Southend U3A

A Ghost Story - Ann Southwood

November 2011

Mary-Rose skipped along the platform holding her mother's hand. She was five years old and it was the first time she had travelled on a train, in fact it was the first time she had seen a real one. The noise was deafening but to Mary-Rose it was exciting, all these people rushing along, porters wheeling mounds of luggage on a trolley, whistles blowing, doors slamming and everyone talking at the same time. Eventually they reached the carriage and Mary-Rose managed the huge step without slipping through the gap and was pulled along by her mother until they found their seats. They were going on a long journey to visit her grandparents whom she had never seen before so Mary-Rose had butterflies in her stomach at the thought of meeting them. She and her mother settled into seats by the window opposite each other. She smiled at the man in the seat by the door, then turned her attention to the window, watching as the train moved off into the light of the day. After a few miles she realised the man she had smiled at was no longer there, so she asked her mother where had he gone. 'What man?' her mother said.

'The man in the strange clothes like a soldier.'

'I'm sorry dear but I didn't notice anyone like that.' replied her mother.

At last they reached their destination and Mary-Rose helped her mother gather their belongings and they stepped off the train. 'Your grandparents should be waiting for us at the barrier.' said her mother and Mary-Rose peeped around people to look.

'There he is, mummy, the man in the carriage.'

'I can't see him,' said her mother, 'but there are your grandparents." A very nice lady and man greeted her mother then stooped down to hug Mary-Rose. They made a big fuss over her, which Mary-Rose quite liked. She looked at her grandfather and felt as if she knew him, and, glancing at her grandmother, saw tears in her eyes, which she was dabbing away with a lace handkerchief. They located the car and drove away down country lanes until they arrived at a big house set away from the road in a huge garden. Mary-Rose had never seen such a big house and looking up, saw the man in the uniform at one of the upstairs windows, 'Mummy, the man is here at the window; does he live here too?' Her mother said she couldn't see anyone and only her grandparents lived in the house.

After tea, Mary-Rose was feeling restless so her grandmother suggested a walk in the garden. Holding her grandmother's hand, which felt strange but comforting, they started to explore the rather large but beautiful grounds. Her grandmother pointed out the various flowers, shrubs and trees and, as Mary-Rose was looking at the old oak tree, she saw the man leaning against it, 'Grandma, who is that man in the uniform? He was on the train, on the platform and looking out of your window.'

'I can't see anyone, Mary-Rose, can you describe him?'

'Well, he was tall like grandpa and had fair hair that was quite short and he was a soldier.' Her grandma went very pale and said they should get back to the house. As soon as they were back inside grandma motioned to her mother and they left the room. Mary-Rose could hear them talking, then heard her mother sobbing, saying, 'I didn't have the strength or the words to tell her, so I thought we could tell her together. I know its cowardly but she never asked about him and I just couldn't spoil her happy life.'

When they came back into the room grandmother whispered to grandpa who nodded. He hugged her mother and went to a drawer in the desk taking out a photo frame. 'Mary-Rose,' he said, 'I'm going to show you a photograph.' and held it out to her. 'Is this the man you saw?'

'Yes,' said Mary-Rose, 'that's him. Who is it mummy, do you know him? . . . It's my father isn't it.' Her mother lifted her onto her lap and with a nod from grandma told her it was her father and he was a soldier who went to war but was killed in action when Mary-Rose was a baby.

'Mummy why have you left it so long to tell me? He must have wanted you to and that's why I saw him today as he knew we were coming to see grandma and grandpa. I am so happy to have seen him and to know I have a lovely family and now I can tell all my friends that I have got a daddy, but he lives in heaven.'

With that everyone cried, but with tears of love and joy.