The Civil War Statue Who Cried

Old Man Jimmy was the university's groundskeeper for over a decade, and his work was one of the most praised in the nation – though often, it was uncredited. Throughout his years of work, the university received widespread recognition for its beautiful campus. This encouraged many visitors from prospective students to curious travelers to tour the grounds and admire the aesthetic foliage that decorated the campus on every corner. The dean never hesitated to showcase Old Man Jimmy's work at every opportunity, and rewarded the groundskeeper well for every year the university was recognized for having one of the most beautiful campuses in the country.

No one would ever expect that one of the best salaries in the university (and possibly the state) belonged to the position of the head groundskeeper. Those who knew were Old Man Jimmy, the dean, and the rest of the groundskeeping crew who kept quiet about the opportunity as they eagerly awaited Old Man Jimmy's retirement in hopes of being promoted to his position. These gardening veterans knew that when the time came, it would be none other than Old Man Jimmy who would choose which crew member would be promoted to take his place. And so forth, the crew members toiled away each year to perfect their craft in order to appease Old Man Jimmy's expectations.

To everyone's surprise, it seemed Old Man Jimmy never wanted to retire. One would think that at seventy-six years old, the head groundskeeper would be more than happy to spend his remaining years living in the comfort of wealth and relaxation. However, Old Man Jimmy was no ordinary man. Ever since he was young, he always prided himself in his gardening skills and always had a green thumb. He relished dedicating his time to sow the seeds, nurture the buds, and watch his plants grow and bloom. Transforming the university's campus into a haven of trees, shrubbery, and flowers from around the world was his life's work. He was passionate about how he designed and arranged the flora of the gardens – and he knew very few shared his enthusiasm.

Another predicament the grounds crew faced was the sparks of controversy that was amidst the university and its Southern history – specifically its affiliation with the Confederacy during the Civil War. Throughout the last few years, the university made changes to provide a more accommodating environment for diversity and inclusion: changing the school mascot, altering the names of academic buildings, and even initiating ideas to change the state flag that flew over the campus. Old Man Jimmy never minded the changes as he felt his ancestors, who endured slavery in plantations centuries ago, would find comfort in the progression. However, he felt differently when it came to the most recent proposal to tear down an old Confederate soldier memorial statue that stood at the center of campus.

Everyone associated with Old Man Jimmy was puzzled as can be. The grounds crew could hardly understand why their leader would ever want to keep it around, let alone intact. But no argument would sway Old Man Jimmy, whether it regarded the statue's racist history, dark representation of Southern heritage, or placeholder for white supremacy – he would merely shake his head at his bewildered comrades. While many students, staff, and town residents called for the statues' removal or destruction, Old Man Jimmy disagreed – leaving everyone flabbergasted at how a black man his age could ever support the statue. After all, they reasoned, surely he must have experienced the full force of discrimination during the Civil Rights era; surely, his ancestors must have endured enslavement at the hands of the Confederacy.

Regardless of Old Man Jimmy's skin color or family history, he had his reasons for wanting to preserve the monument – though no one would ever be able to guess or figure it out.

It all started years ago during the university's off-season where all the students were home for the holidays and the staff also took their leave to prepare for the upcoming curriculum. While everyone was away, Old Man Jimmy used this time to spruce up the main portions of campus that were normally populated. Without anyone in his way, the head groundskeeper could finally perform his work and maintain the garden in peace. However, there was another challenge to overcome: working around the squirrels who scurried about rapidly, dropping acorns on his head and digging holes in the ground where the caretaker would be trying to plant new flowers. Old Man Jimmy sighed at the predicament and scratched his head while thinking of how he could temporarily scare them off.