One for Akelamalu

I have been asked for a ghost story by Akelamalu This is true and I really can't explain it but here goes.

After the breakdown of my marriage I went with my daughter to live with my parents for about 2 years. At the time they were both working so used to leave the house about 7am in the morning leaving me and my daughter there until about 8am when I would take her to the childminder and go to work myself.

One morning I got myself and Christine ready and as I tried to open the front door I found I couldn't open it, at first I thought it had been double locked from outside by my Mum or Dad when they had left for work but discovered that actually the latch had been clicked up from the INSIDE. The only person capable of doing this was myself as Christine was about 2 foot tall and hadn't yet moved out of her cot although she did walk by then. I certainly hadn't done it. To be honest, at the time I thought it was strange but didn't give it much more thought.

2 days later, my parents went to work as usual, I pottered downstairs after getting ready letting Christine sleep on for a bit (I had a terrific childminder who lived opposite, who would take her in her PJ's and sort her out)I was sitting in the back living room reading the paper and heard a distinct click in the passage. Again I took no notice, its an old house prone to creaks clicks and bangs from time to time.

I went upstairs to get Christine out of bed and as I brought her down the stairs she got very aggitated and started crying 'Tell man to go away, tell man to go away' and was looking at the front door. I couldn't see anyone, but I stopped halfway down the stairs as by that time, she was trying to hide her face under my jumper and was getting very distressed and looking towards the front door and then trying to hide her face again. I must admit this icy feeling came up from my boots as I tried, really really tried, to see what she was seeing. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up as I tried to keep myself and her calm. I said loudly, 'Go away man, you are scaring my daughter' and then tried to coax her to have another look, eventually she looked around and then smiled and told me the man had gone. I took her to the back living room gathered our things got to the front door and the latch was up locking us in again!!!

That evening when I got home I spoke to my parents about it and my Dad being a total non believer in the paranormal poo pooed the very thought, but I went to the front door and had a quiet word. When Christine had calmed down she described a man with a 'hat like grandads' (A flat cap) bent with a stick and a grimace (She did these actions as she could only describe him simply)

Many years previously the house had been two flats and my Dads brother and wife had lived in the downstairs one which allowed them use of the cellar. My aunt would never go down the cellar as she maintained there was an old man down there. One day she came to visit and she explained that before they took the flat over it was lived in by Old Mr so and so (Sorry can't remember the name) when he died they got the flat and one day she went down the cellar to get coal and saw him picking through the coal himself. She fled up the stairs as she knew perfectly well he was dead!! She described him as wearing a flat cap and bent over with a walking stick. Because he didn't have any teeth when he smiled he looked quite scary.

There you have it, she described the same person that Christine had seen but I take comfort that at least he was smiling at her!! And after my quiet word, the door latch never did mysteriously put itself in the up position locking us in again!!!