Author Information
Zoey The Ghostwatcher, And Mrs. Brown, The Ghost
Back in 2012, when my mother entered the terminal phase of her illness, she asked me, and my family, to be her caregivers. My daugther, who was studying for the LPN license, took charge of the day to day care of my mother. To accommodate her needs, we had to move into a rental property far larger than our previous residence, and my mother very generously paid the entire rent, not just the difference, as part of the "deal" we had made.
Our Chihuahua, Zoey, had been with us a little more than two years: she was a rescue dog, and we have always been glad to have had the opportunity to bring her into our family.
When we rented the new residence, the landlord disclosed that the house was said to be haunted by Mrs. Brown, an elderly lady who had died of natural causes in the house. Previous tenants had complained of various minor pranks, and, at least a couple of times, something that seemed like a sighting.
The house had a very specious downstrairs, and the upstairs attic had been converted into a bedroom, which I used as the bookroom for my rather extensive library. From time to time, especially when we were out on an errand, or to take my mother out to eat (she was still fairly mobile at that time), we would come home to find the faucet in the bathroom sink running, although we had been careful to turn it off. Toilet paper came off the spool repeatedly, even though no one was in the bathroom, and the spool was too high for Zoey to reach.
One fairly pleasant afternoon, my stepdaughter's boyfriend had agreed to carry some boxed books upstairs to my bookroom, and Zoey accompanied him up the stairs---apparently feeling she needed to supervise his efforts. All of a sudden, I heard the thud of the box hitting the floor. Then Zoey came running down the stairs, followed by my stepdaughter's boyfriend. He was visibly shaken up, as was Zoey, and said that he had seen Mrs. Brown. She appeared to him with the light behind her, so that her appearance was more like a sillhouette, or a two dimensional image.
From that time on, both the boyfriend and the chihuahua seemed reluctant to go upstairs to the bookroom. After my mother passed away, in a hospice facility, we made preparations to move from the rental to a home we had purchased. As I was packing up my books, I also got a very brief, very momentary, glimpse of the same image my stepdaughter's boyfriend had described. Whoever or whatever it was, it did not seem interested in me. There were no witnesses to this sighting, and Zoey had not ascended the stairs since the time she had run down them after seeing Mrs. Brown.
Starward
Knowing you, your collection
Knowing you, your collection of books was amazing, so perhaps Mrs. Brown just wanted to take a peek.
What a fascinating story. Sometimes real life experience is more compelling than fiction, especially when narrated with skill.
Just sorry little Zoey was traumatized.
Thank you very much for
Thank you very much for commenting on this small tale about the smallest member of my family, yet one who is so big-hearted. Yes, she was traumatized and never ventured up there again. When we first rescued Zoey, she could not climb up the three front porch steps at the residence in which we were then living. By the time we brought my mother to live with us, in the larger house, she could almost leap up the steps to the bookroom, and, on the afternoon of the sighting, she came down those steps with equal speed.
Zoey also had a way of diagnosing us when we are facing an illness. She would approach whichever one of us was sick, and just sit and stare into our eyes, as if she was obsessing over something. Within twenty-four hours or less, whichever one of us was stared at became ill. She has a fairly accurate record with that, until recently. Now she is lame and tired all the time, and sleeps most of the day and night.
When I was thirteen, my parents bought me a very pedigreed cocker spaniel pup, jet black, whom I named Monica, and with whom I bonded immediately. She could read all of my moods. Twelve years later, she developed a stomach cancer, and the vet wanted to put her down. I asked him how long she might have to live, and he said a matter of three or four months. I asked him if she was in pain, and he said no, and even demonstrated by pressing her abdomen and she did not respond. He said it would eventually become too painful for her to stretch out on the flloor. I told him if he thought she had three or four months, we would give it to her and bring her in only upon the very first indication of pain. That was in the summer of 1983; Monica lived until late May of 1986. She had stretched out that May morning and began to whimper, so, while I was at work, my father took her to the vet. I never thought I would ever meet another dog as empathetic as Monica was, until I met Zoey.
J-Called
I'm convinced that dogs are
I'm convinced that dogs are angels with fur and that they percieve more than we realize. I was so heartbroken to read about Zoey's decline.
So sorry I'm not around much. Things have been crazy lately. Every blessing to you.
Thank you for your kind
Thank you for your kind reply, and for your kind words about Zoey's decline. My parents had a beloved cocker spaniel who, when she passed, was cremated, with her ashes placed in a box which bore her picture and a name place. My mother outlived my father; so when she passed, that small box was placed in the casket with her, at her feet where Penny 2 used to like to stretch out. We have the same plans for Zoey. We do not look upon this with morbidity, but with a sense of comfort.
I think I once told you about the late actor, Peter Cushing's idea of Heaven, and I believe in what he believed, so I fully expect Zoey to be there waiting for us, along with Peppy, Buffy, Penny 1, and the most mischevious Monica. There are certain Scriptures in both Testaments that imply that the whole Creation will be restored rather than replaced. (Many early Christians believed that Jesus and his stepfather were repair carpenters, rather than furniture makers, and that they repaired broken implements whenever possible, rather than making replacements. His parables never mention a workshop or the ordinary tools we associate with that work, but a lot about plows, yokes, and other farming activities. I think that, too, is an indicator that He will repair rather than replace the broken Creation.)
I am sorry for being too verbose in this reply.
J-Called
Several NDE's have confirmed
Several NDE's have confirmed that we do meet our beloved animal companions on the other side. I was very touched by your personal experiences with precious souls in animal bodies.
You're never, ever verbose!
Thank you for sharing that
Thank you for sharing that with me, it really means a lot and is very comforting.
J-Called