GHOST STORIES

October 13, 2020

Before Leonard left for Georgia on September 10, 2020, I told him what happened last year, and he vaguely remembers. Then I told him why I fight with the fifth wheel door lock at night because it is not just to keep people and accidental bears from coming inside. Just in case I start sleepwalking again as I did during high school, it is locked. 

Sometime last year, either November or December, Leonard, Ranger 1 and I were in Georgia during deer hunting season. One morning, while at the campsite, we were in a rush before heading into town. We got into the truck and left from within the woods. As we drove by the pastor's house, sure enough, Daisy and her furry friend ran towards us as they barked. 

As we hit the main road, Ranger 1 was whining in the back seat, and then I turned around and saw that he was about to drop a load. I yelled, "Wait! Wait!" We realized that our furry Son did not potty that morning. Leonard quickly pulled over and stopped in front of a roadside cemetery. 

Whoosh! I opened my front door and back, grabbed Ranger 1, and put him down. However, since the cemetery was in front of us, I led my furry Son to pass what I believed to be the property line to get on with his morning business. It would have been rude if I had allowed my dog to use the grassy area in front of the roadside tombstones. 

Then I heard continuos, "Bark, bark, bark, bark, bark, bark, bark, bark, bark..." Ranger 1 was not barking. Daisy and her furry friend were not too far away, and I could not hear them barking. Then I looked diagonally across the road behind me, and the people living there who Leonard met, were not outside. No other vehicles on the road, too. Just the three of us, so I thought.

As "Bark, bark, bark, bark..," continued on, I realized although dogs bark, what I heard were words, "Bark, bark, bark, bark..." While loosely holding Ranger 1's leash, slowly, I walked backward, and when I stepped onto what I believed to be the property line, I used my right foot and took one lunge step behind me. While leaning back, I turned my head and upper body to the right and looked at the tombstones. No, I could not see them, and yet, they could see me. 

After Ranger 1 was done, I picked up his goodies and carried him back to the truck because just in case he still had urine in him, I did not want him to stop and tinkle in the grass in front of The Family plots. After I got into the truck, Leonard asked what I was laughing at. My reply, "Ooooh, nothing." Before he drove off, I turned to The Family plots, smiled, and nodded my head - up and down. 

Holy Smackaroonie and Lord God have Mercy! In hindsight, I should not have stood in front of the roadside tombstones and laughed out loud because, since late last year, The Family knows that I can hear them, too, when they want me to. At most times, Leonard is a hard sleeper. Therefore, keeping the fifth wheel door locked at night is for my safekeeping to also stop me from sleepwalking my way to The Barksdale Family resting place, a good walk away from within the woods. 

P.S.: When we had the two-door trailer before the one-door fifth wheel, both doors were locked, too, because I saw the roadside tombstones in 2018 before heading into the woods to set up a permanent campsite. 

Posted: October 13, 2020, 11:57 PM

Last Updated: October 14, 2020, 1:13 AM

October 27, 2020

On Friday, October 23, 2020, at 9:38 AM (EST), Lora, my sister, texted, "...Anna and Kelly's Mom died on 10/21/2020." Anna is one of Lora's childhood friends, and Kelly is one of Anna's older sisters. The same one who told me a few years ago at my house in Port Saint Lucie, FL, that she remembers seeing President Barack Obama play basketball while they both were in high school. This family lived in the same neighborhood as us in Waimanalo, Hawai'i; they on the middle street while we were on the front that loops behind the middle.

At 11:49 AM, I wrote, "Lora, I need to text you something. On Oct. 21 at 11:57 PM, Leonard called and then I texted eight minutes later the document he needed. I was still awake watching TV and did not go to bed until early morning on Oct. 22.  As soon as I got into bed, and for some reason, I thought about Kelly, when she was at my home with you, Chat, Loreal, Jojo, and Leonard, and I think he had guests, too. This is not the first time that this has happened to me." She did not reply to what I wrote. When a woman I once knew died in Washington State, while I was vacationing in Florida, she came into my dream at night, and I awoke, screaming, "She's dead! She's dead!" Later in the day, Leonard found out that she did die, and people we knew forgot to tell us. 

Later afternoon, she sent a text asking if I was able to drop off pie or cake? My response was to let me know ASAP to place an order for Sunday since I would be in South Florida visiting Mumsy on Saturday to help fill out her ballot. Then, if able to get eight orders of chicken wings, two large pizza, and three cases of beer and to take it out from the $200 that she sent to find N95 masks (she's a traveling LPN). She also wanted me to get dinner for Leonard and me, but, to me, Kelly and family first, and spent all of it on them, and I covered the rest of the cost.

