It’s not everyday one hears a dynamic statement like this! Melvin was the ex-husband of Mother’s old friend, Maggie. A good man, he’d gone just a bit “off the rails” and Maggie, had reluctantly left him as a result of his increasingly fantical religious leanings. Mother and Daddy had long been faithful congregants of their church, only missing services if unableto attend. Melvin showed up to visit one day, not long after Daddy died. Mother wasn’t particularly anxious to visit with him but had no concerns about inviting him in for coffee, since the families had been friends for more than twenty years. She served him coffee, dreading what might be on his mind. She was wearing a faded jeans and a cotton shirt with the top button undone. Speaking pleansantly, he asked, “Would you mind buttoning your shirt and rolling down your sleeves?” She did as he asked, as though she’d been caught flaunting herself.
Melvin unfolded a hinged message board. Before starting his talk, he made another request. “Would you please uncross your legs?” She did. Back to the talk; on one side of the board was a crudely painted train, running off the rails in a mountain pass, on the other, a plane ascending toward a cross in the heavens. Melvin explained to Mother, that if she didn’t follow Christ, like the train, she was “off the rails” and headed for hell.
Without thinking she recrossed her legs. He caught her. “Uh! Uh! Uh!” Shamed, she uncrossed them. He continued. “If she followed Christ, she’d do like the plane and “go to Jesus.” She was anxious for this creepy talk to be over and have him on his way. He turned to stare out her front door, speaking in a monotone. “Did y’all know y’all had a snake in y’all’s tree?”
The hair stood up on the back of her neck!
He walked directly to the gun cabinet where Daddy’s loaded guns still stood, took one out, walked to the front door, shot the snake, returned the gun the its slot, and returned to his seat to finish Mother’s religious instruction.
She got her purse, told Melvin she had some business to attend to, instructing him to lock the door on his way out. He never visited again, his duty done..
My admiration for your mother increases with every post she appears in! Give her a big hug from me 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’ll do that. She is here to spend the night. Hug yours, too, Cat.
LikeLike
Oh my…
LikeLiked by 1 person
These are true Beth? Wow!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, I reposted Sweet Hourof Prayer about Melvin , too.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I glad you are keeping your distance from him!
LikeLike
For sure!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Just the tiniest bit forward. If he wanted to shoot the snake he should have brought his own gun.
It occurs to me he may have thought the snake’s presence indicative of some transgression of your mothers and that’s why he acted so weird. In that case it’s fairly fortunate he decided in her favor.
What kind of snake was it?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Just a black snake. Melvyn’s still around. Strange guy. Wrote several posts about him. He wanted to come “bring my boy to Jesus” when my boy was about five. My husband took care of that.
LikeLiked by 1 person
That is one of the weirdest stories I’ve ever read!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wrote several more. All true.
LikeLike
Good thing Melvin wasn’t still there when she returned! What a creepy story.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It is true.
LikeLiked by 1 person
How strange! Poor snake. LOL!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Melvin was creepy!
LikeLike
He sounds creepy!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Very.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m glad she got out of there quickly.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yep
LikeLiked by 1 person