The Missing Person

I went for a lovely walk around the hill this morning around 7:00 AM. It started as a run, but I was overzealous and managed to destroy my poor little lungs (they're wretchedly out of shape) by trying to run up Ashton Hill like I was Chris Randolph or something. By the time I was halfway up the hill, my lungs were on fire and I felt decidedly that a walk was a good idea.

And it was delightful! A bit cold, but I really do enjoy looking at all the houses up on the hill, they're all so different from one another...I always end up looking at the ugly modern looking houses and thinking that they must be jealous of the pretty brick tudors and old victorians across the street.

Anyway, I made the decision to end the walk with a stroll through the graveyard that's near campus. I don't know why the idea was compelling, but I went with it anyway and ended up walking though the graveyard listening to Josh Grobans "Lullaby" (Note: Please sing this at my funeral someday, it's a good one). There are lots of big old trees in the yard, and two caught my eye-they were the only trees in bloom and had bright pink flowers on them. The trees were planted on either side of a tombstone, and without really thinking about it, I cut across the grass toward the tombstone, wondering who it was that was buried under those pretty trees.

When I got to the grave, I was sad to see that the grave was marked by one of those big headstones that has room for two names on it - you know, the ones that mark the adjacent graves of a husband and wife, etc? However, only the left side of the grave had an inscription. Victor. The right side was blank. :-( Where was Victor's Sweetheart? Why wasn't she next to him, under their trees? It broke my heart to think of Victor laying there, waiting for his love, who never came to join him.

Victor died in 1929. I have decided that his love - Samantha - died shortly after, and was indeed buried next to him. However, she died during the depression and therefore, her family could not afford to have her name engraved on the tombstone next to his. Instead, they planted two little trees in memory of the couple, and those trees now stand tall over the two of them as they rest - TOGETHER.

I can handle that.

Just in case I'm wrong, I think I'm going to bring Victor flowers sometime soon.