Did Ava have a visit from the grave?

Our trips up north to our hometown of Penetanguishene are almost always overnight stays at my parent’s house.

I remember living at home and feeling terrified once night time fell and darkness washed over the upstairs hallway. When I was little, I attributed my fear to the “evil” mirror placed at the end of the hallway right before the stairway. The hall light is right beside this mirror, and my bedroom is at the opposite end of the hall, so I would always turn off the light and make a mad dash to my bedroom.

One night, my mom caught me sleepwalking. She found me clawing at the mirror trying to get it off the wall.

Since I have moved away from home, I still to this day make that mad dash through the darkness to my bedroom, and still to this day feel the hairs on my neck stand on end if I am caught in the dark in that house.

My family thinks the ghost of my mom’s father (my Pépère) visits the McDonald family household.

Although there are many eerie things that have happened in that house, there are a few that particularly stand out in my mind.

The first story requires a bit of background. My brother had cataracts when he was only two years old. His entire life he has had to wear very thick glasses to correct his vision after his cataracts were removed. My Pépère also had cataracts, and wore the same thick glasses to see. One night, my brother’s friend was over. He had gone downstairs for something and when he came back upstairs, in the room immediately to his right (the computer room), he saw someone sitting in the chair at the desk wearing the distinctive cataract glasses. It was dark, so he couldn’t make out the face, but said to the figure sitting in the chair “Jay, what are you doing sitting in the dark?” The figure never responded, so he asked again, at which point my brother called out from across the hall that he was in his room!

One night Mark and I were visiting my parents, I was the last to go to bed. Mom and Dad were settled in their room, and Mark in my room. The door to my room was closed, and although it was dark, I could make out a figure (whom I thought was my mom) positioned in front of the door. She appeared to be listening through the door, face turned, ear against the door. I yelled, “Mom, WHAT are you doing?” I received no response. I turned on the light and there was nothing there.

We all hear footsteps climbing up and down the stairs at night. My dad has actually had taps turn on in front of him, and of course there is the dog who will bark or growl into the darkness at what appears to be nothing.

Last weekend, while Mark and I were sleeping, the door to our bedroom opened. I remember waking up the door opening and thinking, that’s strange; I had just gone to the washroom and absolutely remember closing the door tight. Mark got up and closed the door. Just as we were dozing off, the door opened again! This happened 4 times before we just decided to leave the door open as it was useless trying to keep it closed.

I wonder if my Pépère was coming to meet Ava? I know she certainly became active and started rolling and kicking up a storm when the door opened, but perhaps that was because my blood pressure and heart rate would go up.

Even if it was nothing, it is somewhat heart warming to think my Pépère wanted to meet Ava, and that is what I have chosen to believe for now!