It brought back memories of a long time ago when I had traveled on this same path. This path led me along a small stream of water that I remember very well. The path was overgrown very badly with vines and weeds making it hard to follow. I stopped and sat down in the shade to rest and to look around to see if time had changed these things very much.
Looking around I saw a turtle sunning himself on a flat stone in the water. A little further on a little gray rabbit hopped across the path. Then it stopped to nibble on a branch of clover. It seemed to be very satisfied with life. As I sat there I wondered how many more little rabbits I would see along this path. So I got up and wandered on a little farther. I came to a large rock near the edge of the stream and I sat down to watch the little fish swimming around in the water. A large snake scurried across the path and disappeared into the bushes.
I got up and wandered on, still following the path. I soon came out on a beautiful green field where some cattle were quietly grazing. A little black colt and its mother were standing in the shade of a big tree.
Some small children were playing ball in another field nearby. I watched the children for a while and remembered how many times I had played in that field.
When I strolled on down the path, around the curve in the stream, there was a flock of sheep resting in the shade of some trees. Just beyond that was an old rail fence covered with wild roses and blackberry bushes. I stopped and picked a few berries to eat.
Then I went on up the hill to a small cottage. The grounds around it were badly neglected. The garden fence was old and broken down. The pump that stood by the back door was broken and the windows were broken and nearly all gone.
The back door of the house stood open, so I entered to look around. I stopped to look out the window at a few fruit trees that were left standing. The grape vines were still there but most of them were on the ground. I turned and started toward what had been the living room at one time long ago. The floor squeaked with every step and some of the boards were so badly decayed they broke with my weight on them. The fireplace was still there. I stood just inside the door trying to picture what this room looked like when I left it thirty years ago. Now, every crevice was full of birds' nests.
I heard footsteps as I started toward a door that opened into a room which had been a bedroom. Just as I reached for the knob of the door, it opened and a man stepped out. I turned and started to run, screaming every step of the way. I caught my foot on a board and fell.
The man stood and looked at me for a moment. He asked if I was hurt. Then he helped me up. He asked what I was doing there, in an old tumbled down building like that. I told him I was just out for a walk and I was so much interested that I kept on going until I ended up here.
He seemed quite nice and we stood and talked awhile. He told me his name was Ben Jinks, but that was not the name he had when he had been a little boy. Mr. and Mrs. Jinks had adopted him when he was ten years old. His name had been Bennie Fisher, up to the time he was adopted. He had two sisters: Jennie Lou and Polly Ann. And he had a brother named Samuel, but called Sammy for short. He knew where all of them were but Polly Ann. He was looking for her. That was why he was there. He had traveled all over in several states looking for them. Samuel was in Texas. Jennie was in California. And Ben had just come from Idaho.
Imagine his surprise when I told him I was his sister Polly Ann that he was looking for, and he hadn't seen for thirty years. There we were face to face, and could hardly believe what had happened to us so suddenly. The last time we had seen each other, I was fifteen and Ben was ten years old. Now he is forty and I am forty-five.
I had not left Ohio, the state where we were born. I will call the town near our home, Brandon. While on his way to town thirty-two years ago Father was killed in an accident with a runaway team. Mother had passed away suddenly two year later. This left the children with no one to support them so they had to go into adopted homes. Sammy was four years old, Jennie was eight, Ben was ten, and I was fifteen years old.
I was old enough to work and support myself. So I went to work for Mr. and Mrs. Jim Daves. They were so nice and kind to me. It was there I met Dick Wade. He was the hired man on the farm. When we met, I was seventeen and Dick was twenty. Two years later we were married. We left the farm and went to little town called Rayville.
One year later a son was born. We named him Thomas. Tommy was sweet, good-natured baby. By the time he was a year old he was able to run and play with his little pup we got him for a pal. When Tommy was two years old, a little daughter was born. We called her Rosana. Three year later the third baby was born, another son. He was named Robert. Robert was soon growing into a husky little fellow and demanded very little care. Dick worked in the shop, and we were very happy.
We always attended the Church of God which was in an old frame building painted white. It was just around the corner and down the street a block from where we lived. The children were always ready to go when the bell rang.
Time has passed along so fast. It seems such a short time since they were small children, but they are all grown and have homes of their own. Our daughter, Rosana, has a little daughter two months old. She is a little blue eyed doll. And I am a grandmother!
After I had told him about my family, Ben told me he had never married. I started home and Ben went with me. We strolled over the same road that we had traveled hand-in-hand so many years ago.
When we arrived home, Dick was there. He was surprised when I introduced my brother Ben to him. And he was more surprised to hear how we had met to find each other after so many years.
Well, with dinner eaten, the chores done, and the dishes finished, we sat on the porch and chatted for a long time. We exchanged stories about what had happened in all the thirty years that we had been separated. Ben said Jennie had four children: Jane, Nancy, and Mary; and a son, Tom. He was named for his father, Tom Brown. Sam had three boys: John, William, and Henry. Ben had been working for the government for eight years and had not married. He had been overseas for five years in the Air Force.
At ten o'clock, we were all tired and went to bed to dream about our adventures.
After breakfast we planned for a reunion for all of the sisters and brothers to meet once again. We planned for our next visit to be at Christmas time. Each one was to come and bring his family. They were to meet at my house because it was close to our childhood home.
Ben and I went to the cemetery where our father and mother were buried. On the way home we stopped along the river to watch some children playing along the shore, much as we did thirty years ago. Then Ben went on his way, for he was a restless sort and traveled most of the time.
It was a good year for the farmers. All of the crops were extra good, and most of the Fall work was finished quite early. By November it was all taken care of and we were looking forward to Christmas time and our happy reunion.
Ben came early and helped me get everything ready for the grand Christmas event. The roast turkey, pumpkin pies, fruit cake, nuts, and a beautiful big tree set in the living room. A bright, roaring fire in the fireplace completed the setting.
Christmas Eve came at last . Jennie arrived early with her family. Then Sammy came about seven o'clock . We had a nice visit and every one was happy. The family was united once again.
Christmas arrived and we had breakfast. Afterwards, everybody sang songs. Then came the gift opening, which was a jolly time for the children. We recited the Lord's Prayer together before we set down to a nice dinner. There was candle light, a huge silver star above the table, and a lovely angel statue for the center piece.
It came time for them to go. They said they had a wonderful time. We planned to meet again next year. Then they all said," "Goodbye. So long until next Christmas." Then they were on their way.
