Saturday, July 20, 2013

The Interesting Visitor


The Interesting Visitor


     We were having work done on our house, and the maintenance truck was in our driveway when I pulled up after work. So I parked in the street. I saw a vehicle on the side street  - just stopped and pointing at our house. At first I thought it was someone talking to our crazy beagles in our screened in porch. But the man yelled over, "I grew up in this house."  I said, "Cmon in." He said he was on oxygen and didn't want to drag the tank in. He was just showing his friend where he had grown up. I told him he may want to see the house because we remodeled the kitchen, blowing out the wall. He said he always thought that wall should have been blown out, but no one would believe him.
     He first thought he'd just peer in the front window but then decided to come in.  We were so glad he did. What an extraordinary visit.
     He told us stories of growing up in the house. We asked him questions about the house. He was thrilled to talk about it - how he had to mow with a hand-push mower up the hill where we now have mulch and flowers; talks of snakes and spiders, and the old fireplace (now propane).  He used to enjoy sleeping in the screened in porch when he came home for visits. He told us that one night while sleeping out there, he heard tires screech and a crashing sound.  But he didn't hear police or ambulance sirens. So he and his wife drove out to investigate. They found
skid marks and part of the guard rail down, and then found a truck barely visible from the road. His wife drove back to the house to call for help (no cell phones in those days), and he tended to the driver.  The man was trapped under the truck with the exhaust pipe on his chest, burning him. Our friend used a tree branch to prop the pipe up while they waited for help.
     He told us stories of
Vietnam. Once while on guard duty, in the pitch darkness, as he held his gun, finger on the trigger, he felt a weight slowly crawling across his arm. He held perfectly still as a 7-foot snake slowly made its way over both of his arms. He told us about being sprayed with Agent Orange - twice, being told they were spraying for mosquitoes. And that's what led to his oxygen tank.
     I was tending to the dogs when my husband found out that the visitor's friend was actually his Hospice caretaker. But I'm glad I didn't know at the time.  I might have treated him differently, little pity. Instead I fully enjoyed his company. His friend/caretaker thanked us for making his day. He said he could see how much he enjoyed seeing his old homestead, how much it meant to him that we were taking such good care of it.
 
A very interesting visitor - a very enjoyable visit.