was getting revenge on his death and trying to get justice.