I'm Grandma

This was written for:

ID: 1613719   (Rated: GC) I Want to Meet Your Characters  Caelen's contest -- an annual thing that runs for one day, every Halloween. by Satuawany

Hi. I’m Grandma from "The Empty House" . I’ve been dead for thirty years. I exist in the plane of reality you living people call, “The Other Side.” When I got here, I was a bit surprised to find out that “here” was an old, deteriorating wooden mansion, out in the country. I always loved the country. In fact, at first, I thought that’s why I was put here. But soon I realized that there were hundreds, no, thousands, no, innumerable souls here. Many came before I did, and many after. You’d think we’d be tripping over each other, but that’s not how this plane works. That’s not the problem.

The problem is that my Grandson, Michael, and his family moved in four months ago. They’re not dead. I never thought I’d see that as a problem, but it is very uncomfortable for those of us trying to rest in peace. The commotion caused by the living is enough to wake the dead! But I do have two wonderful, and playful great grandchildren. Amy’s eyes are light blue, like mine. And Tony has a sharp wit that he obviously got from me. And they’re loud. Very loud. They obviously got that from the great grandmother on their mother’s side of the family, who, by the way, is also here.

I did approach Michael about all this. I appeared to him one morning in the kitchen, because that’s where most of his memories place me. I loved to bake when I was alive. Cookies, cakes, and bread - I did it all. And I put out all the Jewish soul food - bagels, lox, kugel, stuffed brisket. Nowadays, I’m not all that hungry.

When I came to Michael, I tried to be gentle. I wore my old floppy nightgown and the ratty slippers that Michael would have expected me to wear. But I think I startled him. Go figure. We sat and talked. We watched the birds. He had coffee, which was the only part of the visit that caused me a pang of jealousy.

And I was able to show him that he didn’t belong here. Yet.

Life. Afterlife. I don’t think we will ever understand either realm. The logic is always circular, and it brings us all back to the beginning, which is to remind you to read more in "The Empty House"