The Vision
The Day Henry Marcum Died
By ©Kathy Bryant Lynch 2002-2003
The day Grandpa died he really felt pretty good and knew everyone and everything. It was a pretty day bur very hot, Sept. 3, 1963. Mama and I got there around 8:00 a.m. He had bedfast since his fall about 3 weeks before out of the back door onto the cement driveway. We went in and told him good morning he was so happy to see us both. I went in to watch tv, mama went about her normal day cooking and washing and cleaning house, in a few minutes he hollered for me.
A dove had landed on his window sill and was kooing. Mama told me to go out and run it off, that is was a sign of death. I did, but before I could get back in the house it was back on the window sill. I kept running it off but it kept coming back kooing and kooing louder each time.
Grandpa called mama in and asked her if she was going to "mow the carpet" that day, that’s what he called running the vacuum sweeper. She said "no, not today". He said I think you better because there will be a house full of people here by 4:00 p.m. They already are gathering. Mama and me looked out all the windows and I went outside, but we neither one saw anyone. But he wouldn’t give up until mama ran the sweeper and dusted the furniture. The dove kept coming. And he kept saying the yard was getting full of people. We never saw anyone. We left around 1:30 p.m. A little earlier than normal to get my school books for my first day of school was to be the next day. I was stating fifth grade.
Eula came to stay with him and grandma. He had ate a good lunch but wanted a cherry coke. Mama went and got it for him. He drank it. I combed his hair which I did everyday and told him school would start tomorrow, but I would come to eat lunch with him. He said he didn’t want me to go to school but be with him.
Mama and me both hugged and kissed him and told him we loved him. His last word to me was "Baby, I Love You", Mama told him she would see him in the morning, he said ok but he asked mama, But do you have the house cleaned up for all the company waiting outside and that will be coming by 4:00? Mama told him the house was clean. The dove was still kooing on the window sill.
We left, he said he wanted to take a nap. Eula went in to wake him about 2:45 p.m. He died peacefully in his sleep. Eula called mama about 3:00 p.m. I answered the telephone and she said tell your mama daddy’s gone and hung up the phone. I remember it like yesterday. We went right back to grandpa’s. By 4:00 p.m. the house was full of people just like he said it would be and the dove was gone. God as my witness this is a true story.
By Kathy Bryant Lynch
Henry Marcum’s granddaughter
