My Dad the Storyteller

    One of my father’s unique talents, to this day, still amazes me. He was a musician, a comic, and an impersonator. However, his talent as a storyteller was exceptional. To me, he was the greatest storyteller that ever lived. He had the ability to capture a story in such a way that kept my sisters and I fascinated to the end.
    On those long cold winter evenings, we would gather around the old wood stove and wait for our father to entertain us with one of his many stories. Nevertheless, before he set in motion one of his stories; he always made a big production of deterring the event. Back then we did not have the modern convinces of electricity, heat, or water. One of our chores consisted of hauling firewood and buckets of water inside before sunset. My dad’s delaying tactics were to see if there was enough firewood to last through the night. He would stir the fire in the wood stove with much ado. Later, I caught on to the fact that it was a ploy to build up our expectation. Eventually, one of my younger sisters would say, “Daddy, hurry!” None of his stories had a title, but we could identify a tale by the scenario. My favorite was about two elderly couple, a young boy and his little sister. While the children were out picking blackberries for their mother, they happen to stray far from the berry patch and got lost. In their attempts to find their way back home, they wondered upon a house that belonged to an elderly couple. The elderly couple are not what they seem. The story is full of adventure and suspense and has a successful conclusion.
    My dad knew how to capture and hold his audience. He knew how to stir a little girl’s imagination by the dramatics he presented in his narrations. He had the proclivity to bring his stories to life by sound effects. Since he was an excellent impersonator of sounds, he brought the story to life. Each character had a personality with distinct voices. If a person knocked on a door, he actually captured the sound. My favorite sound effect was the sound of a horse or horses walking or running. Most of his stories were about animals that talked. As unique as his stories were, they were always about good versus evil or a lesson about right or wrong.
    Although my father was never famous, his legacy will live on through his children and grandchildren. No too long ago, I was very pleased to learn that he would also entertain his grandchildren with his stories. I regret that my three sons will never have the privilege of listening to this great storyteller, however, they do know of his special talent for I am always reminiscing to them of what a unique storyteller he was. To me he was and always will be the greatest storyteller that ever lived.

Leona M. Mars