The Shanty On The Water
In Aripeka, Florida, a little town located on Hernando Beach lays a run-down Shanty amongst the weeds and waterways. Some days, people will pull up to the shanty and fish off the porch of the home or anchor off the house and enjoy the view of the water. However, a long time ago, this home belonged to a family of three. The woman of the house was a god-fearing Christian who raised her daughter with education and a firm respect for God. The daughter was a kind and loving girl who went out of her way to help others. However, The man of the home, loved to socialize and drink. Because of the drinking, he was very unpopular with the locals and the church. His drinking caused the family to be not very well liked and quite poor. Because of the rough life they were living the wife had gone to her family to get help. However, her family told her this was her problem as she married a man beneath her, and she must deal with the consequences. Don't get me wrong, the man loved his wife and daughter. However, as happens with people who over-drink, he could not see the pain he was causing.
The wife made one last attempt to get help for her husband, by going to the local Pastor. The Pastor, a kind and patient man, went to talk with the husband and tried to have him see reason. The Pastor went to the local bar finding the man sitting in a dark corner and approached him.
"May I join you?," The Pastor asked.
"What do you want Pastor?" He growled.
"I am here to speak with you," He said. "Your wife has been quite concerned for you and I am here to offer you help if you would like to accept it."
The husband slapped his hand on the table and said, "So you come to a place I am respected and try to tell me about God."
The Pastor sighed and said, "No I am here to discuss your drinking. Sir, your wife and daughter love you but you are throwing them away for that swill in your drink. I am offering you help to leave the drink behind."
The husband gave a low chuckle and said, "You think I want to leave the drink behind?"
The Pastor said, "That drink will end up costing you your family if you do not stop your ways."
Standing up the husband yelled, "You know nothing about my family. Stay out of our business."
The Pastor stood up and said, "Your not the first man who is in to deep with alcohol that I offered to help. Mark my words it will not end well for you or your family."
Walking out the door the Pastor left and went back to the parsonage to write the wife a letter offering to send the wife and daughter away. He sent one of his servants of the parsonage with an offer to send them somewhere to be safe, away from the husband.
The servant was quick and met the wife in the market. He said, "Mrs. I have a letter from the parsonage."
She took the letter and said, "Thank you."
Waiting the servant said, "I was instructed for you to read the letter and return with a reply and the letter so you have no trouble Mrs."
She read the letter and sighed, "Tell the Pastor if my husband does not hear me out my daughter and I will head to the parsonages ladies are in a few hours."
He nodded and said, "Be safe Mrs. the Pastor said that your husband was lost in drink when he met with him."
She nodded and the servant headed back to the parsonage. What the Pastor and wife did not know was the day the Pastor met and talked with the husband was also the day the husband was let go from his local job. Why was he fired? Because he was drinking on the job.
When the husband returned the home that afternoon he asked her, "Did you send the Pastor to speak with me?"
"I had," She said. "Your drinking is at its worse and I am concerned."
He laughed and said, "Well worry about how we are going to eat. I lost my job today and you need to ask your family for more help."
It was her turn to laugh and said, "I did already. My family said since I married you, you are my problem and they will not be helping us at all. If you lost your job where was the pay for this weeks work."
"I had to pay my bar tab," He said. "After I spoke to the Pastor I got real thirsty."
She snapped, "How could you? What about our daughter? She needs clothes and food, do you think of no one but yourself."
*******************************************************************
In his drunken state, he hit her, then went into their room and passed out. No longer dealing with the drinking and abuse, the wife packed her few meager possessions, took her daughter, and left the shanty one last time.
When the Husband awoke hours later, a storm raged outside. However, inside was so quiet he had assumed his wife had laid down with their daughter to go to sleep and went to beg her forgiveness as he always had. His blood ran cold when he looked at his daughter's bed, and it was empty. Then he realized all his daughters and Wife's things were gone. In a moment of clarity, he realized that he had pushed his wife too far, and she had indeed taken their daughter and left. Realizing he was losing his wife and daughter, the Husband grabbed his coat and lantern and rushed out into the storm to find them. He ran along the flooding pathways calling his wife and daughter's name.
When the storm stopped, neighbors realized the pathway that had connected multiple shanties was almost underwater, and people started checking on their neighbors. When they arrived at the home of the Husband and Wife, they discovered it was empty. People searched for the family but soon found they were too late. Searchers found the body of the wife and daughter along the shore with their things right near them. The people searching could only guess they had been swept away in the rising water as they tried to reach the church in town. The rescuers still followed the shanty path and could not locate the Husband. A few weeks later, when another storm hit, the body of the Husband washed ashore with his lantern still gripped in his hand.
If you drive along the road near where the home used to stand and paths used to be and your timing is right, you may see lights bobbing around in the marsh. Some say it's swamp gas, but more people say it's the Husband looking for his wife and daughter. You may also hear a man screaming and yelling for his family, who are no longer with us. I know from experience if you drive the road along the original path on stormy nights, you may hear the sound of crying. Some say it's the wife and daughter crying in the storm as they try to get safety. I only hope that wherever they are, they are finally at peace.
Comments
Post a Comment