A Medium's Birthday Surprise Read online

  “I don’t know how we got here, Justin,” Joyce had said. She looked around confused, noticing that her children seemed stunned to see them, but her husband was still unaware of that.

  “What do you mean, Joyce? We’re home. We know where ‘home’ is, for goodness sakes!” Justin had snarkily remarked. “I tell you, Joyce, the older you get the less sense you make at times.”

  “No, now hold on, Justin,” Joyce had shot back. “We were just on the highway… in that awful bottleneck on I-40, remember? We were watching all the craziness. Some poor fools were…,” her voice had trailed off, just as a fist loudly hammered on the front door.

  In shock, Bobby went to answer the door; Becky and Barbara crowded close behind him all-the-while staring at their parents in disbelief and alarm. Something was terribly wrong and they knew it. They simply didn’t know what to say or do about it.

  “Are you next of kin for Justin and Joyce Tibbs?” the tall uniformed officer had asked.

  “Yes,” Bobby had replied, holding his breath. He looked at Barbara and Becky, shaking his head in sadness and then he pulled both of his sisters close, holding onto them securely in his strong arms.

  In the meantime, although, she hadn’t known it was fatal, Joyce had excitedly tried to explain their traffic accident to her husband. She talked nonstop while the Trooper had given the death notification to their children. Becky was twenty-one at the time. Bobby was twenty-three, and Barbara was twenty-five.

  When Justin and Joyce had heard the officer’s bad news they began to realize they were no longer among the living, but Justin didn’t take the news very well. He stood toe-to-toe with the man in uniform arguing that they were very much alive. The officer was unaware that a six foot man was shouting in his face and continued to give his rehearsed speech. It was the only way he could do it without crying too. It always broke him up to have to give the death notification.

  Joyce finally pulled Justin away and they sat at the dining room table for a while as they accepted the truth of their situation. They were dead. They considered their fate and the future of their children. They were rattled and confused, but nonetheless very dead, and the acceptance of that was difficult and shocking. Their biggest surprise, however, was that their children could see them even though the police officer could not.

  “What the hell is going on?” Justin had demanded. “How come the kids can see us but no one else can?”

  “Wait just a minute,” Joyce had interjected, talking loudly over everyone else. “It skips a generation. My mother had the gift just like her grandmother before her. It missed me, but I suppose it’s genetic.”

  “What?” Justin had argued. “What the heck are you talking about, Joyce?”

  “I’m talking about the gift of sight. Our children, all three of them have the gift now. It was passed down to them from my side of the family,” Joyce said.

  “You’re talking crazy, Joyce. Absolute craziness! Something like this isn’t inherited… it can’t be. It has to be learned. What are these kids going to do without someone to teach them?”

  “Oh shut it, Justin. They’ll manage. We reared good, strong children. And, they’ll handle it. They always do,” Joyce had retorted. Her voice softened as she looked at her children, “Bobby darling, the will is in your father’s desk, bottom drawer on the left. You three take care of each other and never forget how much we love you,” she’d said as a final remark before escaping the insanity of the moment.

  Shouting a goodbye to his three children, Justin had quickly followed his wife’s example.

  The State Trooper had hemmed and hawed for a few more minutes and then he left as soon as he could. He’d felt awful. Notifications were the hardest part of the job. He hated telling folks their loved ones were dead.

  Chapter 4

  After that night, everything changed for the Tibbs family. They grieved the loss of their parents, but it was worse for them than for most that had to bury their loved ones. They’d actually seen the spirits of their dead Mom and Dad and it rattled them to the core. What did it mean and how would they handle such a thing? Their mother had said it was a gift, but in the beginning, it felt more like a curse to each of them.

  On top of dealing with their own losses, word had spread quickly among the dead: New mediums were in town.

  Becky, Bobby, and Barbara were inundated by the spirits of the recently departed throughout North Carolina and its nearby and bordering states. It seemed as if every soul for hundreds of miles that had unfinished business with the living sought them out. Not only that, but soon, older ghosts, those who had been dead for decades and beyond, sought an audience with the new mediums.

  These spirits came with messages for loved ones; last requests; and final instructions. They came hoping to get justice for some wrong they’d suffered. Life as the Tibbs children had known it was over, because now, there was an endless barrage of unwelcome and uninvited guests wanting help. These visitors were an annoying reminder that their parents were dead.

  And there was no one around to help them. There weren’t any classes such as Medium 100 or Death 101, offered at UNCA and there weren’t any other mediums in town. That being said, there was no one with whom they could consult for instruction or training. There were a couple of psychics and lots of tarot readers, but it didn’t take Becky long to realize that their area of expertise was entirely different – Psychics could see some things and tarot readings gave some information, but none of it was useful when dealing with ghosts. They didn’t ordinarily see dead people or hear them.

  As the eldest, Barbara didn’t want to handle it. She didn’t want to ‘manage’ as her mother had so aptly implied. She wanted out of it and she wanted it out of her. She wanted to return to college and finish her doctorate in social studies. But even as she did so, there were plenty of spirits to contend with on campus and in Raleigh. Unable to concentrate on her studies, Barbara soon imagined her only option for peace was to seek psychiatric help.

