I had so many questions. How could have that really happened? If that happened how was he still alive? This version of the story wasn't as embellished as the other stories about how he lost this eye. Like the one where he got into a knife fight with Al Capone. Or the one where he got into a fistfight over Amelia Earhart with her husband. What the hell?
Grandpa must have seen all the questions and doubt in my eye and spoke up. "You don't believe me do you?"
"Well, it is a lot like the other stories you have told me. While they are good, I don't believe them either."
"I don't blame you. The truth is hard to believe until you see it with your own eye." He grinned widely taking a drink from his glass.
"From here on it gets harder to believe and by no small amount."
"So, I picked myself up and make my way back to where we had set up camp. Gone. No not gone, nothing. It was like we had never been there. I headed towards where I thought the closest village would be. I was right. The people seemed scared of me, but they were nice, but they gave me a few traveling supplies. Now and then they would glance at me like something was wrong though." He finished the glass.
"I left the village and followed their directions to the next village. Which were completely wrong it took me much longer to get to then they said it would. The river that I was following had dried up, and I was very thirsty. The town was there but not a soul was in it. I found the town well pulled up the rope. It had no bucket on the end. I searched around but no bucket to be found. Well, I figured out how to get water out of the well. I refilled my canteen and left the next day." Silence filled the moment.
"After that, the stars started lying to me and I got very lost. They shifted randomly and of their own free will. I had long since run out of the water, again. But I kept moving one step at a time for a long time." I looked at him. He seemed even more tired than before.
"Remember that dream I said I had? Well, it was coming true now. A never-ending tree that even the tallest the fattest tree in our world would count as a mere sprout. The leaves were multi-colored and the color itself loved them. Each leaf wanted to show itself off. I trudged toward the tree for a long time. The thirst grinding into my bones."
"I just kept moving one foot in front of the other. Then without even knowing how I was at the base of the tree. There was a well there. I pulled the rope and a bucket lifted out. I drank my fill and went to sleep." He stared at his glass as if wishing it contained more whiskey.