Sunday morning, I went to Publix and picked up the four-layered Ganache chocolate cake, looked so good that I grabbed a double-layered two slices of cake in one container from the shelf, and then whipped cream on my mind, which at first was odd. Because I wanted was the cake, and yet, in the past, I had asked and bought whipped cream for chocolate cake. 

Next to the bakery is the floral area, so I looked at flowers and plants. Although flowers were not on the list to buy, I kept circling the pink and white Orchids and settled for the white. Then I walked to the back of the store and turned right to head to the dairy area at the other end of the store; I could not remember where the whipped cream was and made another right turn facing the front of the store, saw far ahead of me. 

Once there, I could not make up my mind between the Publix brand's heavy whipping cream or the Reddi-wip, which I bought before. I chose Publix's white canister with the purple banner at the top. Then I turned right, then left, to head to the cashier when I saw one of the most beautiful purple Orchid plants with blueish undertones on a food demonstration counter. There were two employees nearby, and I asked a Caucasian male in a white long-sleeve button-down dress shirt whether the Orchid was for sale. He walked over, looked, and said twice, "Yes, it is." 

Quickly, I grabbed the plant and then took the white Orchid back to the floral area, paid, and left the store. As soon as I arrived home, I took a picture of the cake and placed it and cream into the refrigerator. Then I took the purple Orchid outside onto the back patio, took pictures of it, then went back inside, brought out the cake and cream, and took photos of all three with the cake lid closed. 

After I brought everything back inside and put the cream and cake inside the refrigerator, I cleaned and shined the Orchid's green leaves with glycerin. While doing so, I had these thoughts about my childhood, being at the park located behind the house that the deceased Hawaiian woman once lived — thoughts about the coconut tree and how I used the leaves to build a makeshift opened hut. Then I wondered why I was having these thoughts. Did she see me play in the park [with the other children or alone] at the coconut tree behind her fenced-in house that backed up to the neighborhood park? Since Lora texted between 2 PM - 4 PM to deliver food and beer, I had time to paste orange, lavender, green, and white Swarovski crystals onto the front pot as thoughts of living in Waimanalo as a kid continued. 

Then on Domino's website, in the cart: 1 xl-large Brooklyn Sausage and Double Pepperoni; 1 large Hand-toss Pepperoni and Double Sausage; 20-piece each Honey BBQ, Mild Buffalo, and Sweet Mango Habanero Wings; 20-piece Parmesan Cheese packets; 4 Garlic Dipping Sauce (six already came with orders); and 10 Ranch Dressing. After I get the beer, all I had to do was checkout and pay for the food while in my car at Walmart. 

At 2:07 PM, I called Kelly because I wanted to make sure that I got the correct Michelob Ultra - she said the canned was fine, and since I was still at the liquor store, I asked if she wanted anything else, "No." After the call, since Lora did not state 12 or 24, I put into my buggy four 24-can cases of beer, paid, and out the door I went. As I sat in my car to pay for the pizzas and wings, my phone and Domino's website had other plans. At first, I thought there was a problem with Verizon or Walmart's interference, so I drove near Murphy's gas station and parked. It took 15 minutes before I could checkout and pay, and then I went to Domino's, parked, and clicked the flasher button.

As I waited, I texted my sister about the cart, "...all I had to do was pay for the order. But, with technology, glitches, glitches, glitches! It took 15 minutes before the online app checked me out [it was the website, not an app]. I told myself don't stress out since Lora texted between 2 PM & 4 PM. So glad that I got an extra case of beer." She texted back, "How many cases? 3? I hope they were happy and stress-free today." It took eight minutes from Domino's to Kelly's daughter's house when I arrived at 3 PM. I know; what are the odds that the daughter and I would live in the same town? Lora thought it was too funny when I put one case in Kelly's car. Kelly's happiness for the goodies was good enough for me.

If I had not had thoughts of whipped cream, I would not have seen one of the most beautiful purple Orchids with blueish undertones. Since it was the thought of whipped cream that led me to the Orchid, I gave Kelly the canister with the purple banner for the cake. The Orchid and decorating the pot helped me remember the good times while living in Hawai'i as a child.

Published: Oct. 27, 2020 at 11:58 PM

Updated: Oct. 28, 2020 at 12:33 AM