9One More roof

The venerable gentlemen of the community were always addressed as "Mr." They could have been the town laborer, the artisan or the merchant, but once they reached the age of senior gentleman they were all given the same courtesy and respect. During their working career they may have been referred to as Joe, Jake, Hank, Louie or whatever, but at that certain age they would become Mr. The age was not defined, it just happened.

There was a group of elderly gentlemen who were referred to as "Dad", never when you addressed them but a term that differentiated between the elder and the son. There were several cases in which the son was a grandfather and would soon become one of the "Mr." class.

One such elderly gentleman had always appeared old to me from when I first remembered him. Mr. Longfield, fondly referred to as "Dad" Longfield, was a smallish man with a thin beard, and walked with two canes. He was still working at his trade, a finishing carpenter, when I was three and we first moved to town. Years went by, and then you would only see the old gentleman on nice days. He would walk the mile to town, but one of his sons would have to drive him home.

Mr. Longfield was in his 80s when my father built a hatchery. This was a low building about 24 feet by 40 feet, with a low-pitched roof. There were only a few buildings of this type in the town and this was the first to be constructed in several years.

The men were on the roof nailing the asphalt roofing in place and sealing the joints. The ladder was at the end of the building and the sound of hammers indicated work was in progress.

"Tap, Tap, Tap" came the sound of a person walking very carefully along the roof from the ladder end. Suddenly everyone looked up and there with his two canes, standing very steady, was "Dad" Longfield. He was smiling and showing all the signs of having just accomplished a great feat. He had come about 20 feet along the ridge of the roof, and for a man who walked as slowly as he was accustomed to, this was an accomplishment. He looked around, surveyed his position, and announced to those present: "I wanted to walk on one more roof before I died."

It wasn't as easy getting him down the ladder, but with the help of two men he was at last brought back to earth. His day was complete. He had built many houses in the area, and shingled the steep roofs. But to climb a ladder and walk on one more low roof when in his 80s was an event to be cherished.

Mr. Longfield passed away the following spring, and I still remember him as the little old man with the two canes looking so very pleased on the ridge of the roof.
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