Indiana Jones at the buffet
Well, I saw Indiana Jones today at Old Country Buffet! Just kidding. What I really saw was this very interesting old man sitting at a table, all alone. He looked as if he had an interesting story to go along with him. He wore hiking-shoes, with tan khakis and a button-down shirt. Maybe others would've passed him up as just another old guy, but I saw a story! So, here's what I came up with about him:
His name was Jacob. In his younger days, he always dreamed of adventure. Battleing against the enemy, being a brave knight, wandering the Sahara and making it out alive. That was what he wanted to do. So, at the age of 18, the long-awaited day had come. He finally joined up with the army. Of course, he had opposition from his parents, so on the night of his 18th birthday, he snuck out of the house through his bedroom window, and slipped away into the darkness. But the army wasn't what he thought it would be. Sure, it was tough. It was grueling. But he made many close friends. He loved them like brothers, and swore that he would die for them. He almost got his wish. Finally the day came when he was called upon to fight. And fight he did. He fought until all hope of survival was like a dimmly-lit memory; and the memory was slowly fading. Finally, he collapsed upon the ground; first one leg, then the other. One of the Japs had hit him in the chest. Darkness took him.
When he woke up, there was a pretty nurse cleaning his wound. She told him that the rest of his company had died. He was the last one left, and even that was a miracle from above. "You were hit only 4 inches from your heart. It's good I found you when I did. A few more hours and you wouldn't have made it, either." she said. His simple reply was a humble "Thank you."
He showed no emotion until she was gone, and the rest of the wounded men from the other companies were asleep. But when there was no other sound, he wept. He wept until there were no tears left to cry. For what good were tears, when you feel as if your heart is being ripped out of your chest, and your life is closing in around you?
He stayed in that field hospital for about 2 months. In that time, he got to know his nurse fairly well. Her name was Elizabeth, and she was only one year younger than him. When it was finally time for him to leave, they both promised to write. It would be many long years before he ever heard from her again.
He was finally on his way home! The deaths of his men still weighed heavily on him, but he had decided that he'd had all the adventure he wanted to handle. But when he returned home, the looks were less--much less--than what he had expected. Sure, the town welcomed him home as any town would. They now had something to be proud of: a real-life hero. But there was one thing they were reluctant to tell him.
While he was gone, his childhood home had burnt to the ground, and his father had been trapped inside. Luckily, his mother survived. A month after the ordeal, though, his mother passed away from a sudden stroke.
The next week was a nightmare for him. People came from all around to offer him their condolences, when all he wanted to do was be alone with his grief. He hadn't even said goodbye to them. "It wasn't supposed to be like this," he thought. "If anyone was going to die, it should've been me. It should've been me." Those four words haunted him, waking him in the night from death-like sleeps.
After enough time had passed, he decided to leave Claiborne, Alabama. There was nothing left for him there. He decided to go to Africa. It was far away from his old home, and he hoped he could start newer, happier memories there.
That's how he got started in archaeology. In school, he'd always loved history. And what better way to have adventure and memories than traveling through Africa, digging up real, live history for others to learn about and enjoy?
He made many discoveries, and many new friends. Uganda, Sudan, Kenya, Ethipia, Chad. He visited them all, and made numerous discoveries that made his name quite well-known in archaeology-society. So well-known, in fact, that the name traveled to a pretty woman, only one year his younger, named Elizabeth, who was doing relief work for the children. She just happened to be in a village very nearby his dig site. While there, they became close friends, yet again. Their friendship turned to a deep respect, and respect bloomed into love. They were married the next year by a village chieftaine, and had many happy years together, sharing adventure after adventure.
Finally, they decided to settle down. Their bones were starting to long for peace. They returned to America, and settled down where Elizabeth's family was - in Indiana. They lived quietly for some time. But one night, Elizabeth passed away in her sleep. For a while, Jacob just barely survived without her. He finally came to terms with himself, though, and now lives in the same house where Elizabeth was raised.
Against all odds, Jacob has turned out to be a quiet man, observing those around him. He admires all the young lovers, and smiles upon all the elderly couples, imagining himself and Elizabeth being in their sheos. He waits for the Lord to take him home, so that he may once again embrace Elizabeth and express his love for his family for eternity.
