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Storyteller's Cabin |
Joshua finally got to Obediah's house, unloaded the hay and put the mule up for the night. As he walked up to the screen door of the farmhouse, he could see Obediah standing there waiting for him - a tall, graying, cantankerous-looking man. "Come on in, son, and sit down for supper," hollered Obediah. "There's a room all ready for you."
Later, as Joshua and Obediah ate supper together, Joshua decided to ask the old man some questions. "Mister Obediah, sir, are there any pretty girls in these parts?"
Obediah flashed a near-toothless grin. "Sure there are!" he said. "Say, you lookin' for a girl to marry up with? Why, all you gotta do is follow the flight of the red bird. Yessir, everybody knows if you follow the flight of the red bird, it'll land right where there's a girl lookin' for a beau. That's a great place to start, boy."
"Mister Obediah, you know a girl round these parts named Rose Simmons?"
Obediah hesitated for a moment, then said, "Why, sure. She'd of been around 19 by now, I believe. She was a real pretty girl, yessir. Kinda sassy, but pretty. Had long black hair, always pulled back in a ponytail with a pretty bow. She was one of the prettiest girls in the area from what I remember."
Joshua was starting to get confused. "What do you mean she was pretty? You mean she don't live 'round here no more?"
Obediah looked at Joshua strangely. "Boy," he said, "Rose Simmons is dead."
The blood drained from Joshua's face. "Are you sure 'bout that?" he said, almost in a whisper.
"From what I remember," Obediah said, "she used to play in that cluster of magnolia trees up the road toward your Grandpa's. One Saturday evening, her parents called out for her to come home and do her chores. Even though the trees were a-ways down the road, she could still hear 'em callin' her since this land's so wide open."
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"Rose went in the kitchen to churn the butter, and her Daddy left to feed the cattle down at the far end of the pasture. Her Mama went with him to look for the milkcow, 'cause if you don't milk a cow regular, the milk will just dry up. So Rose was all alone in that house. And before you know it, there came a lightning storm, and it struck a pine tree right next to the house. Set that house on fire, it did, and burned that girl up inside. Her folks never did find her body. And they were so grief-stricken that they were never seen again 'round these parts."
By this time, Joshua had turned white as a sheet. Obediah stopped telling his story and said, "Boy, you look like you seen a ghost."
Joshua said, "Mister Obediah, you believe in ghosts?"
Obediah suddenly glared at Joshua and gruffly replied, "Let me tell you what I think. Folks in these parts tell stories of Rose Simmons's ghost up in the magnolia tree tryin' to get on home 'cause she hears her folks callin'. Now, I reckon her spirit ain't restin' on account of the way that she died. But just as sure as the Pearl River runs through this town, I'm tellin' you that dead folks don't belong in this world. Folks shouldn't be talkin' about 'em like they're walking around with the living. And that's all I'm gonna say 'bout it, boy."
With that, Obediah got up, pointed at the room where Joshua was to sleep, and blew out the light.
