It comes as no surprise to most of you that I have a fascination with ghost stories—especially true ghost stories. Although I have yet to see an apparition with my own eyes, I know of several people—grounded, down-to-earth people—with no particular interest in the paranormal/supernatural who have, themselves, had ghostly encounters. As I said, I have not seen a disembodied spirit, but I am certain I was in the presence of one once. I’ll save that story for another day.
We have recently celebrated All Hallows Eve and the Mexican tradition of the Day of the Dead, both of which are based on the idea that the veil between the living and dead thins this time of year, and it is easier for our dearly departed to visit us. So, today, I am sharing a true ghost story with you—a story as told by my no-nonsense, non-otherworldly-interested husband, Bill. Oddly, between the two of us, it’s Bill who has had more than one spirited encounter, as opposed to me who reads, writes about, and researches the other side. Anyway…here is his true story—names other than Bill’s, changed to “protect the innocent”…
Decades ago, long before we met, Bill owned a graphic design business in Massachusetts. He had an employee named Lucille, who had worked for him for several years. She really enjoyed her job, and she absolutely loved her home. To Lucille’s dismay, she was forced to quit her job and move miles away from her beloved home when her husband accepted a new job in upstate New York.
On a Sunday morning a couple of years later, Bill was driving downtown, as he did every Sunday morning, to purchase a newspaper. His route took him by Lucille’s former home, and on that particular morning, he was surprised to see her raking leaves in her front yard. He slowed down and made eye contact with her as they exchanged smiles and friendly waves. He continued on his way with the idea of stopping on his way home to find out why she was back at her old home.
After obtaining the newspaper, he headed for home, looking forward to speaking with Lucille. As he neared her former residence, he no longer saw her out in the yard, so he parked in the driveway and went to the front door. He knocked, and shortly the door was opened by Bob, a bachelor who had recently purchased Lucille’s house.
“Can I help you?” he asked.
Bill glanced down the hall behind the man, but no one else was visible. “Um, my name is Bill Ahearn. I live down the street. Lucille, the lady who used to own this house, worked for me. Is she back for some reason?”
Bob frowned and said, “No.”
“Oh,” replied Bill, “then it must have been another woman who looked like Lucille raking your leaves.”
Bob shook his head and answered somewhat gruffly, “There aren’t any women here.”
Confusion swirled in Bill’s head, but he thought it best not to press the issue, excused himself and drove home.
As he opened his front door, the wall phone near the hallway was ringing.
“Hello?” he greeted the caller.
“Hello, Bill.”
He recognized the voice of his neighbor, Norma, who lived across the street from him.
“Good morning, Norma, how are you?”
“A bit shaken right now. Did you hear about Lucille?”
“No…”
“She was killed in a car accident this morning, not far from her home up in New York. Her sister’s a good friend of mine. She called and told me. I know she used to work for you, so I thought you’d want to know.”
Bill choked out his thanks for calling him and hung up. He shook his head in disbelief, trying to process what had happened.
After some thought, he came to the conclusion that Lucille’s spirit must have stopped by her beloved home one last time before moving on to the afterlife.
Thanks for stopping by. Y’all come back, now. (And may all your spirited encounters be friendly ones!)