 
Death always comes A-Knocking at least twice, before he makes his entrance to escort one of our loved one to follow him. Our family stories go back many decades. As small children, we were always taught never to open the door to a knocking without first calling out "Who's There?" It was believed that when you opened the door, and no one was there you were letting death into the house. It was Death that came A-Knocking one cold day in December. It was within a day or two after the knocking that a man would be seen walking through the house, yet was not to be seen when you turned for a second look. This was the case with Great Grandad. The Knocking was so loud and forceful the door swung open, banging against the wall. The mysterious shadow of a man was seen the next night, walking through the house . The last place he was seen was standing at the foot of Great Grandad's bed. Two days later Great Grandad never came down for breakfast. He was found dead in bed. His demeanor was one of calm serenity. First would come the knocking, always the KNOCKING , then soon after the apparition of a slim, boney man would be seen walking through the house. Great Grandma was soon to follow. Again the Knocking, soon followed by the ghostly visitor. Grandad was only thirteen when he was awakened in the middle of the night by a loud Knocking. He was sure it was his older brother Henry; who was always forgetting his keys. Quickly opening the door, he was greeted by only the dark windy night. The next night he watched in both horror and fascination as a thin white ghostly figure of a man slowly ascended the stairs. He was next seen standing in the hall outside his Grandma's door. The duty of cleaning and clearing out the beloved possessions of Great-Gran's fell upon my Grandmother, who was the eldest in the family. The old trunk in the attic was a cornucopia of family treasures. Among the greatest was an old wooden photo album. Great-Grandma's wedding picture was the first photo in the book. How beautiful and proud she looked standing next to her tall handsome husband. On the very next picture, was the wedding dinner. Sitting next to Great-Grandma was a young man. Grandma, immediately recognized him as the ghostly visitor. He was Great-Granddad's brother, Ethan, who had been killed in a mine explosion, when he was only nineteen years old. Stories that have been passed down through the generations, have all layed claim to the truth of the Knocking visitor. Great Uncle Ethan, has guided our dying kin to the other side, maybe only to glad for the company and companship. Since I was a small child, I myself have both seen and heard the approach of death ..aka.. Great Uncle Ethan. always followed by the passing of a loved one. My stories are many and I would love to tell them, but, someone's -KNOCKING-.
|