I am 41 years old. My experience was back when I was 13 years old.
On my way home from school the last week of the school year I was stopped by an old man on the side of the road, who asked me if I wanted to make some money helping him to top a tree at the end of his driveway where he parked.
I reached out and shook the man's hand while asking about tools I would be helping him with on the tree. He said, "follow me," as he turned and started walking around towards the rear of the house.
The man opened up an old half broken down tool shed and started dragging tools out for me to use. As I got back around to the tree I noticed two of my school mates walking down the hill beside the street infront of the old man's house.
I asked my friends if they wanted to help me with topping the tree for the old man. One of my friends, Harold said sure, the other said no and walked away down the street. As we started working on the tree for the old man he started talking about praying and God and religion. I asked him if he was a preacher. He replied no, but there is a certain way to pray. He started telling me and my friend about finding us a big ole rock out in the woods and being there alone and starting a discussion with God. Just me and the rock and God.
After several hours we finished the tree and the old man was happy. He said, I have been trying to finish the tree for years now but was getting too much up in age and couldn't do it. He handed me $2 for my work. I wasn't impressed but took it. As we were standing there talking with the old man a car pulled up into the driveway, an older lady got out with an upset look on her face. She ask us, "WHAT ARE YOU TWO DOING IN MY DRIVEWAY TO MY TREE?" I told the lady we were topping the tree for this old man. She asked me, "what old man?" I said this old man standing right here beside me. She said, what's his name? So I ask the old man what his name was. He told me his name was Otis. The older lady turned white and fell to the ground passed out. I ran to help the lady and told my friend to call the operator for an ambulance.
When the ambulance arrived and they revived the older lady, they asked her what was wrong. She replied, "Otis was my husband. He died while topping that tree 11 years ago." She showed a picture of Otis and he was one and the same. The old man was gone. It has been 26 years now and still to this day I have never seen the old man again. Maybe his job was finally done and he moved on.
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