Crazy Martin meet God (standard:adventure, 1194 words)
Author: stanley mcqueen kentucky backwoods writer	Added: Dec 29 2009	Views/Reads: 3866/0	Story vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
backwood yarn

Crazy Martin meets God 

If you was ever in Muddy fork you would see the ridges are dotted with
small crude logs shack, folks who live around here are poor corn 
farmers,  it's a pretty place the timber is tall and think and its 
green in the summer and neighbors are kind and help each other every 
way they can, we all learn that from Rev Bishop who pastors the little 
good chapel church that sets at the base of little fox mountain, ever 
Sunday folks come and worship , and listen to Rev Bishop bring the 
Sunday message. One old  man that lives near the church is a little 
crippled in his head, paw said he was off his rocker some, he lives all 
along and folks from the church help sort of watching over him and his 
special needs, Him  being off in his head and all people feel sorry for 
him. His name is Martin Webb., his old shack is made of cull sawmill 
board , that he got from the scrap pile  at the little sawmill that 
sets down near the church house, Rev Bishop pays him to carry fire wood 
to the church in the winter, and he help sweep up the church  cut the 
grass in the summer time, and the church pays him for his work, People 
are always giving him food and clothes that they are going to get rid 
of when they get new ones . Last week I meet old martin coming down the 
ridge I was headed off  hunting squirrels. He seen me and come to talk 
as he usually does. Howdy their Bob he says a big howdy,  howdy I say 
back , and his eyes is big with excitement . What are you so alarmed 
about and  looking so excited  I asked him? Well Bob you ant going to 
believe me if I tell you he said getting his breath hard from his 
excitement. I meet God up the road a peace back he said,” meet God I 
say, repeated . Yes sir Bob  he come right out of the timber line and 
walked right up to me and spoke to me  a big howdy .. His eyes were 
that of a child on Christmas morning ,, I never knew God to meet a man 
on the wagon road I declared ! What did he say to you ask going along 
with his big tale, w Well he told me I was doing a good Job taking care 
of his church house, and told me that the place around the little goose 
chapel church house look good to him, and patted me right on the 
shoulder, he said” I tell you Bob his face was as bright as the sun 
shine on  peace of new tin.  I had to look at the ground while he was 
talking to me he added,!! He told me something about you too Bob  he 
said” about me I muttered , yes he told me you was struck on Willie cob 
wife , he said” then something hit a nerve I was struck on Willie 
pretty wife and I was the only one to know that in these parts . Did 
this half crazy man really talk to God now I was wondering, at first I 
was just going along with him because he was always having crazy talk, 
but not I was scared of what he might tell me next, And you know what 
else he told me he asked ? No how could I know I never was with you 
today while the lord was gabbing with you, well Rev Bishop takes a 
snort of whiskey now and then, he told me smiling, but God said he was 
going to give his a whopping for that he added!! He filled me in on all 
that is going on around here and I never even asked him about nobody he 
said smiling' you know that little gal that is going to have a baby 
down at the foothills , God told me who the daddy of it is, he said” 
who , I asked ? You are Bob me I said “ yes and your going to have to 
marry her or be shot by her pappy said laughing at me staring at my now 
pale face, God said when her paw finds out he is going to be gunning 
for you and God said she is getting bigger with the child ever day,... 
mercy sakes alive things were fine when  I got up to go squirrel 
hunting and now I meet old crazy martin and he filling me in on my 
sins,  and maybe my funeral ...did he say anything about anyone else 
that attends little goose chapel church I asked? One more fellow he did 
mention and  his name is Tim , Tim has been making whiskey and hiding 
it under the church house ,, and selling it off the back of his mule on 
the week days ,, you mean that deacon named Tim who rev bishop made a 
deacon is a whiskey peddler  I said are you sure about that I added/  
that what God told me is all  I know he answered!! Now Martin don't you 
go and tell folks what the lord told you or me and old Tim will be in a 
lot of trouble ok I said: oh I want tell if you give me a few dollars , 
so I can buy some chewing tobacco down at the trade store sure here is  
three dollars go and get you some tobacco and be sure you don't tell 
what God told you about me and Tim,  I tell him, ok he said and walked 
on down the road and disappeared into the woodland. How on earth did 
this man know less he talked to God, I went on to a squirrel hunting 
and could not get my mind off what had taken place today .. Why would 
God pick a crazy man and tell him about my sins, it was beyond my 
knowing, but I knew one thing I was going marry that gal I had made to 
have a baby and stay alive , and to get unstuck on Willie Bob  wife, 
and from now on I am going to be mighty careful what I do around here , 
because old Crazy Martin may meet up with God again, it was costing me 
three dollars a week from sawmill wages but was well worth it being the 
case it was,  sometimes I do wonder if old martin might have been 
spying on me and Tim and just make up like the lord had told him about 
what we was doing, but I was not going to take that chance , either 
way...in about three month  I will either be shot or married,... and I 
rather take the latter than the first.. Anyway she is a fair looking 
woman any how ,, and being a live paw is better than a dead single man, 
like my  old grandma use to say all is well than end well....the end 


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