Story by Rebecca Rinaldo
Edited by Will Ong

This story happened long ago when my grandmother was still alive and her younger sister died of Charlotte fever. She had the disease while in pregnancy. She knew she could not survive long enough to see her baby grow up. So, she asked my grandmother to promise her to take care of her baby.

She was not allowed to see her own baby boy after giving birth to him because of her illness. She passed away not long after that. My grandmother kept her promise and took good care of her son, whom she had named Gilbert.

One night, after my grandmother put Gilbert down to sleep, she went back to the living room and started to watch TV. Then, she heard Gilbert laughing and giggling away. She got curious so she went to the room to check on him. When she got there, he was standing up and holding on to the side of the cot (or crib to the Americans). The strange thing is that not only was Gilbert so young he could not have stood up by himself but also the bassinet cover was neatly rolled back. In those days, I believe the bassinet has a screen designed to roll up and cover the top of the cot to keep the bugs away.

My grandmother was certain she had rolled it up when she put Gilbert to bed. Furthermore, when she entered the room she saw the window was wide opened and a shadowy figure was seen rushing out through the open window. The curtain breezed back and then was stationary again. So, it could not be the wind. Some say it was my grandmother's sister coming back to check on her son but it never happened again after that night.

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There are many other stories that showed how a dead person would come back to ensure if everything is all right for their family. Rebecca's grand-aunt must have come back to make sure that her beloved son was in good hands before she could move on.

There's a common belief among the Chinese that after someone passed away, on the seventh night, he/she will be going back to his/her house to ensure the whole family is doing fine. They usually go to the rice container to make sure there's enough rice. This is probably due to the fact that in China, especially during the olden days when famine and drought caused food shortages, having enough rice at home is the main concern of all families. I heard a story where a family member found hand-print on the rice container the next morning after such "expected" visit. Many others also claimed to have seen their loved ones coming back to visit them on such nights.

Next Story: Spokie Van Zyl

Owl's Ghost Stories © by Will Ong since 1997