Creative Writing Challenge #14-A Ghost Story

Skipping ahead a bit but this one was just "there" this morning and I needed to get it out of the way.

Her side:
“A ghost?”

Spoken more as a statement than a question with that look he reserves for my more “whackadoodle” comments and ideas.

“Yes. A ghost. I don’t know any other way to describe it. I was out in the garden…”

I might as well have been talking to a ghost ‘cause when I turn at last to face him all I see is the closing door.

~~~~~
His side:

What am I supposed to do with this? Seeing ghosts? Seriously? She can’t be serious. It’s another of her little fantasies that make her feel like she’s part of that group of whackadoodles she hangs out with at the coffeehouse.

“Jeez, maybe we need to take a vacation.”

~~~~~

Her side:

He’s always rolling his eyes and making faces at the things I like. He can’t stand the music I play in the car so I just don’t play it anymore. He won’t drink the coffee I make, says it’s too “fru-fru” for him and what’s wrong with good old Folgers anyway? I knew he wouldn’t believe me. He thinks I make this stuff up so I’ll fit in with my friends down at “Mochalatta”, but that isn’t true. I’ve never had the ability to get beyond the here and now, never felt something was going to happen and then it does, never seen things that couldn’t possibly be there.

Until now.

I’m almost afraid to go back out to the garden. That’s where I saw her three days ago. I was cleaning out the iris beds and felt someone close by. When I turned to look there was a woman bent over the vegetable patch pulling the last of the dead bean runners up. I just froze, then finally turned my head to check that the back gate was still closed. When I looked back, she was gone.

It’s taken me this long to get up the guts to tell him and his reaction is exactly as I knew it would be! He thinks I’m making it up.

Well, ok then. I’ll just drop it like it didn’t happen. Unless I see her again. But if she’s back today I’m either going to have to find someone to tell who’ll believe me or I’m going to have to book an appointment with a shrink.
Maybe I am making it up in my head to fit in. Maybe I’m crazy.

“THAT would make him happy!!”

~~~~~

His side:

Maybe I don’t give her enough attention. That’s why she’s always off and gone to meet the whackadoodles. And maybe I need to lay off the name calling too. Not all of those people are nutty. The one’s a teacher and really does seem to have some common sense in spite of all the hocus-pocus she’s always spouting.

What’s her name? Gabby? Gerty?
Abby; that’s it. Maybe I’ll suggest we invite Abby to dinner and see if she can hold a normal conversation.

Why is the traffic so bad today? Oh great, some dumbass caused a wreck. Guess I should call home…

~~~~~

Her side:

Ok, iris beds are cleaned and trimmed. Dead stuff’s in the compost heap. Cabbages and pumpkins are watered in; those’ll be ready to pick in a couple more weeks. I’ll have jack-o-lanterns in time for Hallowe’en! Wonder what time it is? Where’d I put my phone? Guess my garden ghost decided not to help today.

Well, I’ll just grab a shower and head over to Mochalatta and see if anyone’s around.

Her side:

Cool, looks like Abby’s already inside. I hope she brought that book she wanted me to read. Gah, traffic’s a nightmare. You’d think they’d notice a pedestrian…

~~~~~

Abby:

“What the hell was that? Sounds like someone’s going to be calling a tow truck. Wait, was someone crossing the str… oh, SHIT!!”

~~~~~

His side:

What a beating!! Good thing we live in a neighborhood with more than one way in and out. There’s her cell, no wonder she didn’t pick up. No dinner started. No shower running. She must be out back, communing with her new friend. Should be just enough daylight yet to get the compost turned. Gotta get out of the monkey suit first.

~~~~~

Abby:

“I haven’t known her long; we met over there at the coffeehouse. She and her husband live somewhere close but I’ve never been to her house. And usually she has her cell with her; maybe it flew out of her hand when that car hit her. Could one of the firemen maybe look for it, I don’t know any other way to reach her husband. Oh, are you ready to go? Can I ride with you? I’m just a friend, but… ok, in the front?”

~~~~~

His side:

Ok, so she must have walked over to the coffeehouse. I’ll go pick her up and we can grab a sandwich on the way home. But first, I’ll give the compost a good turn. Give all the whacka… all of her friends time to leave so she’ll be ready to come home when I get there.

Doctor:

“I’m sorry, ma’m, but we did all we could. The head injury was too extensive, too much bleeding inside her skull. Were you able
to reach her family?”

~~~~~

Abby:

“I’m so sorry. I never thought to ask her last name or where your house was. We’d only known each other for such a short time and there seemed so many things to talk about with her that the details just got lost along the way. Anyway, I am sorry for your loss. For our loss. She was such a beautiful person, such an extraordinary mind. I think she could have been very intuitive, but she just hadn’t learned how to be still yet and let it come.”

His side:

“Did she tell you about the ghost? In the garden? She saw a ghost a few days be… before the accident.”

Abby:

“No!! How wonderful. What happened?”

~~~~~

His side:

I really should get out and clean up the garden; the realtor said it would help sell the house if the yard was in better shape. I just don’t know if I can stand to be out there and know she isn’t coming back.
Maybe I’ll just sod over it. I just wish…

Nope. That’s not good. The therapist said to push through the pain and find a way to move on. Ok, garden it is! The sooner I get the place looking perfect, the sooner I can sell it. And the sooner I can sell it the sooner I can find a way to forgive myself… oh, God!!

His side:

She wanted pumpkins for jack-o-lanterns. Maybe I should leave the garden space, spruce it up some and make it look inviting. Maybe the next family will have a couple of kids who’ll want jack-o-lanterns. I could get some seeds at the garden center and start a few plants. Whew, it’s hot work doing all this digging alone. She never complained about that part. She never complained about a lot of stuff. I just didn’t take the time to notice until it was too late.

What the… who the hell is THAT? It couldn’t be…

His side:

What's her number? God, my hands are shaking so hard!! What's her stupid number???

Abby:
Oop, there's my phone. Aw, poor thing, he’s never going to be able to move on…

His side:

“Hey Abby, I know you’ll think I’m crazy, but I’m pretty sure I just saw a ghost…”