Ghost Stories

Father's Hugs

I grew up in anextremely rural area. I never had any other children my own ageto play with, so I spent all my time with my father. We becamevery close right from the time I was born (he was 50 when I wasborn). My mother was very sick when I was young and my fathertook care of me while she was in the hospital. Unless I was inschool I could usualy be found by his side, working in thegarden, or garage. I even went with him when ever he went tovisit his friends.

When I was 15 hegot really sick. and passed away a month (Dec. 9th) before my 16thbirthday. He had spent most of the previous 5 monthshospitalized, and even though no one said it, I knew he was dying.About 2 days before he died he began to slip in and out of a coma.I stayed by his side, against my mothers wishes (she thought mygoing to school was more important than being with my dad). Ieven slept curled up on the bed beside him. The day before hedied she went to make the funeral arangements. and I went withher, because my dad had asked me to. While we were gone my fatherslipped further into the coma. I spent the night with him, andall the next day.

Around 4:30pm mymother and sister convinced me to go with them to my sistershouse for supper. We left for my sisters place, about 15 minutesfrom the hospital. We walked in the door and I wanted to leave,because I got a real sick feeling in my stomach. My mother andsister weere in the middle of telling me that it was just nerves,when the phone rang. It was the Hospital. They said to come back,because my dad had taken a turn for the worse. We left imediately.

About 3 minutesfrom the hospital there is a set of train tracks. As we werecrossing the tracks, I got a reall strange feeling. Like someonewas hugging me. I said goodbye daddy, out loud. Moments later wereached the hospital. When we got off the elevator there was anurse waiting for us. My father had passed away 5 minutes earlier.I truely believe that he came to me in the car to say goodbye.

When he passedaway, I lost my best friend. . . or did I. It will be 10 years onthe 9th of December. I often feel like he's sitting here with me,just like when I was little. Some times I feel like I'm goingcrazy. Whenever I get upset, or really stressed out, I feel apresence. and I feel as if someone is giving me a hug. It's hardto describe.

My family nevertalkes about my dad. With my mom it's almost like he neverexisted. My sister talked of him once about 2 years after he died.She asked me how I knew when he died, when we were in the car.She says she never dreams of him. I dream he's here sometimes. .. I wake up to the smell of french toast sometimes (he alwayscooked french toast for me on Sundays). Sometimes I think myroomate smells it too, because she'll come down stairs and thinkI'm cooking when I'm not. Some times I wake up with my hairbraided, when It wasn't braded when I went to sleep. And one ofmy Ex-boyfriends said he always felt like he was being watchedwhen he was with me. And that the person watching was trying toprotect me.