A True Ghost Story

My grandfather's house at Maypajo It was built in year nineteen o' five Of the sturdy wood 'kamagong' And for ninety long years it survived. It had delicate capiz- shelled windows And hard wooden planks for its floors Wide beams on ceilings that show Fine architecture and Spanish decor. In the twenties it held various parties And its rooms may have held many guests My aunts and my Mom were real beauties And I'm sure many gents laid their quests. But the second World War had been deadly The Japanese fired many a mortar Its plastered walls bared testimony To the ugly devastation of war. That house witnessed many departures As its tenants soon married away. Grandfather, its permanent fixture He would walk its rooms night and day. But the years saw him slowly yielding To the rigors of approaching old age Like his old house that was depreciating He was closing and turning Time's page. At death bed he had wanted to see (For the house in his will was not clear) His second daughter, my dear Aunt Nellie Was summoned for some things she should hear. But alas, it was rather too late And the dying man's word left unsaid For Death was the guest who can't wait When Aunt Nellie came, he was dead. Aunt Nellie claimed the property Said she had the title to her name Though her four siblings begged to disagree Her lawyers legalized it all the same The house boldly stood through the years, But there were some weird happenings The neighbors and people had fears, Some saw an old man at night... walking. Some said when they looked for my aunt An old man peered through the window Informed them that the house was vacant And to church my aunt with her son did go. My own brother's nanny had witnessed it In a story that turned up our hairs She turned to see an old man without feet In slow motion descending the stairs! We showed her Grandfather's old photo And she point blank said 'That's him! ' The man she saw in white tuxedo Had been roaming the house at whim. Though I have never seen a ghost And consider them just halloween fun This true story is fearful at the most In that house, the old man there walks on. - This is a true story, and the house, though sold and renovated, still has its 'permanent tenant' and many have seen him. Copyright Cynthia Buhain Baello February 6,2010 Philippines