Ghosts of Memories Past
Ghosts of Memories Past
We lived very quietly in a pink brick house on Hwy. 5 where the asphalt plant now stands. I look as I go by there ever so often and wonder if what we thought we heard was real when we lived there so many years ago…
In 1970 we moved into a pink, brick house on the hill on Hwy. 5, close to Stewart Road. Back then, Stewart Road only had 3 houses on it and the rest of the road was a meandering trail of country road. We lived directly across from where Stewart Road dead ends onto Hwy. 5.
After the move we realized the original family who built the house had really loved it. It must have been a grand old house at one time. The owners had planted trees and flowers so there was always something growing at different intervals during the year: plum trees; pecan trees, roses; tiger lilies; figs; flowers I don’t know the name of - - and all around the property were beautiful mimosa trees. One was a giant mimosa tree that grew at the back of the house between the garage and the living room. One afternoon I was walking through the house carrying laundry to the linen closet when I noticed a fluttering out of the corner of my eye and saw what looked like large bees flying all around the large Mimosa tree. I walked to the window and looked out. The bees were not bees at all but a swarm of hummingbirds drinking nectar from each bloom. It was the only time I would ever see that many hummingbirds at once. It was a beautiful sight, and before video cameras. Darn it!
Angie was 5 years old when we moved there. We, as a family, found the home inviting. There was a double car garage to play in and a breezeway between the garage and the house. The breezeway was truly a breezeway; screened to keep the bugs off us the breezeway caught the north and south breezes so it was fun to sit and ponder, write, and let children play and be safe. I kept two of my friend’s children one summer while I was waiting for my second child to be born, Holly, and the kids played on that porch all summer long.
From the breezeway into the house was an old country kitchen with a very large pantry. A good kitchen to gather round the table with friends and family for meals and a good place for brewing coffee, popping corn and playing cards and games. The living room faced east and the sun came up and lit the room with its powerful light, and as the sun was going down in the evening it reflected across the living room. Always, a bright sun filled house filled with positive vibes - - a fun house to live in.
There was a large wood burning fireplace with a brick hearth in the middle of the living room to sit around while the logs crackled. We had plenty of cold nights there because one thing the house lacked was insulation. We put up with it because enjoyed everything else about it. There were two fairly large bedrooms and a bathroom in between them, and another bedroom on the other side of the house close to the kitchen. Angie slept in that bedroom and we slept on the other side of the house. We felt safe there. The land sloped from ground level to deep on the side of the house where our daughter slept. The French style windows rolled out and were narrow so no one climb in through them. Bolts were on the doors as well as the regular locks. I tell you all this so you have a good picture of things to come.
Many nights I stayed up after Angie and Chick went to bed because it was my quiet time and I could read my books. One night while reading a book I suddenly felt a presence in the room, as though someone was watching me. I was lying on the couch when the floor next to me creaked. I sat straight up and looked around to see if Chick or Angie had gotten out of the bed – then I went to Angie’s room and she was fast asleep. I then checked our bedroom and Chick sleeping as well. So, I thought, “Um, must be my imagination”, (and I wasn’t even reading a scary book). I laid back down on the couch and was back into reading when it sounded again, like someone walking close to me wearing a skirt or a raincoat because of the swishing sound. It was eerie. I got up and again walked through the house and the bedrooms. My family was not stirring so I thought perhaps I should go to bed. I climbed in the bed close to Chick and snuggled up to go to sleep. I had just dozed off when we heard Angie’s footstep as she came running through the house screaming in terror that someone was walking around in her room. I jumped out of the bed with Chick close behind. We grabbed the shotgun from the closet and began our search. We called out – no answer! We walked together very tightly as though we were one person and went from room to room. The doors were bolted; there was no one in the closets or under the beds. When were satisfied were were alone in the house we all climbed into one bed together and huddled listening and wondering what we heard. Was it just our imaginations all at once? Chick said he had heard something earlier too.
I never mentioned this to anyone, it was outlandish, but I have seen a few outlandish things that are indescribable before. This wasn’t the first strange occurrence in my life.
However, I worked at a little advertising guide that also contracted out with the local newspaper because our little company had purchased a state of the art printing press. Each day as the newspaper rolled off the press as a perk we could get the paper “hot off the press”. The first articles read were the obituaries as you tend to do when living in a small town and knowing everyone. The name of the first obituary said Susie Holloman, which sounded very familiar to me, Miss Susie Holloman! I kept saying that name out loud and trying to remember where I had met this lady before. The article went on to say Miss Susie was a retired school teacher. I repeated the name out loud and told my bosses’ wife the name seemed familiar but I could not place her. My bosses wife said, “Well it should sound familiar, you live in her house she and her dad and sister had built. They were the original owners.” According to the paper she passed away at the hour the creaking and swishing sounds were being heard by us. Goosebumps rose up on my arms and the hair stood up on my neck. She really DID love that house!
