A ghost of a chance

Why is my son suddenly telling me ghost stories?  Maybe he’s old enough not to get scared anymore?  What I know is that he never bothered to share it with me, when it occurred.  Whatever the reason, I will diffuse the fright and share them with you:

40-year old son:  “Mom, when I was seven, I went to the kitchen to open a jar of See’s candies.  A hand tapped me on my shoulder as if to tell me that he wanted some Toffee-ettes (caramel- coated almond nuts), too.  When I turned around, there was no one in the kitchen with me.”

This mom’s comments:  “Hmm, my dearest anak.  Haven’t you heard of an imagination running wild and playing tricks on your senses?  Maybe guilt played a part, too.  What were you doing smuggling candies when you had brushed your teeth already?”

40-year-old son:  “It was a full moon and Ivan Lim was the perfect host at a brand-new resort hotel in Palawan.  There were five of us who just had a quick nightcap and were walking down a dimly-lit path towards our cottages.

“I was walking in front with my buddy, Mauritz.  Suddenly, in the corner of my eye, I saw a lady in white emerging from the waves. This lady-like phantom had flowing hair and slender arms.  I mumbled ‘Why in the world is a lady swimming at midnight?’ The apparition began to float swiftly towards the path where we were standing, so I pointed my finger at it, staring at it from right to left.  ‘Sonnabagan…ano yan? (What is that?)’ I cried.  My buddies Mauritz and Edwin collectively gasped and pointed at the lady, shrieking like crazy as well.  Edwin blurted (in Tagalog): ‘I saw what I saw and I do not want to say what the heck I just saw!’

The scariest part was that the lady in white floated straight to my cottage and vanished there! Afterwards, two other friends heard scratching sounds on the cottage roof.  Needless to say, we all spent the night in one cottage, lights on, doors locked, and rosaries in hand.

“The next day, we recounted our stories and joked that whatever nightcap we had packed a deadly, scary wallop.  We asked one of the dive masters who dove with us the day before whether he has seen ghosts and he replied, ‘Opo Sir! Madami d’yan!’ (Yes! There’s plenty over here.) He said that the resort hotel used to be the burial ground of an indigenous tribe.”

Sheesh, the hair on the back of my neck is standing again.”

This mom’s comments:  “Anak, can you point out to me which cottage you occupied so that I am sure to skip that one?  As for the lady, maybe she just wanted a warm, cozy bed to sleep in.  You didn’t tell me which of you occupied the bed?  Did you sleep on the floor or huddled together on a mat?”

The 40-year-old son’s dad:  “Oh!  I have some spooky tales, too.  In a resort hotel I frequent on site inspections, the staff always reserved the same room for me whenever I was in town.  One room attendant screamed when she saw me entering my room.  ‘Sir, sir, do not open the closet door.  When I was cleaning your room this afternoon, I opened that closet and a woman in white was staring back at me!  I slammed the door and scampered out the room, reporting the apparition to the manager on duty.  He told me to note it down in the logbook although I suspect no one would believe me.  Do you?’”

This wife’s comments:  “Move to another room and please never book that room, especially when I’m traveling with you.  Anak, you don’t wish to take that room, too, right?”

The 40-year old son’s dad:  “Do you remember the time when we were in Rome and we stayed in a charming little hotel on a quiet street near Fontana di Trevi?  I went to the bathroom to wash my face when I felt the linen mat being pulled from under me?  When I looked down, the mat was still there right beneath my feet.  I mentioned this to the manager who multi-tasked as the desk clerk, the headwaiter, the chef de partie, and the concierge.  He laughed hard and replied, ‘Those are our resident ghosts.  They add local color and charm to our hotel, don’t you think?’” 

This wife’s comments:  But I slept soundly.  And I loved this hotel that still used fine linen for towels and Frette for their bed linens.  The manager-cum-desk clerk, headwaiter, chef de partie, and concierge was the face of efficiency.  His breed has vanished, like the now-you-see-it-now-you-don’t in-house ghost.

There are many stories from the crypt and whether we believe them or not, it pays to come prepared.  Keep sacramentals handy like holy water, blessed salt, and oil. Above all, keep a strong faith that the best way to guard yourself from sin and harm is to stay close to God and seek His protection as well as that of Mama Mary and your guardian angel.

Who’s laughing it off?  Ah, nervously?