In my early years I was raised in Central Florida. Baptized Catholic and was even an alter boy for several years.
When I was about five years old (1957), a young fellow I knew was riding his bicycle on the bank of a small creek near Titusville. He became missing. The neighborhood eventually went to red alert and everybody was out looking for him. When I heard that he was on his bicycle I immediately got on mine and started searching all the areas we had ever rode and explored together. It was near dark when I came across the creek-side trail and saw one of his handlebars sticking up out of the tea colored water in the stream. Shouting my lungs out with no avail, I rode home and told his parents that I had found his bike in the creek and where it was. Law Enforcement, Fire and Rescue, all amassed and well, it was determined my friend had been eaten by a large alligator in the creek.
I was deeply sad, and that turned to rage, anger and hate for this reptilian monster, all of them. I fashioned all sorts of plans for his demise, created weapons and made traps. I had nightmares for months waking up my parents with the screaming. Finally they took me into the church for counseling. Nobody in this religious group could offer me any logical reason why the good lord would allow this to happen to my friend.
Another couple weeks passed and I had a very vivid dream. A giant alligator, the size of a dinosaur, had stalked me and was standing in my front yard sniffing and snorting me out. In my dream state I found some high explosives and quietly crept out the back door of the house circling the giant reptilian from behind. I attached the explosives to his rear leg with some twine, lit the fuse and ran like a bat out-a-yahhotie into the house diving under my bed. Soon there was a thunderous explosion and I awoke. My bed was saturated with perspiration. As I opened my eyes a flash of lightening struck nearby charging through my bedroom with a brilliant dazzle of cold blue reflections. I smiled. "Wow", I said to myself, "that was a great dream!"
THEN ANOTHER BRILLIANT FLASH OF LIGHTNING, and saw a huge figure of an ancient native, standing next to the window with his arms folded. He smiled at me before the room darkened and I relaxed hearing his low assuring voice. He said, "Welcome my friend, to these forests and lands. I am, Alligator, a warrior from long ago and I have felt your heart in the forests. I was beside you in your dream."
I shrank down, sinking into my bed, eyeballs peeping from the sheets as another flash of lightning confirmed he was still there. "Wha…whhy are you here?" I asked. "To let you know that your friend is safe with me. You do not understand the ways of nature, nor her forests, and this has been your first lesson." he replied. "OK", I said, "Thank you, but I still don’t understand why?" Tears were beginning to well up under my eyes but I held them back.
The ancient Indian Spirit moved closer to me in the darkness. I could smell the musk of his skin and see a streetlight reflect off the muscles in his giant right arm. Yet this was somehow comforting as he moved nearer to me.
He continued. "Young warrior, your friend drowned in the stream attempting to rescue his fallen metal ride." " He was very frightened and alone as he crossed into the next life. I came to his heart and cries that bubbled up from the waters and saw it was his time to cross from world to world. Now he is with my people, safe and warm."
I managed to gulp and get a "Huh Huh" out of my throat.
And he continued again. "The alligator was dispatched by me to hold your friends spirit until he was found. It is the alligators nature."
There was another deafening resound of thunder and brilliant flash of light and he was gone.
When I got out of bed the next morning my Mother brought me breakfast at the table. I was drowsy from lack of sleep. Then she started scolding me, screeching, telling me to never go by any creeks or water in the jungle without her or dad with me. She brought me this news paper and said "See, look at this horrible beast they pulled from that creek!"
I studied the picture for a moment. They had the gator hung up by its right rear leg, a good size gator about 15 feet long. It was missing its left rear leg. I thought for a moment, reflected on my dream, then on the vision. I said, "Mom that’s the gator that ate my friend."
She asked how I could surmise it was THAT gator. I said, "it was" "I just know, believe me."
Then I said calmly to Mom, "To bad they had to kill the gator, why couldn’t they just have moved it to some place safer? It was just doing what was natural." My Mother looked at me and just shook her head mumbling my name over and over again and saying that kid has to go back to counseling.
As it turned out, it was the gator, his family had piece in knowing.
I never went back to that Catholic Church or any other for that matter.
John Muir stood in my mind, in the place of the Pope. I have been a student of nature ever since.
40 Years hence, while studying and researching in Cassadaga Florida, I discover the following information;
Title: ALLIGATOR
Location: City Park on Marion Street.
County: Columbia
City: Lake City
Description: Originally called Alpata Telophka, or Alligator Town, this site was a Seminole village, ruled by the powerful chief, "Alligator", an instigator of the Dade Massacre, which began the great Seminole War of 1835. Following the cessation of hostilities, a white settlement sprang up on the site of the old Seminole village and became known simply as Alligator. Prior to the War Between the States, the name was changed to Lake City.
This story is public domain, in honor of the Great Chief Alligator who once stood at my side.
Rev. Will Sheephogan ( sheaphogan@air-internet.com) 2002
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