  Bobby didn’t really want to handle it either. He joined the army to put some distance between the new development and the family home, mistakenly thinking it was somehow connected. Little did he know that every dying and already dead soldier in the war torn area would find their way to him. That’s when Bobby began to drink a lot. He drank far more than he should because the alcohol numbed his senses and kept a ghost’s pleadings to only a dim hum... A low-keyed buzz that he could ignore for the most part. Bobby had tried cannabis first, but if anything, its psychedelic effect only enhanced and heightened his abilities.

  Becky didn’t really have a choice. She had to stay put in the family home. She’d already graduated from UNCA and had little interest in furthering her education. With Barb and Bobby skipping out on her, someone had to take over the family business and the upkeep of the family residence. Before Bobby and Barb had bailed, they’d signed over their interests in the four-bedroom home as well as the antique store to Becky.

  So all of it, everything her parents’ hard work had ever accomplished and acquired, suddenly became Becky’s sole responsibility even though she was the youngest. The weight and burden of such a massive undertaking soon developed into a few extra pounds as Becky turned to food for comfort.

  She wasn’t tall and slender like Barbara or tall and buff like Bobby. Becky thought of herself as rather short and dumpy compared to her handsome siblings. Without Barb and Bobby’s emotional support, food was her only solace.

  In all honesty, Becky was the only one of the three who took spirit visitations in stride. She was the only one of the three who was able to handle the strange, late-night visits and supplicating pleas from ghosts. Her mild disposition and desire to help were her greatest assets when it came to her new role.

  Becky didn’t mind helping ghosts, but she also had to make a living. The more she helped spirits the less time she had to work in the antique shop or to scout for new merchandise which kept the store successful. The store itself became her base of operation,
but still, Becky found that she had to close it more often than she wanted in order to help the recently departed.

  Ghosts were more prevalent than most people could imagine. If ignored, they could become angry and confused. Sometimes, while experiencing such disorder and disorientation, they created a lot of havoc for the living. They often scared tourist and visitors on purpose. They ‘haunted’ familiar places, turning over trashcans, causing street lights to explode, and generally making a nuisance of themselves.

  Eventually, her abilities became well-known in certain circles. It wasn’t long before Becky received calls from nearby towns and cities. She received requests to come ascertain if their annoying problem was really a ghost problem. If the pesky trouble cut into tourism and visitor revenues, the city wanted it gone and would pay handsomely to attain that end.

  Chapter 5

  The birthday celebration her siblings had insisted she hold at the family home didn’t change the fact that spirits could be and were often inconsiderate. At times, departed souls had a one-track mind and were on a mission. Frequently, they only knew what they wanted and what was urgent to them. They were often determined to get a solution as quickly as possible. More than one special event had been interrupted by the persistence of a ghost.

  At other times, they were scattered and forgetful, like Josh. If their deaths had been quick and violent, they couldn’t seem to wrap their heads around the trauma of it. They sometimes felt lost and unprepared to enter the spirit realm. Often, they disappeared for long periods of time. Still, even with her vast understanding of ghosts, Becky had never seen a case where the spirit had been gone as long as Josh had without realizing they were dead.

  Asheville, North Carolina was founded in 1794. A very old city indeed but the area had been populated by a considerable number for many years before it was ever an established township. Yes, anyone would agree that it was an old city, but the Blue Ridge Mountains were, by comparison, ancient. For millennia, many had lived and died in those heavily forested inclines which peaked at 6,684 feet.

  There was always a ghost or spirit to deal with from some point in the area’s long past history. Becky found that for most of those very old and lost souls, the best she could do was to help them cross-over and return to the light. Far too much time had passed for her to be able to assist them with any unfinished business.

  Helping a ghost crossover required finesse and confidence. Sometimes, Becky had to convince the ghost that it was in their best interest to return to the other side. But for most, as soon as she opened a doorway, they were eager to return to the light and their loved ones. Becky could never see anything past the portal which was filled with bright white-light, but from the many comments she’d overheard, she knew that once the entrance was open, the dead on this side saw something wonderful on the other side and were eager to return.

  After a nice hot shower, Becky went back downstairs to have that cup of coffee she’d desperately needed earlier. At least this time, she’d dressed for the day in crisp yellow cotton slacks and a matching top. She’d brushed her wild tresses into some semblance of order too, wrangling the unruly stands into a single braid down the back of her head.

  She’d fussed over her hair the usual amount of time. And, as a normal part of her routine, she’d also wished she had a wonderful mane of auburn like Barbara. Her sister’s hair didn’t frizz into a tangled mass each time it rained or the humidity peaked like her truly copper hair did.

  Becky had also spent a few moments critically examining her face. For the millionth time, she wished she didn’t have so many freckles. And, she wished that her nose was button perfect like her sister’s.

