City people don't question things they think are normal. I innocently called the electric company I thought was closest. They sent me on a 5 day calling frenzy that had me circling most of three counties trying to get someone to take my deposit. Finally someone decided to quit playing ball with my brain and said electric to Kanawha was provided by Lamar COOP not Bagota. Bagota may well be a front for the mob! But most likely they just wanted to see how many times I would dial someone else before I gave up and I can tell you after 12 I was still dialing but they tired of the game.
Bagota 1 Kanawha 0
I called Lamar Electric COOP and they could find no previous account for the store. I stuttered around and gave them the last owners name and they found no record of him ever having electric, gave them Cathy's name and they found a record but said I would need to meet the installer in Kanawha before they could turn it on.
I met electric man who immediately told me I had no electric right of way and no existing electric pole. He said this with a perfectly straight face
"You always get right of way when you buy property."
I said ...you mean to tell me I have no electric and no pole and no right to get either one???? Well I said what happened to the pole that was here? He looked at the chunk o pole decorating the right side of the lot. When we had the ice storm in 2004 it took out the poles in this area and only occupied buildings were repoled. He said the best way to get electric is through the property across the street. I ask what all this repoling and stringing was going to cost and he gets out his walking tape and begins stepping it off to the tune of 600 dollars. But the best part was I had no legal right to this pole on the neighbors property and was left with a paper I needed signed and notarized by someone I had never met asking if I could put a pole on their property. I prayed about it and went next door to meet my neighbor Mr McCarty.
Mr. McCarty is an older black gentleman. He was kind and told me it was Mr. Pardue I needed to talk to. I thanked him. Mr. Pardue was not at home. I sat in my truck under his confederate flag in front of his trailer and could hear his dogs barking. No one came out. I guess they were gone for the day. I would have left a note but I am a coward. I tried to sacrifice my 17 year old sent out with a note but he didn't want to loose a leg either.
When we got home I looked up Mr Pardue's phone number and address. I composed a polite note and enclosed a small check to cover gas and time. I mailed it to him. I got a phone call from the Lamar Electric lady and Mrs Pardue. She was a sweet person and returned my check saying we were cousins of her husbands and we would work it out. Her name is Jodie and she has become someone we look forward to seeing when we work on the store. Because of Jodies efforts and because of the kindness of Cathy we were able to get electric pole and all in it's original position across 410. It cost about 90 dollars for the deposit, 7 phone calls, three letters and 16 prayers. The time required was about 2 months. We met with the electric pole man one last time and he still did not smile.
The next month we went to work on the store we hailed the pole and for the first time in about 5 years we let there be light. It was as close to Genesis as we are likely to get ...well there is still that little issue of water......
