Wes Coffey
π€ SpeakerAppearances Over Time
Podcast Appearances
It wasn't Papa's.
I knew his hand.
Papa used to blaze property lines with his pocket knife, and he did simple two-slash marks, never shapes.
This was somebody else.
I kept walking.
Found another one about a hundred yards down the path on a maple.
Same shape, same height, same freshness.
And then another one, and another one.
by the time i got back to the cabin i had counted fourteen of them fourteen trees all marked with the same shape all at about chest height all along trails i remembered walking with my grandfather thirty years ago somebody had been walking this land and they had marked it
i called my dad from the end of the driveway where i could get one bar of service i told him what i'd found i told him the stand was gone i told him about the carvings i asked him if papa had ever mentioned any kind of feud with neighbors or any trespassers or anything
He was quiet for a long time.
Then he said, ''Wes, you should come home.''
I said, ''What do you mean come home?''
He said, ''I mean get in your truck and drive home.
Right now.
Today.''
I laughed.
I thought he was joking.
He wasn't.
I could hear it in his voice.