Our visitors are not exempt from the past. We can tell you of two incidents, totally unrelated and involving people from different walks of life and very different locations on the North American continent.
One involves a couple of middle age who were fascinated with the structure and background of the Hamilton Cathedral of the Most Holy Trinity. Having spent considerable time studying the interior, the husband went to stroll around the grounds while his wife completed her examination of the Reredos behind the altar. The cathedral was cool and a pleasant relief and she was in no hurry to return to the heat and humidity that awaited her outside. Eventually she could put it off no longer and stepped out into the brilliant sunshine, adjusting her eyes to the glare. She then spotted her husband standing down by the restored section of the exterior, deeply engaged in what looked to be an earnest conversation with a wall.
Not sure of how to handle this, she slowly made her way towards her absorbed spouse – clearly, he was having some kind of overcoming and, to make matters worse, wasn’t wearing his cap.
Reaching his side, she tentatively tapped him on the shoulder – “Bill – it’s time we went, come along.”
Bill turned with a cheerful grin saying, “Hi, hon, come join us, this gentleman is telling me about the fire they had and is working on the restoration. The way they get the stone is really interesting…”
Seeing the look on his wife’s face, he looked back to his erstwhile companion, only to find he and his tools of the trade had disappeared.
To him, the experience had been real – to his concerned wife, it was time he got out of the sun.
For more spooky stories, pick up a copy of Bermuda’s Favourite Haunts by John Cox, Mac Musson and Joan Skinner.