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Paqid The fellow just showed up one day. He was dressed more as a teacher than a farm hand. He stretched out his hand real friendly like and without pause announced his name."Paqid Theodosius Clay, Sir." His hand was free of calluses. I muttered my own name out of some unknown conditioned response. "Herman Gold, and what can I do for you young man?" With out a flinch he responded almost like he had practiced the phrase. "I understand what you folks are doing here and I want to be a part of it." Was this a plant from the cult awareness net work, who would soon find we were no cult or maybe he was a brother I had not met until this moment. I tried to model my answer in order to gain as much information as possible. "Mr. Clay, come in, sit down, Let's talk some. Sister, is there any fresh coffee? Sit right there on the couch and we'll share some, brother. Are you from around here? You married? Got kids? Why listen to me, I am just boiling over with questions..... We're in the living room, sis. Sister Rachel appeared with a tray and three cups of fresh brew. She sweetly announced, "We have cream and honey, most folks pass on the honey though." She found a place at the other end of the couch and gracefully settled herself into the conversation. "Sis, we have the company of this man, Paqid Theodosius Clay, and he says he wants to join us in our efforts here at the Farm. He just received a barrage of my questions but hasn't had a moment to interject his answers. Mr. Clay, would you honor us with your answers?" He sat near the edge of the couch and his face was full of stress. I couldn't tell what it was eating at him, maybe he still carried the weight of Babylon on his shoulders. He had the look of the city folks we'd see from time to time. He took a deep breath and began. "I am from back east near the Appalachians, taught school there, my wife is dead, my kids are with their grandparents. I am more or less a 32 year old bachelor. Restructuring my life and trying to serve the Lord as I can. I read a write up on you folks in the St. Louis Democrat and saw your vision and have been heading here ever since." "Son, that article was over a year ago almost two." "Yes sir, my road hasn't been easy, I had a lot of loose ends to tie up. St. Louis wasn't kind to me. They didn't like my religion, and made up stories, about one of my dear students and I. Had to find cause to cancel my contract. Jane Willis was a good eleventh year student, there was never any thing between us except friendship, she was under a lot of pressure but she never would testify against me. Just the same it was really best for every one for me to resign. That was in March and here we are in June and I am ready to become one of your group. My talents are in teaching and you from what I've heard are a teaching Farm project. My expertise may be in need here." Here stands a thirty two year old man with an unknown pedigree who sees him self a Farm teacher. Hummm "Have you ever done farm work son?" This may shake loose some honest thinking. He nervously fidgeted with something in his pocket and stared near comatose at some nothing on the floor. When he came to him self, he gestured with a sweep of his hand. "No sir, no farm work." He seemed somehow proud of his answer. I looked at Rachel and found her looking at me. Her suspicion must have been the same as mine. "Mr. Clay what is your talent going to do for us? We're pretty simple folk here, work is what we do mostly. You say you want to be a part of us. We like those words fine but we work from sun up till dark, six days a week. Baling, bucking those bales into the barn. Then there's milking, barn cleaning to get fertilizer for the gardens. Gardens, that's another job all by it self. We have goats to tend, hooves need trimming from time to time. Now you may have gotten the wrong idea from that news paper story. We teach by doing the work then every one shares in the bounty. We need strong backed hard working people to build this Farm together and when they learn and as the Lord provides we can begin another Farm project for His people to have enough so as to serve Him and one another." He sat stunned for some moments. Rachel said later he was fighting back tears, but all I saw was a fellow come face to face with reality and no sly trick to avoid it. Wonder what that Mr. Paqid Theodosius Clay is up to these days? YeriYah benAbba
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