They drove through the spring countryside until they came to an empty-looking field where an old man was cutting the grass on a riding mower. Larry pulled over, got out and walked to the fence.
"Hello, there," Larry called out. He had to call several times before the man heard him over the noise of the mower, and stopped the machine. Larry climbed a wooden fence surrounding the field and approached the man, leaving Wanda to wait from him in the car.
"Hi. I'm afraid we're lost. Looking for the road to Zackersville."
"Missed the turnoff about twelve mile back," said the old man, wiping his forehead with a red bandana. Lots of folks do."
"Nice field," said Larry. "Doesn't appear cultivated. More like a nice lawn."
"This here's Planey Corners Cemetery. Or part of it. This part's for all the Christians we know was good people, and likely in Heaven. The other section is for them as we're not too certain about."
"Cemetery? Old timer, if this is a cemetery, where are all the headstones?"
"The good people buried here lived simple, clean lives; humble souls to the last one. We bury 'em simple, like they lived, in unmarked graves. God knows their bones are here, but their souls're with Him up yonder in Heaven. Well, I gotta get my mowin' done. You turn around and go back about twelve mile and you'll see the road to Zackerville on your right."
When Larry got the car going again, he told Wanda what the old man said. Then added, "If we were buried hereabouts, I wonder which part of the cemetery we'd be put in."
Wanda looked back at the fenced-in plot of land as it receded in the distance and shook her head.
"God only knows."
"Hello, there," Larry called out. He had to call several times before the man heard him over the noise of the mower, and stopped the machine. Larry climbed a wooden fence surrounding the field and approached the man, leaving Wanda to wait from him in the car.
"Hi. I'm afraid we're lost. Looking for the road to Zackersville."
"Missed the turnoff about twelve mile back," said the old man, wiping his forehead with a red bandana. Lots of folks do."
"Nice field," said Larry. "Doesn't appear cultivated. More like a nice lawn."
"This here's Planey Corners Cemetery. Or part of it. This part's for all the Christians we know was good people, and likely in Heaven. The other section is for them as we're not too certain about."
"Cemetery? Old timer, if this is a cemetery, where are all the headstones?"
"The good people buried here lived simple, clean lives; humble souls to the last one. We bury 'em simple, like they lived, in unmarked graves. God knows their bones are here, but their souls're with Him up yonder in Heaven. Well, I gotta get my mowin' done. You turn around and go back about twelve mile and you'll see the road to Zackerville on your right."
When Larry got the car going again, he told Wanda what the old man said. Then added, "If we were buried hereabouts, I wonder which part of the cemetery we'd be put in."
Wanda looked back at the fenced-in plot of land as it receded in the distance and shook her head.
"God only knows."
