Uncle Rocker
About two year ago,I had an encounter that left me (always the skeptic) with lessskepticism than I ever dreamed possible.
My husband and I were visiting my Mother-in-law at her ranch inMariposa.
We were sleeping in twin beds in the same back bedroom that wehave always stayed when we visit her.
However, one night I had the overwhelming feeling (even as Iwrite this I can feel the goosebumps rise on my flesh) thatsomeone was watching. I sat up in bed and at the foot of the bedin an antique rocker was sitting an elderly gentleman. I couldsee him quite clearly. He was solid and his eyes were lookingdirectly into mine.
We stared at each other for some time, not moving or speaking. Myfirst thought was that as my Mother-in-law lived in such a remotearea that some elderly person had simply wandered in.
Then I spoke to him, "Who are you?" I asked. "Andwhy are you watching me?" He never spoke back but onlycontinued to stare directly into my eyes.
However, I heard my husband stir as if he had sat up in bed. Isaid to my husband while holding the man's gaze, "John, doyou see that?" When my husband did not answer, Iinstinctively shifted my eyes for a second to see that he had notsat up, but simply rolled over in his sleep.
When I looked back at the rocker, the man was gone!
There was no way that man could have gotten all the way to thebedroom door in that instant that I averted my eyes, nor escapedout any window.
I sat up for some time thinking about it, and it was some hours,a late nite episode of Taxi reruns in the living room and a tripto the kitchen for a glass of water, before I was able to go backto sleep.
When I awoke the next morning I would have dismissed it as adream, if not for the fact that the empty water glass was therebeside my bed and I had left the TV on in the living room, stilltuned in to Nick-at-Nite.
I talked with my husband about it, as the details were stillfresh in my mind (indeed, they are as fresh today as they werethen). But I was a bit embarrassed to mention it to my Mother-in-law,(well, you can imagine why!)
It was not until this year, that my husband brought the subjectup while we were, again, visiting my Mother-in-law. And at herinsistance, I described the man in great detail.
She got a strange look on her face and went to the shelf whereshe pulled down an old photo album. She asked me to look throughit. After a few pages, I found a picture of the old man I saw inthe rocker that night.
She identified it as her deceased husband's uncle. He had livedin that house since he was a child, and that room had been his.His prized possession was that antique rocker and as he advancedin years, he spent most of his declining years in his favoriterocker.
Her thoughts are that he was simply interested to see who wasoccupying his room or wished to once again take pleasure in hisbeloved rocker.
As for me, I am not sure what I saw. But I know that I am not thestaunch skeptic that I was before.
We have stayed in that room many times since then and will staythere again. I have never seen him again, but to this day, not anight goes by when I am in that room that I don't look over atthe rocker to see if it is giving pleasure to one tired, elderlyman.
Believe or don't believe - at least you have a choice. I don't. Iwas there and though I am not sure what it was, I know for a factthat I saw it!