Literally.
I recall that one walk distinctly with Papa. He was staring afar. It quickly came to my attention that we were not alone. Someone from a distance was working on a post, assembling some sort of uniformed lineup from coiled wires.
We were walking closer toward that direction and I was thinking naturally the two would exchange greetings as I have always witnessed Papa to do. This time, not a word- just eyes to show acknowledgment of one another’s presence.
I remember Papa stopping just to watch as this other man continued to put up these wires slowly uncoiling from its bundle. Although never recalling to have met this man, he took note of my presence. I know this because I still remember locking eye contact with him. Even at just the age of five or six, I gathered he was bidding me respect, quietly looking at me as if to offer me his non-verbal greeting. Those eyes soon looked away, however, returning back the uneasiness I sensed in the air growing between he and Papa. It was easy to take note of the immediate change of demeanor of this man as he was evidently reminded of Papa’s presence who continued to watch him without a word.
Clearly, this man and Papa knew each other. Why they spoke no words to one another I was alienated from such understanding during that seemingly long moment before we continued to walk on.
That man was my uncle, Papa’s first cousin. He was putting up barbed wires to make distinct boundaries between Papa’s property and his. I learned this later that afternoon as we had arrived back to our home.
Papa expressed great distaste for his cousin’s actions as he felt it was unnecessary to create such a perilous type of fencing. Why his cousin had to make a point to make certain that Papa knew his property line, I could gather from Papa’s words that he held annoyance.
Papa had already put up cement posts with his initials to identify boundaries. Barbed wires, perhaps a return to Papa’s actions, would place animals traversing in danger of getting caught, leading to the risk of them getting severely hurt. As if prophetically spoken, the very unwanted did happen. However, the incident was much closer to Papa’s heart than a wandering animal.
The last time I took note, my sister still carries that scar on her big toe. I recall Papa’s reaction. Seeing blood running from my sister’s toes caused him to pace back and forth as others around were trying to slowly lift away the barbed wire from my sister’s foot. The wire had pierced through her big toenail. I cannot recall how long it took for the bleeding to stop and for the wound to heal. I do not know what words, if any, were exchanged between Papa and his cousin. All I do remember is that his cousin continued to have those barbed wires up, evidently resisting any suggestion that they be taken down.
You would have to question the mind of a man who holds power to take down fortitude of any kind that has already wounded an innocent bystander who just happened to travail on the outskirts of boundaries one day. At what point, at what loss, does a man come to their sense that perhaps they have gone too far?
We were to call her Mama Maria. Someone had come rushing back to Papa at our home to tell him they had found someone. Quickly, Papa went with several to go back. Something told me Papa knew who it was who had been found as he did not hesitate a moment further to act.
I remember Papa carrying this elderly woman back to our home. Her hair, straight with long silvery strands. Wearing a somewhat now tattered and dirty white nightgown to her ankles, I recall her quietly looking at me as her frail body held onto Papa who solely carried her into our home to lay her down.
I overheard conversations that she was my uncle’s mother, the same one who had put up those barbed wires. With her aging mind, she had somehow found herself out of their home, caught within the wires, on Papa’s side of boundaries.
There were whispers amongst those who had found her and Papa as what to do knowing who she was and the already evident divide there was between Papa and his cousin.
Papa seemed to already have made his decision. He would have his cousin informed, but not until his aunt was bathed, changed, and in much better condition than how she had been discovered. He would not want his cousin to see her in the state she was in.
This was not an easy task as my uncle’s mom showed great resistance toward my Papa’s presence, coming to the realization who he was, the cousin whom her son most likely expressed dislike for in more ways than one. Papa was not surprised to see how his cousin’s mom, his aunt, was showing resistance to his aide. Still, he refused to return her right back to his cousin regardless of the challenge his aunt was giving him.
It was our mom and some extra help who managed to calm down this newly found woman in our home to where they could bathe, change her, and eventually brush her hair.
Papa’s cousin was sent word of his mother’s whereabouts so he would be in peace knowing she was not lost. It took some days before Papa released her back, however. It was only when Papa’s aunt showed good recovery wherein she was returned to her son’s home.
Papa muttered under his breath, as a matter of statement, but with a slight hint of displeasure in my presence, that not once did his cousin speak the words “thank you” upon the return of his mother.
I, to this day, think, while it would have been an honorable gesture, no “thank you” needed be spoken. In my eyes, even as a young child, regardless of their differences and no matter the history of conflict between the two, my uncle knew his cousin, Papa, had done the utmost right.
I saw that Papa was given the power of choice. He could have easily taken the opportunity to publicly shame his cousin had he returned Mama Maria in the state she had been found, most especially given the fault falling to her son’s actions, or, do exactly what he chose to do instead.
Regardless of how one behaves or acts to try and create conflict or disturbance of peace, the other man has an ultimate choice on how to address the matter, all ego and power set aside. Had Papa returned his aunt in the condition she had been found, who knows what his cousin would have thought or how he would have reacted had she arrived under such state of disarray.
One can declare war. Or, one must exhibit fearless understanding that in doing right, win or lose, the one who stood to be the righteous man is seen as the victorious by the watching eyes.
“I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness…”
I would hope men of great power have read this passage. Even more, I would hope that they reflect upon the message in truth. Selah.
