Aunt Abbie Has Returned!

Abbie Buarkham was my father's aunt on his father's (my grandfather's) side of the family. She was my grandfather's sister. I do not remember anything definite about her other than the facts that she wore odd looking glasses and was referred to as "Aunt Abbie." I vaguely remember visiting her in her home when I was very little, but my main memory is that her husband was referred to as "Boss."

My dad used to have an entertaining story he told about "Boss." Apparently Mr. Boss could not see so well in his old age. One day Gene and one or two others (including, I seem to recall, an uncle of mine) enjoyed lunch or dinner at Boss' home. I do not remember any particular occasion being mentioned; perhaps there was no special occasion. At any rate, the meal included pinto beans.

At some point after what must have been a delicious meal, the table was cleared and the group decided to play dominos. When Texans decide to play dominos, they do just that, so it wasn't long before they were shuffling away. At some point in the game someone noticed that Mr. Boss was staring intently at something on the table. Remember that he was an older fellow - much older than the men around him - and his age was affecting him, especially his eyesight. The younger men at the table called one another's attention to the staring Boss and almost immediately they all began to snicker. Mr. Boss was staring intently at a lone pinto bean that had fallen onto the table and not been swept away when the table was cleared! Dad reported that Boss stared and moved his head down to the point where his nose almost touched the bean. He then realized what it was and sat back up, laughing, "Heh, heh." The men at the table considered it hilarious. It sounds somewhat drier since I am writing an account of it. Perhaps you "just had to be there."

Now, on to the "return of Aunt Abbie." Abbie Buarkham was the "favorite aunt" of my Dad's sister, who I'll call "Donna Hughes." I do not know if the feeling was mutual, but it seems as though Mrs. Buarkham's death had a devastating affect on Mrs. Hughes. This led to what has been conjectured to be an otherworldly encounter in the year of Mrs. Buarkham's death (1978).

If I am recalling the story correctly, the following tale was given by to me by a now deceased uncle who heard it directly from Charlie Hughes. The tale concerns Donna's being upset at not being able to visit "Aunt Abbie" at the hospital "to say goodbye" before she passed on into eternity. This weighed heavily on her mind as she and her husband, the aforementioned Charlie Hughes, lay in bed one night, either the night of the funeral or within a few days of it. According to my uncle, these two mourners retired, but did not go to sleep immediately. It seems he stated they were reading or watching television, but here my memory fails me.

During the course of their reading or television watching, an unearthly wind began to pick up outside. Almost immediately, they thought they heard the sound of someone approaching their closed bedroom door. They then sensed or imagined they sensed a presence! This presence was obviously the source of the unnatural wind and it was on the other side of the door! The door rattled: Donna was convinced that it was her favorite aunt, returned from the grave for "a last goodbye." She sat up in the bed.

"Abbie, if that's you, just come on in." said Donna. Then...nothing happened. Almost as suddenly as it had started, the wind ceased and the presence was gone. The unnatural wind could be heard as it faded into the distance...or back into eternity.

What was the source of these events of 1978? Overactive imaginations inspired by loss? A supernatural occurrence? A strange event of coincidence that defies explanation? Those involved suspected a visit from beyond, but no one knows to this day.

My uncle stated that the reaction of Charlie Hughes to the thought of a ghost being at the door was just the opposite of Donna's. As she sat up and invited the presence in, he slid down into the bed and pulled the covers over his head! The strange events convinced one that a favorite aunt had returned and the other that it was time to hide!

Later, according to my uncle, Charlie professed ignorance about the happenings of that night. When asked how he would react if the episode should repeat itself, he shook his head and sighed, admitting, "I know one thing. If she comes in, I'm gone!"

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