LITMIR.BIZ

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He is a large man with full lips and shining brown eyes.

      With a heavy Southern accent, the spirit’s introduction comes out slow and drawn out. “Aahm Wesley. Aahm here to help you, boy.”

      He takes a drag of his cigarette and stands up. Mason notices that the man is wearing a dark-gray pin-striped suit in the fashion of a Southern gentleman. The gold chain of a pocket watch is hanging elegantly from his trousers.

      “Where did you come from?” Mason asks.

      “Same place as awll of your uninvited guests. But aahm not heeah because your mama summoned me, boy. Aahm heeah fow you and aah have waited a looong time fow ma prodigy to come of age. An’ now, well, heeah we both awe, of sound body and mind!”

      He lets out a roaring laugh as he lays his left hand on his heaving belly. This figure, which doesn’t look like a ghost but a real man, has the strongest supernatural presence that Mason has ever felt. A force to be reckoned with, for sure, but whether or not that force is for good or evil, Mason can’t tell. Nonetheless, at this first introduction, he is intrigued.

      “There is so much aah need to show you.” Wesley puts his hand on Mason’s shoulder, and suddenly the two of them are transported to a different place and time. Mason finds himself surrounded by breathtaking oak trees. Some of their thick branches curve upward toward the blue sky and others extend outward. Moss hangs from the branches so low it nearly dips into the most reflective pond Mason has ever seen. The surface of the pond is an exact replica of the colorful azaleas, daffodils, and camellias growing all around.

      “Welcome to Charleston, South Carolina. This is the plantation where aah was born and raised. Life in South Carolina in the 1920s was rough. In 1921, the boll weevil migration to the cotton fields of South Carolina from Mexico wiped out the sea island cotton crop. We endured years of drought. Farmlands had lost half their value, and one third of the state’s farms were mortgaged.

      “Aah was only twenty-one years old then, just a few years older than you, and next in line, after my older brother William, to inherit the plantation. The previous year, our father caught malaria and passed on. William took control of the plantation with his pretty new bride, Grace. That summer, Grace’s cousin, Charlotte, from Boston came to stay with us. One look at her and aah was in love. The first evening of her stay, Charlotte sang for us. Boy, this girl sang like a nightingale. Aah swore to myself that aah would not go a single day on this earth without hearing that voice, so help me God.

      “Charlotte and aah would stroll through the gardens on the plantation most afternoons. Those are my most cherished memories. One particular such day, Charlotte wore the most exquisite green dress that brought out the green in her greenish blue eyes. We walked on the dirt path along the pond, with bright camellias occasionally brushing our necks and yellah daffodils up to our knees.

      “She told me how she loved the movies and wanted nothing more than to be a famous Hollywood actress. Whenever and as often as she could, Charlotte would go to the movies. Sometimes, we went together. Her favorite was The Queen of Sheba, a silent film about the ill-fated romance between Solomon, King of Israel, and the Queen of Sheba. Charlotte loved the lavish costumes and performances by Betty Blythe and Fritz Leiber. Aah loved when Charlotte would reenact scenes from the film with over-the-top drama, often falling into my arms as aah caught her after a near miss.”

      Mason listens carefully as the large Southern gentleman rambles on about his life. Mason knows that this story will have some tragic ending, otherwise, this soul would be resting peacefully. Mason considers ending this charade as he had heard at least a dozen of these tales…although this was the first time a spirit made first contact entirely on its own, rather than having been summoned by Hannah via request of the deceased’s family. This spirit had been dead a long time and was not one of those recently departed. Plus, Mason had never been transported anywhere by a ghost. How was this possible? No one in his family had ever described traveling to a different time and place via a ghost. Why is this happening, and why did this ghost choose Mason?

      Wesley continues with his story. “It was one autumn evening that would change our lives forever. The day was unusually hot for that time of year as it must have been over ninety-five degrees. After dinner, Charlotte and aah thought we might catch a breeze on a late-night stroll. As we walked, we heard music coming from somewhere far off. We listened carefully and picked up the sounds of guitar, saxophone, and drums…it was jazz. We had heard it be-fo-wah, but as we followed the music, we heard people too. They were dancing what today y’all call the Charleston. The Charleston had only recently gained some popularity here in South Carolina, although most places banned it.

      “We walked up to the slaves’ cabin located in the southeast end of the plantation, opened the door, and walked inside. The music stopped when they saw us, but Charlotte started to hum, tap her feet, and dance without music. Aah stood there, motionless, speechless. The drummer started to play and each musician, after seeing that aah did not object, also began to play. In a minute, everyone was in full swing again. Charlotte pulled me close and said, ‘It’s four basic steps, arms swinging loosely in the opposite direction of the legs. This is amazing!’ She smiled, and aah couldn’t resist joining her in this uninhibited dance.

      “The next morning over breakfast, Charlotte oozed excitement as she described the evening in detail to Grace and William. ‘I never felt so alive! The music was incredible, it was like the drums were beating in my chest…’ Grace, looking shocked, snapped out of her frozen state and interrupted Charlotte, ‘Wait, are you telling me you were inside the slaves’ cabins, dancing? Wesley, you allowed this? Do you know how bad this makes us look?’ William added, ‘Aah don’t believe this, Wesley. How are we supposed to run a plantation if we are dancing with our own field hands!’ Charlotte and aah followed William as he stormed angrily around the corner into his office.” William slammed his hand on the wooden desk in front of him.

      Mason has been watching this story unfold with Wesley beside him relaying occasional bits and pieces of information. But now, Mason’s focus shifts to the same desk William’s hand has come down hard on. He recognizes that wood grain, and as his eyes travel around and down the side of the desk, the legs are unmistakably the same as those of the desk in Mason’s bedroom. Wesley notices Mason’s realization and states, “It’s the same desk, an antique now.”

      “But I don’t understand, how did your desk end up in my room? Is that what brought you here?” Mason asks.

      “Heavens no. The desk did not bring me to you. Aah made sure the desk would end up in good hands. Aah chose you not just to be the owner of the beloved desk my father built but for what you must do. That which aah was unable to complete in my life.”

      “I don’t understand,” Mason says the words slowly with an obvious tone of annoyance.

      “Patience, Mason. You will see and you will understand,” Wesley replies.

      Wesley continues with his tale. “Irritated, Charlotte told William and Grace that she could never live the way they do, with their rigid rules, orders, and obligations. William explained that she was too young and apparently too naive to understand what it means to be an adult with responsibilities. ‘If y’all lived as free as y’all would like, there’d be no plantation or money to buy y’all fancy dresses and tickets to movies and trips to all parts of the country in the finest trains,’ he said.

      “As the argument heated, Charlotte stormed out, and aah headed out after her. When we were finally alone, we were sitting on her silken chase lounge. She was upset and more beautiful than ever. With the sunlight coming in through the window and her eyes glistening, aah leaned in and kissed her, slowly. Her anger had made her lips unusually warm, and aah placed my hand above her chest. It was so warm, and aah could feel her every breath…steady and then intensify slightly. Charlotte wasn’t shy, not ever. As she pulled away from our kiss, Charlotte looked in my eyes, and aah swear she could see right into my soul. With the most serious expression, she said, ‘Let’s leave together. We do not belong at this plantation.’

      “After a long discussion with William and Grace, they agreed that Charlotte and aah travel together to Boston, Massachusetts, with one condition: that we

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