Believing in ghosts is one thing. Experiencing ghosts is completely another. You can believe in spirits of the departed roaming the earth without experiencing them first hand but can you possibly experience a ghost without believing in them? And what if you don't actually see them? What if you only hear something that sounds spooky, sounds oddly familiar but still other-worldly? Would that be enough to convince you?
Well, that's the thing, isn't it? You believe what you want to and that is that. Perhaps there are those who can and will refuse to believe even after having a hair raising phenomenon brush over them and that is their prerogative. It is not for us to insist others believe in what we believe.
Perhaps it is the fear of ridicule that prevents so many from telling their extraordinary- or perhaps not so extraordinary?- ghostly tales at any other times than around the campfire or during Halloween. Having said that, here is a tiny bit of a true tale to send a shiver down your spine whether or not you want to believe.
Matt awoke at the normal time this fine Saturday. He got up and ready to start the day as usual giving his wife a kiss, his 3 year old daughter a toss up into the air to set her giggling and lifting his 1 year old son out of his crib to set him terrorizing the dog. It was a perfectly normal day and he meant to do some yard work. Perhaps cut the grass and possibly look at the elderly neighbor's yard to see if it also needed tending. He was like that, always thinking of others who may need help but didn't want to ask for fear of being an imposition.
He didn't mind that nearly as much as the imposition of his own relatively useless brothers who always wanted something from him, mostly money, and never were around when he needed help. Typical, freeloading bums they were but as the saying goes, you can't pick your family. You can, however, pick your friends and he actually liked his neighbors. That in itself was a miracle.
Just as he was about to go outside the phone rang. He answered with a bright, "Hello."
"Matthew.....Matthew..." the weak voice said slowly.
A shiver ran up his spine. "Grandma?" he whispered incredulously.
"Matthew.....Matthew..." the voice said again then was gone.
He stood stock still clutching the phone, breathing heavily.
"Who's on the phone, Mattie?" Jenny asked carrying in a laundry basket full of clothes for the washing machine down in the cellar. She paused at the back door and looked back at him. He looked white as a sheet. "Mattie, what's wrong?" she said anxiously.
"That was.... I could have sworn... but it's ... it's not possible.... it's just... it's not..." he mumbled incoherently.
"Mattie, what are you talking about?" Really apprehensive now Jenny dropped the basket and went to him putting her hands on either side of his face. "Who was on the phone, Mattie?"
"It was... no, it couldn't but... but it sure sounded like Grandma," he said reluctantly. He unconsciously rubbed his heart as if to stop its erratic beating. "Damn, that was spooky. It sounded so much like her."
Jenny looked as pale as he had been a moment before. "Jenny, it's nothing," he said reassuringly. " It must have been Mrs. Hansen. Maybe she wants me to fix her garage door today. Yeah, I'm sure it was her." He laughed at himself. "Boy, that's what I get for watching a "Twilight Zone" marathon. Grandma... gees," he mumbled shaking his head sheepishly.
"It was just like the Twilight Zone then," Jenny said her eyes wide in fright. "Remember the one where the phone wires fell on the grave and the man got a direct line to... wherever... the afterlife, I guess.?"
"Don't be silly, Jenny," he scoffed, now quite over the shock. "I'll go over to Mrs. Hansen right now. I know it was her. I just hope she isn't hurt or something. Be back soon." He then left and walked across the backyard and into Mrs. Hanson's backyard to her back door.
Jenny watched him go through the low bushes and saw him knocking but he came back frowning with a note in his hand.
"What's that?" Jenny asked half curious but mostly apprehensive.
"Mrs. Hanson left a note for me," he said quietly. "She's not home. Went to see her daughter in Connecticut. She left the garage door open in case I had time to fix it."
"So, it couldn't have been her calling you," Jenny said. "You should tell your mom. This is just too weird, Mattie."
"It could have been anybody around here. Mrs. Johnson, old man Pete or Charlotte from across the street or Margo, anybody. It was nothing. Besides, it would freak out my mom. You know how she is since grandma died. Just mentioning her would ... no, I'm not... I gotta cut the grass. Call me when lunch is ready." With that he went outside and totally forgot about the phone call as he spent the entire day outdoors fixing things.
Later that day after he finishing helping Jenny wash the dinner dishes. The phone rang again. They both jumped. He laughed. "Still spooked, huh?" he said gleefully. He patted Jenny playfully on the bottom and grabbed the phone.
"Hey Mom, how you doing?" he said smiling brightly. "I was just thinking of calling you.... oh, no reason."
"Tell her, Mattie, tell her!" Jenny said adamantly, waving a spatula around like a vengeful nun in Catholic school.
"Oh, all right," he said exasperated. "Mom, the weirdest thing happened today. I got this phone call. It sounded so much like Grandma it freaked me out a bit. Jenny's still spooked about it and... what did you say?"he said looking pale again. "Oh... I forgot....wow....okay....wow....that is... weird. Yeah."
Several minutes later he hung up and sat down a bit shakily.
"What is it, Mattie?" Jenny asked anxiously. "What did she say?"
"It, uh, it's August first," he said numbly.
"Yeah, I know. It was Nancy's third birthday yesterday. We still have half a birthday cake to show for it. So what?"
"Don't you remember what happened last year?"
She shrugged. "Same thing we do every year for her birthday. We went to the carnival, came home...oh, we stopped by your grandmother's first like we always....oh!"
He nodded. "She was so happy when we told her we weren't moving to Florida after all and the next day she died, the next day being a year ago today, Jenny,"he said quietly, his heart pounding irrationally fast for someone sitting perfectly still.
Jenny's eyes as big as a full moon she stared shaking in her sneakers. "Your grandmother called you because we didn't bring Nancy and Paul over to see her yesterday. We always do and we forgot this time. Oh, Mattie, she really called you from the beyond," she whispered tears filling her eyes. "You were her favorite."
He stood up and grabbed her in a fierce embrace emotion welling in his chest. "Guess I still am, huh?"he muttered shakily.