We lived very quietly in a pink brick house on Hwy. 5 where the asphalt plant now stands. I look as I go by there ever so often and wonder if what we thought we heard was real when we lived there so many years ago…
In 1970 we moved into a pink, brick house on the hill on Hwy. 5, close to Stewart Road. Back then, Stewart Road only had 3 houses on it and the rest of the road was a meandering trail of country road. We lived directly across from where Stewart Road dead ends onto Hwy. 5.
After the move we realized the original family who built the house had really loved it. It must have been a grand old house at one time. The owners had planted trees and flowers so there was always something growing at different intervals during the year: plum trees; pecan trees, roses; tiger lilies; figs; flowers I don’t know the name of - - and all around the property were beautiful mimosa trees. One was a giant mimosa tree that grew at the back of the house between the garage and the living room. One afternoon I was walking through the house carrying laundry to the linen closet when I noticed a fluttering out of the corner of my eye and saw what looked like large bees flying all around the large Mimosa tree. I walked to the window and looked out. The bees were not bees at all but a swarm of hummingbirds drinking nectar from each bloom. It was the only time I would ever see that many hummingbirds at once. It was a beautiful sight, and before video cameras. Darn it!
Angie was 5 years old when we moved there. We, as a family, found the home inviting. There was a double car garage to play in and a breezeway between the garage and the house. The breezeway was truly a breezeway; screened to keep the bugs off us the breezeway caught the north and south breezes so it was fun to sit and ponder, write, and let children play and be safe. I kept two of my friend’s children one summer while I was waiting for my second child to be born, Holly, and the kids played on that porch all summer long.
From the breezeway into the house was an old country kitchen with a very large pantry. A good kitchen to gather round the table with friends and family for meals and a good place for brewing coffee, popping corn and playing cards and games. The living room faced east and the sun came up and lit the room with its powerful light, and as the sun was going down in the evening it reflected across the living room. Always, a bright sun filled house filled with positive vibes - - a fun house to live in.
There was a large wood burning fireplace with a brick hearth in the middle of the living room to sit around while the logs crackled. We had plenty of cold nights there because one thing the house lacked was insulation. We put up with it because enjoyed everything else about it. There were two fairly large bedrooms and a bathroom in between them, and another bedroom on the other side of the house close to the kitchen. Angie slept in that bedroom and we slept on the other side of the house. We felt safe there. The land sloped from ground level to deep on the side of the house where our daughter slept. The French style windows rolled out and were narrow so no one climb in through them. Bolts were on the doors as well as the regular locks. I tell you all this so you have a good picture of things to come.
Many nights I stayed up after Angie and Chick went to bed because it was my quiet time and I could read my books. One night while reading a book I suddenly felt a presence in the room, as though someone was watching me. I was lying on the couch when the floor next to me creaked. I sat straight up and looked around to see if Chick or Angie had gotten out of the bed – then I went to Angie’s room and she was fast asleep. I then checked our bedroom and Chick sleeping as well. So, I thought, “Um, must be my imagination”, (and I wasn’t even reading a scary book). I laid back down on the couch and was back into reading when it sounded again, like someone walking close to me wearing a skirt or a raincoat because of the swishing sound. It was eerie. I got up and again walked through the house and the bedrooms. My family was not stirring so I thought perhaps I should go to bed. I climbed in the bed close to Chick and snuggled up to go to sleep. I had just dozed off when we heard Angie’s footstep as she came running through the house screaming in terror that someone was walking around in her room. I jumped out of the bed with Chick close behind. We grabbed the shotgun from the closet and began our search. We called out – no answer! We walked together very tightly as though we were one person and went from room to room. The doors were bolted; there was no one in the closets or under the beds. When were satisfied were were alone in the house we all climbed into one bed together and huddled listening and wondering what we heard. Was it just our imaginations all at once? Chick said he had heard something earlier too.
I never mentioned this to anyone, it was outlandish, but I have seen a few outlandish things that are indescribable before. This wasn’t the first strange occurrence in my life.
However, I worked at a little advertising guide that also contracted out with the local newspaper because our little company had purchased a state of the art printing press. Each day as the newspaper rolled off the press as a perk we could get the paper “hot off the press”. The first articles read were the obituaries as you tend to do when living in a small town and knowing everyone. The name of the first obituary said Susie Holloman, which sounded very familiar to me, Miss Susie Holloman! I kept saying that name out loud and trying to remember where I had met this lady before. The article went on to say Miss Susie was a retired school teacher. I repeated the name out loud and told my bosses’ wife the name seemed familiar but I could not place her. My bosses wife said, “Well it should sound familiar, you live in her house she and her dad and sister had built. They were the original owners.” According to the paper she passed away at the hour the creaking and swishing sounds were being heard by us. Goosebumps rose up on my arms and the hair stood up on my neck. She really DID love that house!
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