I Have Seen a Ghost!

Tall and thin with beautiful silver and white hair, my grandmother was a huge influence on my life. She and my grandfather lived next door in a beautiful old southern home that had wide porches and plenty of yard to play in. I stayed with them a lot just because they were near, and now that I think about it, it was like having two homes. The two grand old people read to me almost every day, took me to church, and instilled in me a deep sense of family.

My grandfather died when I was a teenager. A year later, I took my grandmother for an afternoon ride, which was a part of her daily routine. She mentioned being the last alive in her family, and when we got home she said I should get the antique music box from the bedroom, put it under my bed and say nothing to anyone. She often cranked up that music box to put us to sleep. I don’t know why none of this seemed strange to me at the time, but I did as she asked without question.

Sometime during the night, Gran died. I dreamed twice that night that I heard her call me, but couldn’t get out of bed. The third time I dreamed it, I did manage to wake my parents, and they went next door. She had died in her sleep.

After the funeral her home was closed and the electricity was turned off. Several nights later I went to my bedroom window, which faced an upstairs window in my grandparent’s home. There in the lighted window was Gran. No one ever convinced me that I didn’t see her or that the light was really not on. I suspect that she was just watching over me, as she always had to be sure I was in bed on time or home from a date. I kept her picture near and her ghost never scared me. It’s like having an angel nearby!