During the Summers my brother and I would get the privilege of going to my auntie Anita’s house in Cabri, Saskatchewan and stay for a couple weeks. Either my mom and dad would drive us the whole way or my auntie would pick us up in Bashaw or meet us half way in Oyen to do the exchange.
Now my auntie lived in a very old farm house built in the late forties that was moved into town. I was young so I never understood at first why there was always an odd feeling in this house but not an unsafe one. This would be my very first experience that I can recall at this moment with the after life.
My cousin’s bedroom was in the basement at this point in time. I would always share a bed with her. I felt un nerved in the basement like someone was watching me. An older man. He was not scary but he was there. Just watching us kids all the time. I disliked being down there with no one else. He never bothered me though. Just stood back in the shadows and watched.
As kids visiting there, we always heard foot steps around the house. Late at night when everyone was sleeping, we would hear heavy steps above us walking around. In the mornings we would ask my auntie if someone has been up during the night and she would state no there hadn’t been anyone up. We would find in the mornings though the cupboard doors would all be wide open. Or items had been moved around the house. We would close the cupboard doors and carrying on playing for the day like it was nothing.
I remember one particular trip my mom and dad took us on to go visit my auntie spooked me to the point of tears. We pulled into town after midnight during a lightening storm. Have you ever seen a lightening storm in Saskatchewan? Well I will tell you its like no other lightening storm you will ever see. The sky stays lit with all colors and with chain lightening after chain lightening. The energy does not stop moving in the sky. Anyways with it being so late upon our arrival I wanted to go to bed. Everyone was still upstairs visiting and my cousin was not home so I went downstairs on my own. I was so tired I did not even think of the older man who prowled the house. I got my pajamas on and crawled under the sheets.
The storm was still going on and lighting up the basement as I fell asleep. A short while later I woke up to my cousin crying or so I thought it was my cousin. I called out to her and asked her what was wrong but she did not answer, she just continued crying. When I rolled over, I realized no one else was in the bed with me. I sat up and began screaming for my mom and dad. There in the corner was a little boy in red overalls and a blue shirt wearing a blue ball cap and holding a light jacket crying. He looked up at me with tears streaming down his face. He began to cry louder and put his head back down. My mom and dad came running downstairs and I told them what I saw. They all thought maybe I had a bad dream. But I saw this little boy sitting on the steps days later looking just as sad as that night but this time no tears.
Throughout the years there continued to be strange on goings in the house and to this day as well. My auntie does acknowledge this and acknowledges the man in the house. Its just a way of life as he does not bother anyone.
Another experience I had at my aunties was years later when I was when twelve years old. My brother was sixteen and had his drivers’ licence. My mom was working in camp and it was Christmas Day. We had just had Christmas with my dad and my brother asked if we could drive to Cabri to see my auntie for a couple days. My dad said yes and away we went. Our first road trip together just the two of us.
The trip went well and we stayed up quite late visiting when we got there. This time my cousin’s bed room was upstairs and was shared with my other cousin. When I became tired, I went up to the bed. The foot of the bed looked down the stairs. I had a wonderful sleep and woke to daylight. Still keeping my eyes closed and both my cousins asleep upstairs I heard what I thought was my auntie or uncle walking up the stairs. They walked away from the foot of the bed and walked around my other cousin’s bed, then came around to the bed I was sleeping in to my cousin’s side. They stopped. In my mind I was wondering what my auntie and uncle were doing. Then they started again and came to my side of the bed. As soon as they stopped right beside my face BAM! The alarm clock went off!!! I jumped up and screamed! My auntie and uncle were not there! Just my two cousins.
I spoke with my auntie on June 6th, 2020. She informed me that after her children moved out her and my uncle were playing crib on a Winter’s night. They both heard a baby crying. My Auntie tried to get my uncle to acknowledge that it was something more. He stated, maybe its cats fighting and the window is open. My auntie laughed as it was cold out and the window was shut. When they went to bed, they turned off the lights and my auntie stubbed her toe on the way to bed. A few hours she awoke to the kitchen light on. She woke up my Uncle and he said she must have forgotten to turn it off. She reminded him she stubbed her toe in the dark. Now fear in our family makes us angry. Feeling unnerved my auntie got mad. Got up, opened the back door and told him enough was enough! She had to work in the morning and did not have time for his games and he needed to get out right now! The house has been quiet ever since.