A Helping Hand

            As it turns out, even after living in a haunted house for 20+ years, things can still happen that unnerve me. I had an experience last Friday that shook me (and my grandson) greatly.

            First, let me explain that the living room in my house is a later addition to the construction, and there is a single step down to enter it from the rest of the house, and it is floored with ceramic tile. Last Friday, my grandson and I were sitting in the living room floor, playing with his toys when he decided he wanted a different toy that was laying in the hallway. He has mastered going up the step on his own, so I let him go on ahead of me. (It takes me longer to get up off the floor than it does him.) But for some reason, as soon as he climbed up the step he changed his mind about the toy and wanted to come down. He has not mastered going DOWN steps on his own. Before I could react, he was leaning far over the step, inches from tumbling down to smack his cute little face on the ceramic tile. And then… he wasn’t. Right in front of my eyes, he shot backwards at least a foot.

            Of course, it terrified him and he started screaming. Protective Grandma kicked in, and I was furious with the ghost for scaring the poor baby. Coupled with the fact that I’d just seen him moved by invisible hands, I was more disturbed than I’ve been in a long time.

            But when I explained the events of the day to my husband, and later my daughter, they both immediately did what I hadn’t: they thanked the ghost for looking out for the baby.  Later, I thanked our ghost as well. After all, he or she did save my grandbaby from a nasty fall, and I don’t believe he was hurt at all, just surprised at being jerked back so quickly. But I don’t think the image of him sliding backwards is something I will ever forget.

So I guess even when I think I’ve seen it all, I haven’t.

As a side note, I think my grandson would have been just as upset if someone with visible hands had moved him. I know he is aware of the ghosts in my house, and my daughter tells me that he plays with an unseen friend in his own home as well.