Date: Sun, 29 Sep 2013 13:48:03 -0400
From: “N.A. Booko”
Subject: Tales of Old Hyway 64: In a Pine Grove . . .
I live on a section of old hyway 64- Built in 1921 and abandoned 1942. Portions of it are still intact, winding in and out of properties between Pittsboro and Siler City. It is asphalt and 20 feet wide . .
In 1974 I built along one side that highway, using it as the driveway to my new Antiques shop. It was customary, if time permitted, after lunch, to take a walk down to the modern 64 hyway, a distance of maybe 400 feet. Just before the driveway tuned to go down to that highway, there was a stand of very large pines, clearly visible from the front of our shop. On one particular summer day, I was just a little ahead of my partner getting out to the driveway. It was beautiful day, sunny, not too hot, almost perfect.
As I waited for my partner, I glanced down to the bend in the road, toward the pine grove. To my astonishment I saw a bearded man, wearing a plaid shirt, standing in the openings between the trees. Nothing exceptional, except that from the knees down, he did not exist- as in spirit or ghost. I heard the shop door close behind my partner- as I hastened to tell him to look, the man disappeared. Vanished- just as quickly as he had materialized.
I pondered the experience. The ‘man’ was too far away to actually recognize as someone I might know or had known. A few weeks went by, a letter arrived from a friend I had not seen in eight years or so- I was surprised about the eastern N.C. return address on the envelope- (He normally lived in the western part of the state) He was at the beach. He went on to say that several weeks prior he had been seriously ill and near death- not able to care for himself, etc. He included a photograph- and tho I had never seen him with one before, he had a beard. I have never heard from him since . .
N.A. Booko