Remembering Benjamin

Our families met at church years ago.  There were seven of their children at that time and two of us.  I was around four or five when we met, but most of my memories don't start until around eight or nine years of age.  By that time there were probably nine children on their side, but the oldest two were at college.

I'd almost forgotten the time he locked Janel, Abigail (his sister) and me in our old semi trailer.  He coaxed us in, then he got out, closed and locked the door and walked away leaving us banging on the door.  I don't remember how long we were in there before someone came to our rescue and became our new hero of the day.

There was the time when we children were outside walking along the electric fence when he told Janel that if she touched the fence, she would not get shocked because she was wearing rubber boots.  ". . . but if you touch it and put your other hand on the ground you'll get shocked."  I don't remember if she did it or not.   

I look outside and see the Bale King hay wagons that we played in.  We had a real door, old shower curtains for walls and even had a swing in our 'house'.  After we were done 'building' our house, we decided to play Jews and Nazis.  Benjamin was the Nazis that came to our house (uninvited and unannounced) dressed in his whole camouflage uniform, complete with a big flashlight.  "I am here to search your house.  I have reason to believe you are hiding Jews." He said with a German accent so good it changed the whole atmosphere.  That six foot something enemy questioned us up one wall and down the next as to how many people lived in that house, the ages of the dwellers, where everyone was, etc. all while shining that flashlight all around our humble abode.  The amateur actors had never been interrogated like this before and were not sure how to respond to this intruder.  We may have been shaking in our boots a little due to the challenging reality of keeping the Jews hidden, yet I think we all were enjoying the thrill of playing at a whole new level!  Not all of our little actresses were home to be questioned, so our visitor made himself at home in our hammock, pulled out his mouth harp and played a tune or two while he waited for the little 'Anne Franks" to arrive.

L-R Top: Abigail, Benjamin, Amanda (another friend) Bottom: Me, Janel

When Lance Corporal Drake returned from boot camp, we jogged in a field after dark, with our commander calling out Marine choruses while leading the way.  We're trying to keep up to the best of our female ability when he looks back and says "You coming?"  That was the same night we got to shoot his guns into the bank of the manure pit.  (The same manure pit that we went boating in a few years earlier. Benjamin rocked the boat a little as he threw old eggs into the air and tried to hit them with an oar.)
It was around that time when he and Abigail came over one night and we made chicken noodle soup.  With a Hershey's chocolate bar in it.  After supper we played Pit around the table.

I can't leave out the time all of us children went to the woods and built a little fort, complete with a blue tarp for a roof.  Benjamin had taken the chain saw and skid loader out to cut some wood for dad.  At one point when he was on the skid loader he was backing up when he realized the back of the loader was being elevated above the front of the loader.  With there being no hills around this part of the state, his curiosity got the better of him. He turned around to see that he was driving up a tree as he backed up.
Mom was going to have beef stew over a fire that night.  Benjamin asked if we could have the fire in the woods and cook supper over out there.  (Don't worry. It had recently rained so everything was quite wet.  Your blood pressure can return to normal now.)  Benjamin told us to "Go over there, I'll tell you when you can come."  We obeyed our elder and kept ourselves busy in a different area of the woods.  After a few minutes something caught Abigail's attention as well as mine.  We looked over to where Benjamin was, just in time to see a large poof of healthy fire eating up the oxygen in front of the newly made fort.  We rushed over only to have Benjamin meet us half way there as the fire died down to a nice little picturesque campfire size.  "What are you doing?!" We asked.  "Don't worry." He assured us, "Everything's under control."  "What made that 'poof' sound? How did you get it started with everything being wet?" We questioned further. "I added a little gasoline and it started. Everything's fine." The soup was good and everything was fine.

But as of last week, all I have left are memories of Benjamin.  It was a complete shock to me because I didn't know how much pain he was in.  Our families have not been as close over the past few years due to children growing up, going to college or getting married.  I didn't really know the military Benjamin, but they say war changes people and I don't question that at all.  My world has been shaken because a childhood brother-like friend is gone and all I have left are these fond and fun memories.  I will forever remember those times as I try to move on in life and trust that the Lord will somehow use this for His glory.

Hershey soup

 So long Benjamin.  You will be greatly missed.