Al Williams had just made a wrong turn. He was on his way home from college and in the driving snow, all roads looked the same. He was familiar with the turns and twists of this Georgia country road, he thought. But, the heavy snow threw him, of course, in his mind’s navigation. Heavy snow in Georgia? No way! Way. It was freaking him out. Everything looked white. And the same. He was puzzled. Then, his truck slid into a deep ditch. Oh no!
He landed somewhat softly and he drew in a deep breath. The truck had cut off and he tried to crank it, without success. He sighed. Closed his eyes and said a prayer. “Oh, Lord, please let me get home for Thanksgiving. They are all waiting on me.” Al was feeling a bit disoriented. He did not know exactly where he was or which way to start out walking. He figured that he was not far from his home. “Well, dagnabbit!” he cried. Then, he laughed. Remembering his cell phone, he grabbed it and punched the on button. A no signal greeted him. “Crap!” he exclaimed. That would figure.
Al sat and thought about what his next move would be. Then, he heard a thump. What in the world was that? A scratching noise came. Eerie. Al thought that his nerves were getting the best of him. Suddenly, a furry feathery blur slid down the windshield of Al’s truck. He screamed. Then, felt very silly. It was a wild turkey. Standing on the hood of his truck. It was a nice gobbler, a long red beard and it was looking right at him. “Gobble, gobble.” it said. Al could not help himself. He laughed. This could not be happening. It was. The turkey gobbled a few more times and flew down off of Al’s truck, landing in the snow, beside the driver’s side window of the truck. I must be delirious, Al thought. He opened the door to his truck and got out. The turkey was still there. Looking at him.
Al started walking towards the turkey and he started walking off. At a fast clip. Al followed him, not knowing why. The turkey seemed to be headed in a certain direction. After a few feet, Al stopped walking. The turkey turned around and looked at him. It had stopped walking, too. The turkey gobbled loudly. Al shook his head in amazement. The turkey craned his neck forward and gobbled again, excitedly. Al laughed. The turkey started walking again and Al followed. Every time Al stopped, the turkey would stop and turn back, gobbling loudly, as if saying “Come on!” Al kept on following, mostly from curiosity. He had been around wild turkeys in his life and had never seen one act like this.
Al followed the turkey for a few miles, through the woods and just when he was about to turn around and head back towards his truck, he heard a faint sound of laughter. That sounded like his mom. He started running towards the sound, forgetting all about the turkey. He soon ran past the turkey and burst out of the woods to find himself in sight of his family home. “Well, I’ll be danged!” he exclaimed. The turkey was still gobbling excitedly somewhere behind him. His mom spotted him and let out a shout. As Al greeted his family, he said “You won’t believe what happened to me!” He told them his story. They laughed. Except for his mom. She said “Al, you were brought home by the Thanksgiving turkey. Your native American roots made sure you got here safely, those ancient spirits. Bless them.” Al shook his head in wonder. He whispered to his mom “I think you are right.”
That Thanksgiving, Al refused to eat any turkey. His mother knew why. His father had a tow truck and went back and towed Al’s truck back to the family farm. As Al got ready to leave, he cranked up his truck. It seemed just fine. As he waved good-bye to his family and drove away, he looked down. In the floorboard, under his gas pedal, was the biggest and most colorful turkey feather he had ever seen. He pulled the truck over and burst into tears. “I don’t care if they believe me, I was saved by the Thanksgiving turkey!” he said. That feather is now tucked into a favorite hat of my dad’s. He tells us this story every year. We only have to look at his face, to believe. Happy Thanksgiving!