Jerry "Wilk" Wilkinson, Charlie Casdorph, and me loaded up the old 1944 jeep with 9 cases of Budweiser for a "long break" trip down the mountain from Asmara to beautiful "Massawa on the Red Sea". As we were going down the Massawa road (60 degree grade ,about 50, 180 degree switch backs with 1000 ft drops) Wilk, getting loose on the first of the 3 cases we would consume on the way down, starts telling us about "The Old Man of the Mountain".
Seems there is this old blind beggar who stands on the road near the halfway house looking for spare change, he related. On a previous trip Wilk had stopped and given him some money. Later that same day, further on down the road, but still driving down those 60 degree grades, Wilks brakes went out. He narrowly avoided hitting one of the big tandem gas trucks which was on the inside lane, and miraculously brought the jeep to a safe halt. He attributed his good fortune that day to his act of charity with the old blind beggar. "Since then," ,he said, "I always stop and give the 'Old Man of the Mountain' some spare change for good luck"
A few minutes after he finished telling the story, right on cue, standing by the side of the road was what appeared to be an old blind beggar. Wilk stopped the jeep, got out, walked over to the guy and started to pay him when ,suddenly, Wilk got a pained look on his face, turned around, and angrily stomped back to the jeep. "Something aint right" he sez.. "I dont think thats the guy".So we drove on. Sure 'nuff ... that day we counted 6 "old men of the mountain" on the way down .. a couple of these "blind" beggars even waved to us.