Peter Duel, an actor, best known for his role as Hannibal Hayes/Joshua Smith in the western Alias Smith and Jones, committed suicide in December of 1971. He is buried in Penfield in upstate New York in the Deuel family plot. Although I've never been, after reading several accounts of visitors to his gravesite, I imagined how it would be and wrote the following short story:
The Night Visitor
The night is snowy, cold. It is so quiet that I can hear my own footsteps as they crackle and crunch on the snow and ice below.
I come upon what I've been searching for, the large headstone bearing the family name. This made it much easier to find as the surrounding stones of the other family members did not rise above the ground. I am searching for one in particular, but the snow has covered the names as if they should be forgotten.
When I finally do get my bearings and realize which one I'm looking for, I bend down to brush the snow away. I stare at the name on the stone, ready to drop my small bouquet of flowers when a thought stops me.
"Why?" I ask. "Why did you do it? Why didn't someone stop you and if they had tried, why didn't you listen? You were so beautiful, so talented. You had everything to live for and you gave it all up. For what?"
A tear slipped down my cheek, then another. I watch as the salty wetness mingles with the pure snow that threatens to cover the stone again. I finally drop my flowers and linger a moment longer, wishing that I could get an answer to my questions, but I hear nothing but silence.
I stand, tears still falling, never realizing that I could feel this way about someone that I have never met, but would have loved to. What a joy it would have been to know this man personally, to share his happiness, his secrets and his dreams.
I remain a moment longer before I turn to leave, the tears still falling from my eyes, when suddenly a gust of wind grazes my cheek, like a kiss drying my tears.
"Thank you for coming," the wind seems to whisper. "Thank you for loving me."
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