There he was... in the Appalachians .............
The huge wooden buildings were set in close with the overgrown Forest.......
Who ever designed and built the structures had in mind lots of light.....
Sky lights, Windows and doors...... were everywhere....
Apparently the enemy over the years was Leakage.........
Great idea he thought to himself but now everything was rotten wet and moulding ... a non repairable mess.... of what once was quite the place.........
He went into the local do drop inn.......... not far away....... down the road ' a piece'
Damn if people there weren't friendly as Hell.......
He had wondered why in the World would you ever want to live up here?
Maybe he was finding out...........
The Girl started singing........... boy she hit home......... she sang.......
"Since you've been gone I've been Thinking........ Whats longer then you and shorter then me?"
an older woman pulled up a chair to the table he was sitting at.... and there was conversation going on at the adjoining table... on about so and so needing a place to park her camper for a while... NO Problem plenty of ROOM.... so and so has a spot over down below Clarks Ridge... with lots of good clean Drinking water....... she'll be fine there for a while......
He was explaining to the woman sitting at the table with him how where he came from the people had grown hard and Calloused..... and everyone had P.T.S.D........ as he began to tear up........
Here the people really liked Ketchup... never set the bottle on the floor he was Scolded by her.... and they all wore threadbare shoes..........
Happy as Shit ..... tapping their feet to the music as the Girl Sang.... her Lament of having left from down there...... and it's Folly.....
The Catchy Refrain.... was clear as day.... " Since you've been gone ; what's longer then me and shorter then you?'
and... "Since you've been gone and I'm living in Tennessee..."
He went into conversation once again as she sang the refrain... with the lady explaining how where he had come from folks had grown and become Hard and Calloused.... it was release therapy.... Cathartic .......
and he observed: The Peoples those mountain Folk Seemed to know about the way it used to be......
They seemed overall... warmer and to care more for one another... and there was clean water around clean enough to drink.......
Maybe his opinion was changing?
and where he had come from was the fucked up place.......
A chain of harsh Islands...... That they always have been...
Collecting ... only Certain Sorts........ like a Ferrous Magnet... drawing in.... or repelling...
With all the best of intentions......... of Course...... Either way.........
