Redbow
Senior Member
When we lived near the small community of Effingham SC many years ago we lived out in the country on a rural road with not many houses around. Our nearest neighbor at the time lived about two hundred yards behind us. He and his Wife were very nice folks they had three children, all well mannered and very polite. We became good friends with those neighbors and we often did favors for each other whenever needed. They were people you could always depend on if a problem arose and if you needed help. They knew they could depend on us as well if they needed our help.
One day a stranger showed up at their house leading a pony. I had never seen the man before so in a day or two after the stranger arrived I asked my neighbor who he was. Oh he said, he is my Wife's brother. He is going to be with us for a time, not too long though he will move on within a few weeks. We had not seen him in about 5 years nor heard from him, he's been living in Florida my neighbor told me. He travels around with his pony from state to state and lives by doing odd jobs for anyone that will hire him. He has no home or car he keeps the pony for carrying the few items he owns, walking along the side of the roads and traveling by foot everywhere he wants to go. He is never in a hurry and camps out in the edge of the woods or a field as he goes. If anyone says anything to him about being on their property he just moves on.
In a few days I met the stranger he had short cropped hair it was warm weather and he wore blue jeans and a shirt. He didn't have much to say, his brother in law my neighbor told me the man don't talk much if anything he will just say hi and keep walking. My Uncle's house needed painting he lived in the same area we did back during that time and he asked our neighbor if maybe his BIL would be willing to paint his house for him. I will ask him he told my Uncle, he's looking for a job now he just does odd jobs he doesn't ever hold down a public job. My neighbor told his BIL about my Uncle's offer to hire him to do some painting and the man said he would be glad to do the job. In a couple of days the stranger was up on a step ladder painting my Uncle's house.
The man took his time but he did a very good job with his painting. He trimmed everything nicely around the windows and doors, one could tell this was not the first time he ever had a paint brush in his hand. When he finished with my Uncle's house my Uncle paid the man and thanked him for the good job he did. A few days later I saw the stranger with a bag in his hand he had walked up town and did a little shopping. My neighbor told me the guy had bought some new blue jeans and a new shirt or two with part of the pay my Uncle gave him for the paint job on his house. The stranger had been around for maybe three weeks or so at that time.
After a few days I missed the stranger and did not see his pony anymore staked out in my neighbors yard. I walked over and asked my neighbor if his BIL was still with them. He told me no, John has moved on he left a few days ago. I asked where is he headed? My neighbor told me he didn't even tell us he was leaving we got up a few mornings ago and he was gone. But no matter that is just the way he is. Every few years he shows up and stays for a few weeks then he moves on. My neighbor said he is probably headed back to Florida for the cold months, he won't stay where the weather is as cold as it gets here. One day John will just show up again more than likely my neighbor told me but it might be years before we see or hear from him again. BTW my neighbor told me, John was in prison once and when he got out he just adopted a wonderer's life not having much to do with anyone and never holding a public job. That is just his way of life and we don't question him about it when he does come for a visit. Some people look down on John and his way of life but he must have had a hard life in prison and he never wants to go back there.
I never saw John again and when I asked my neighbor about him at times he always told me the same thing about the man. Naaa, we haven't seen or heard from John, he is probably okay just living his life the way he desires. We moved away from the Effingham area to another county I saw my neighbor a few times after we moved as I went back to that area to visit my Uncle many times over the years. I often wondered about John and where he was and I still do today, if he is even alive now. That is doubtful because I met the man in the middle seventies and John I would say was in his early forties at the time. Maybe he still lives but if he does he surely isn't leading a pony up and down the roadways like he used to do. The life of a wonderer, it had to be hard but maybe satisfying in a way to a person who desires to do so.
One day a stranger showed up at their house leading a pony. I had never seen the man before so in a day or two after the stranger arrived I asked my neighbor who he was. Oh he said, he is my Wife's brother. He is going to be with us for a time, not too long though he will move on within a few weeks. We had not seen him in about 5 years nor heard from him, he's been living in Florida my neighbor told me. He travels around with his pony from state to state and lives by doing odd jobs for anyone that will hire him. He has no home or car he keeps the pony for carrying the few items he owns, walking along the side of the roads and traveling by foot everywhere he wants to go. He is never in a hurry and camps out in the edge of the woods or a field as he goes. If anyone says anything to him about being on their property he just moves on.
In a few days I met the stranger he had short cropped hair it was warm weather and he wore blue jeans and a shirt. He didn't have much to say, his brother in law my neighbor told me the man don't talk much if anything he will just say hi and keep walking. My Uncle's house needed painting he lived in the same area we did back during that time and he asked our neighbor if maybe his BIL would be willing to paint his house for him. I will ask him he told my Uncle, he's looking for a job now he just does odd jobs he doesn't ever hold down a public job. My neighbor told his BIL about my Uncle's offer to hire him to do some painting and the man said he would be glad to do the job. In a couple of days the stranger was up on a step ladder painting my Uncle's house.
The man took his time but he did a very good job with his painting. He trimmed everything nicely around the windows and doors, one could tell this was not the first time he ever had a paint brush in his hand. When he finished with my Uncle's house my Uncle paid the man and thanked him for the good job he did. A few days later I saw the stranger with a bag in his hand he had walked up town and did a little shopping. My neighbor told me the guy had bought some new blue jeans and a new shirt or two with part of the pay my Uncle gave him for the paint job on his house. The stranger had been around for maybe three weeks or so at that time.
After a few days I missed the stranger and did not see his pony anymore staked out in my neighbors yard. I walked over and asked my neighbor if his BIL was still with them. He told me no, John has moved on he left a few days ago. I asked where is he headed? My neighbor told me he didn't even tell us he was leaving we got up a few mornings ago and he was gone. But no matter that is just the way he is. Every few years he shows up and stays for a few weeks then he moves on. My neighbor said he is probably headed back to Florida for the cold months, he won't stay where the weather is as cold as it gets here. One day John will just show up again more than likely my neighbor told me but it might be years before we see or hear from him again. BTW my neighbor told me, John was in prison once and when he got out he just adopted a wonderer's life not having much to do with anyone and never holding a public job. That is just his way of life and we don't question him about it when he does come for a visit. Some people look down on John and his way of life but he must have had a hard life in prison and he never wants to go back there.
I never saw John again and when I asked my neighbor about him at times he always told me the same thing about the man. Naaa, we haven't seen or heard from John, he is probably okay just living his life the way he desires. We moved away from the Effingham area to another county I saw my neighbor a few times after we moved as I went back to that area to visit my Uncle many times over the years. I often wondered about John and where he was and I still do today, if he is even alive now. That is doubtful because I met the man in the middle seventies and John I would say was in his early forties at the time. Maybe he still lives but if he does he surely isn't leading a pony up and down the roadways like he used to do. The life of a wonderer, it had to be hard but maybe satisfying in a way to a person who desires to do so.
