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Part 2.....now where'd I leave off...oh yes...fist day of hearing him play.....

He was lying there on that bank, didn't know what to do, felt as if I's intruding on someone's private time that he needed to be alone. But for some reason I couldn't leave him just now, what if he was to pass out or die or something....yeah what if he did, I didn't want to be here iffin he did...but still I couldn't leave...

Wasn't long he sat up, wipes his eyes on his sleeve and gathered his stuff up, looked up to heaven and mumbled something, shook his head and started up the path to his shack...My leg gave way and I feel on the ground and he turned around and looked..I ducked down as far as I could till he turned back around and up that trail he went..

Soon as I knew for sure he was gone I took off running home,just in time to do my chores fore ma and pa got home...

Every evening after that i'd go down just enough to see iffin I could hear him and iffin I did i'd go down and get in my usual spot and listen..i'd close my eyes and pretend he was singing and playing just for me..once I did see him stand up and lean over like he was bowing to the crowd..which there was none but for me and i's so sly, for sure he didn't know I was there.

Ma asked me once boy what do you do every evening out back at the creek, and I said ah nothing just messin around.. And pa spoke up well you best leave that ole' Kelly place alone, don't go near it...man's crazy folks round town say..just don't go no where near that shack..and I say's oh pa..you know I want no trouble...pa said well you better now cause i'll for sure tan your hide iffin you do...so I kept what i've found out to's myselp...

I must have been day dreamin at school cause my 4th grade teacher scared me when she touched my arm ,asked me if I was asleep and I said naw just thinkin..at lunch she came and sat down beside me and asked if I had some problem I needed to talk about...so I asked her iffin she knew ole' man Kelly . She sat back a bit took a deep breath and said...well I only know of what i've heard, don't think folks give him the respect he deserves since none of em' really know him...I heard he moved here from another state..his ma was Cherokee Indian and of course his pa was a white man..Kelly and his wife lived together with his ma, pa and 2 brothers, and they had 3 kids..the girls were 6 and 4, the baby boy was about 8 months.

Well, they had this kerosene cook stove and one of the brothers had poured the kerosene out of the can, she kept on the porch for cooking and put gasoline in it for the lawn mower..

When she went to light the stove it blew up and caught the house on fire..they got her out, but they couldn't hold her, she broke loose and went back in to get the kids...the 2 girls were gotten out and taken to the hospital but died during the night. the fire was too strong ,they never got her or the baby out. All the other adults were in town working...

They went to stay in town with relatives till they found another place to live, it was told that Kelly didn't sleep or eat for weeks and still wore the shirt and overalls with the soot and burns on it from trying to get everyone out...poor man wasn't right since that day...

He don't have no friends and when he does go to town, he has a sack over his back to put his supplies in..everyone makes fun of him when they see him..he acts like he don't even see em' just keeps on walkin..iv'e even seen some of the kids throw rocks at him and he don't even flinch...

Wish I was brave enough to try and talk to him but don't want to spook him off, this music is too good, he may never play again iffin he knows someone is watching...so here I come to listen to Ole' Kelly's heart sing....

ok, i'll be back later and begin part 3......

****note ***** the part of the fire and his ma being cherokee is true, in the exact order it was written, the names were not given, but is on record in the city hall of the town it happened in...the day ole' Kellys spirit and soul died......

thanks for reading my story so far, hope you have enjoyed..more tomorrow....as my mind remembers.... thanks glyn