Ghost stories

Loss of a loved one

This one isn't really a ghost story. More of a lack of ghost story. This experience was the first time I realized that people really have energies that surround them and affect others.

I spent summers with my great grandparents as a child at the inner banks. There wasn't much for a kid to do there other than chores, swimming and church. But I enjoyed it because I was actually very close with my great grandfather and he made it more entertaining. I used to help him mostly with the outdoor chores. I fed the animals, raked leaves, mowed the grass if he needed me to. He taught me how to cut grass without the mower and I enjoyed it more because it was something we did together. My favorite chore was picking the cucumbers. We picked them together then would take a break and eat some with a cold "cocola" as he would call them. I was always so happy to be around him just doing anything. Random strangers at the store or walking down the street always were glad to see him as well and he knew who everyone was and genuinely cared when he asked about their lives. And they would tell him everything, even the most personal detail. He just had a very sincere charismatic personality.

I'll never be able to explain the smell of those summers. Smells can be a magical thing. One whiff and it can take you back to a place you thought you'd forgotten about. I loved the smell of my summers with my grandparents. It was the smell of dirt, fresh cucumbers, sea breeze, and his Rose's offbrand aftershave with a little hint of mothballs that they kept around the house to keep the snakes out. It was a smell that brought me peace.

My granddad died while I was in basic training. I was able to talk to him a few days before he passed but he was so weak he couldn't say anything over the phone. I wasn't able to go to his funeral but I got to say goodbye and tell him how much I loved him at least.

After my training a few months later I went to visit my great grandmother. I was expecting the usual routine of my arrival, say hello to everyone, talk for a while, eat then help out with chores. I was disappointed when I got there. I said hello to my great grandmother but she's not much of a talker so there was no conversation. I asked if she needed me to do anything and she said there's nothing to do.

I noticed inside the house it felt so dull and cold and empty. Most of my granddad's things were gone. Many of the family members took some of his things to keep. So the inside was very different. I went outside to walk around and noticed the barn fridge didn't have any colas, which was usually stocked full. I noticed the cucumber plants had all died and the dogs weren't as lively as before. It was as if my granddad was the one keeping everything alive.

I remembered feeling so welcomed and a warm cozy feeling, but now it's just a house and a piece of land. Now all I smell is the overwhelming scent of mothballs. It's as if all the memories I had with my granddad went away when he died as if they never existed.

I try to visit for a few days every now and then, but the house just feels so cold and empty. While he was alive people of all ages and races used to go in and out of the house just to say hello. But I think they even feel the emptiness of the house now because hardly anyone stops by and if they do they don't come inside.

I had hoped that I could still feel his presence after his death. It's just crazy to think one person could radiate so much positive energy that it lights up a whole house. As if God had sent him down himself to give the world a little bit of hope for humanity and took all that energy away when he took my granddad, leaving us with an empty home and bitter hearts. He brought the sunshine and the breeze and now it's just grey and everything is still. I would do anything to smell that familiar smell of my childhood summers one more time. Then I would know he is keeping an eye on me. The only explanation to help me cope is that he completely moved on and isn't that all we want for our loved ones who have passed.