If These Walls Could Talk...

A man and woman, followed by a construction worker, approached a decrepit barn. The man had thin sideburns and an anchor beard to go along with his slicked back hair. The breeze slightly ruffled his fancy three-piece suit and he stayed on the gravel driveway to avoid getting dirt on his polished shoes. The woman also wore business attire with a knee-length skirt. Her glasses had a bead leash, and her hair was fitted into a tightly wound bun. She carefully walked next to the man staying on the gravel as well.

“Glad I switched out of heels this morning,” the woman commented. The man laughed while the construction worker took off his hard hat and inspected the barn.

“This is the one I take it?” the worker asked.

“This is the one,” the man responded.

The barn creaked in the wind. Vines had crept up the back and onto the roof, making it resemble thinning hair on a bald head. The boards all around were at various stages of rot. Numerous boards became warped with time and gave the sides a wrinkled look. The doors to the two second-story windows on either side of the front wall barely held on to their hinges, offering the resemblance of bags under one’s eyes. One of the side walls had collapsed and nature was well on its way inside. The structure eyed the worker as he returned to the couple.

“Looks like it hasn’t been taken care of for quite some time. This thing is a hazard,” the worker commented.

“When we bought the property, we were told this was the oldest building in town,” the woman offered.

“It’s a shame to see what’s become of it. Imagine what it’s been through,” the man added. “We don’t even know how old it is exactly.”

But the barn knew. Today was its birthday and it remembered what it had been through. It remembered.

~~~

Dozens of people in hand-sewn clothing, many in straw hats, moved in and out of the freshly constructed barn before meeting up in the front. One man held up a hammer and beckoned forth someone from the small group of people wearing deerskins. The hammer was passed off and he pointed to the final nail to be set. The nail was struck, and everyone cheered. The two shook hands while the man in a straw hat laughed cheerfully before hugging all those who helped. The new and much needed barn was complete. Animals were guided to their new living quarters and equipment was stowed for safe keeping. The air flowed freely inside as the barn took its first breath.

~~~

A little girl was walking around inside the barn, throwing small pellets for the chickens. The cow let out a loud cry and the girl checked on the animal. The girl screamed for her papa who quickly ran out from the farmhouse with her mama. It wasn’t long before her papa was assisting the cow in birthing another calf. The barn proudly protected the growing family inside.

~~~

A cannon shot rang across the plains. The family had grown and passed through a couple generations. The woman of the house watched the red army and blue army become masked behind clouds of smoke in the distance. She returned to the barn and helped her daughters tend to a few wounded men of either force. Her husband and son brought back water which was used to clean wounds and rags. No life would be lost under this roof.

~~~

Two men on horses chatted with the descendent and new head of the farm. The owner shook his head and turned to allow the two men to approach the barn, now coated with a fine red paint. The sun danced overhead and cast a shadow making the barn seemingly glare at the two strangers. They entered the barn and searched each stall. They moved hay bales and checked the granary. After a while they mounted their horses, tipped their hats, and rode away. That night, a hidden floorboard gently lifted, and three dark skinned stowaways crept out of the barn. Any help the barn can offer, it bestowed.

~~~

Dozens of people gathered for a wedding. The elderly couple hugged as they watched their only daughter dance and celebrate the night away. People cheered, drank, locked arms, and stomped. The next morning, the bride would leave with her new husband to start their own adventure. The barn housed far more than animals now. It housed cherished memories.

~~~

A horrid wind swept across the plains. Lightning struck and hail plummeted. Lanterns could be seen moving around inside the house until they suddenly vanished, and a dark pillar of wind wrought destruction. The house was in the way. When morning came, the barn did not go untouched, but it fared far better than the house. The barn had four walls while the house had none. Neighbors salvaged the animals and for the first time, the barn was alone.

~~~

Many years had gone by and the barn stood stoically on the property, unbothered but also unkept. An oak tree started growing next to the barn and had grown sixty feet high by the time a family showed interest in the land. Before long a new house was being constructed and some sort of four-wheeled vehicle was being backed into the barn. The husband would enter the barn regularly, sometimes with his child not far behind, and work on the vehicle. Lamps were sometimes used for the long nights while they shared stories and fixed the vehicle. It was a new, but welcome, experience for the barn. It held life again.

~~~

The mother took pictures of her son posing with his date next to the fully restored vehicle. The picture rolled out of the camera, and she offered it to her husband while it developed. The boy’s sister watched from her tire swing on the oak tree while the vehicle fired up and they drove off in the direction of the school. The barn played its part in this day and watched the proud parents savor the moment.

~~~

Another storm roared overhead. Rain drenched the area and the wind rattled the barn. It had grown weaker over time but held its ground. Lightning split the sky and assaulted the oak tree. A string of fire appeared but didn’t last long and neither did the tree. The next big gust and the tree cracked and swayed considerably. It crumbled into the barn and decimated the wall. When the damage was inspected, the mother shook her head in disappointment while the husband cleared the tree debris with a chainsaw. The barn was relieved to be free of the tree, but the family couldn’t afford much beyond that.

~~~

The daughter of the previous generation was elderly now and watched from her porch as someone hammered a “For Sale” sign into the lawn. The barn lay unused and victim to the vegetation. There had not been anyone who could spare the time or energy for the barn. She peered over to the barn with melancholic eyes. She looked over photos from the years gone by. Her family’s move-in day, her father and brother working in the barn and her brother’s prom departure were only a glimpse of what took place here. The property was not on the market for very long before the formal couple purchased it and came to inspect their new claim.

~~~

The loud engine and beeping of the construction worker’s demolition vehicle sounded as he brought it into position. He turned off the vehicle and approached the couple to inspect the barn one last time.

“I can start now if you don’t mind. We have a vehicle on the way to haul away the debris.”

“Sounds good to me,” the woman responded. “I’ve already drawn up plans for the new building.”

“I can’t wait to see what we can do with this land,” the man stated. The construction worker nodded to them in agreement and climbed back into the vehicle with the large claw and reached for the ignition.

The breeze picked up once more and swelled within the barn. It creaked and ached as the wind was exhaled from the front door. The worker, man and woman paused to look at the barn. There was a moment of suspense before the side wall fell inwards, followed by a collapsing roof and back wall. The front wall swayed for a moment before following the rest of the structure, falling backwards. The motion caused the second-story doors to swing and cover the windows as it found its final resting place.

The witnesses covered their eyes until it was over. A small dust cloud passed by, and they swept their clothing free of it. The barn’s time was over, but it was okay with that.

It lived a good life.