Familiar

   Familiar

     The first day on my job as the head librarian I encountered him. It seems the library came with a ghost. The ghost, William Barkley had once owned the property that had been converted into a library.

William wanted my help to find his true love, Ginny. He said he only had until Christmas Eve and then he would disappear. I was a librarian we were taught to find the impossible so I’d try. With William’s help I’d been at it a week scouring records. We only had another three days. Who was this mysterious Ginny?

“Annie?”

William disappeared.

“Grandma Ferris, what are you doing here?”

“Looking for you, Gail. You said you’d come for supper.”

“I’m sorry. I was busy searching for something for a patron and lost time.”

“Ginny?” William asked reappearing.

“Where did you come from?” Grandma asked and then growing pale she said, “William? How dare you share the same space that’s it I’m leaving.”

Ginny was Grandma? Of course; why hadn’t I realized Ginny was short for Virginia?

“Ginny please, I can explain.”

“You have to be kidding.”

“Please, I needed to see you one last time and make clear what happened. I was murdered.”

“Nonsense. You’re standing in front of me.”

“I’m a ghost Ginny; stuck in limbo until you forgive me.”

I tried to touch his arm to show grandma he was telling the truth.

“You are a ghost!” Grandma said clutching her chest.

Grandma then fell to the floor and continued to clutch her chest. William tried to hug her or at least comfort her.

“I know that my murder kept me from meeting you.”

“I waited hours for you to come and when you didn’t…”

“I’m sorry Ginny.”

“You left me pregnant and alone. My daddy made me marry a hard man who drank and never made me forget I was soiled goods.”

“This man was daddy’s father?” I demanded to know.

“I have a son?”

“And a granddaughter, she standing right in front of you,” Grandma admitted.

I swear William smiled at me.

“Who did you marry?”

“Burton Parmeter.”

“Burton killed me. Where can I find the bastard? I want to haunt him.”

“He died last year.”

“I love you, Ginny.”

“I love you too William.”

With that the spirit seemed to leave Grandma’s body and when I looked up I saw her ghost a young woman standing beside a now young William.

“We love you, Gail. We have to go now but we will be around even if you can’t see us.”

With that they disappeared and I never saw them again but once in awhile I felt their presence and sometimes books would fly off the shelf at my feet sending me messages of love.

©Sheilagh Lee  March 13  2019