  At the sight of her slightly bent nose she muttered, “Dang that Bobby. If he hadn’t broken my nose when I was ten, it wouldn’t be so crooked today!” She complained even though she knew it wasn’t really Bobby’s fault… She’d been the one to start the tussle. She’d been the one who had tried to grab the Gameboy out of his hand. His elbow had done the rest. Still, she wished her nose was as perfect as her sister’s.

  It wasn’t that she was jealous of Barbara. She loved her older sister very much. She saw Barbara as perfect and she envied that perfection. As the youngest, Becky had watched as her sister conquered the confusing maze of school popularity with ease. Barb was a cheerleader, prom queen, class beauty, and honor student. Barbara was loved by her teachers and peers the same way while Becky played clarinet in the band and was generally unnoticed by students and faculty alike. When Becky had finally had her first and only boyfriend, Josh Edwards, she was on cloud-nine.

  Until then, Becky had felt invisible, especially when compared to Barbara, the bright shining star of the family. Barbara set the bar for all things cool and wonderful… all the things that Becky had wished she could be. Eventually, after Barbara had graduated and gone off to college… after she was no longer the example that Becky held for herself, Becky accepted that she was her own person and would never be like her sister no matter how hard she tried.

  Becky finally outgrew her sister’s shadow.

  Chapter 6

  Back downstairs, Becky took a fresh cup of coffee to the patio and enjoyed the nice mild weather. In the mountains it never got as hot as it did in other southern locations. She was grateful for that. As she sipped the coffee and absorbed the first dose of caffeine of the day, she wondered what to do about Josh. Why couldn’t he see the truth?

  To be honest, Becky didn’t really know what had happened to Josh that night. She recalled the last time she’d seen him. Like he’d said, they had slow-danced under the Christmas tree lights her parents had installed in the backyard and around the patio. It was a nice, romantic touch that had nothing to do with the Christmas season... Just pretty twinkling lights that they’d hung up to please her and to give her party some extra sparkle.

  Becky still used them to set the ambience on each occasion when she had company over whether social or family gatherings. She’d use them again tonight for the family party, her birthday bash.

  Her thoughts once again returned to Josh and the last time she had seen him. They’d been dancing when Josh’s phone pinged notification of a text message. Not everyone had a cell phone back then. She certainly didn’t. Her parents had thought the idea of spending money on such a thing was frivolous. Becky didn’t get her first cell phone until she was at college three years later. She’d purchased it herself from the money she earned working part-time at the UNCA bookstore. It was the convenience factor of Becky’s phone that had influenced Justin and Joyce to also get a cell phone.

  Back then, Becky had thought that having a cell phone made Josh even more special and mysterious. At sixteen, she had been easily impressed. Becky chuckled at that aspect of the memory, but soon got serious again. She needed to remember every detail.

  That night, on her sixteenth birthday, Josh had become agitated after reading the text. He’d told her he had to leave. It was only ten o’clock and the party wouldn’t end until midnight. Becky had been heartbroken.

  At the time, Becky was wild about Josh. She’d known him since second grade and they had gone through many stages in their relationship. They had fought and played together as young kids, they had competed with each other in middle school, they’d been enemies in junior high, and they had become boyfriend-girlfriend during their first year of high school. She had fully expected that they would date throughout college.

  When he told her he had to leave her party, she didn’t want him to go, but he’d said it was urgent. Even her tears hadn’t been able to persuade him to stay. She recalled that her parents had comforted her when he had rushed away, leaving her dateless at her own ‘sweet-sixteen’ party. Josh had promised to come back before the party was over… but he didn’t return.

  The next day, his body was found off I-26, almost twenty miles away. No one knew how or why he was discovered so far away from West Asheville. Cause of death was a broken neck, but the officials never ruled his death as suspici
ous. Josh was just dead and Becky had cried a river of tears.

  Of course, at that time, Becky’s ability hadn’t awakened. She didn’t see spirits. She didn’t even believe in ghosts or anything else considered supernatural. Even if Josh had come to her, she would have never known he was there. She wouldn’t have known how to talk to him or assist him either. That part of her ability took time and experience to develop.

  It was all very strange that Josh didn’t know he was dead. It was very peculiar that she had never seen or heard a peep out of him through the many years after she had learned to help ghosts.

  Where has he been all this time?

  How and why did he die?

  Why did he choose this birthday in particular to return?

  What was the significance of ten years to the day?

  Chapter 7

  Becky continued to think about Josh off and on all day as she went about preparations for the party. First, she did a little grocery shopping and bought the ribs, chicken, and sauce needed for the feast. She wanted everything to be fresh and marinated, ready for Bobby to slap on the grill.

  Then, she prepared the potato salad that her brother loved so much. She boiled two pounds of red potatoes in their skins, let them cool enough to handle and then popped the skins off. She quartered those, seasoned them with garlic and parsley salt, tossed them well, and then put them in the fridge to cool. Next, she boiled six large eggs and while they were cooking, she diced a small onion and added the slivers to the cooling potatoes. Finally, she opened a small can of sliced black olives, drained and pressed off any remaining brownish liquid, and set them aside.