Jul 01 2009
THE GHOST OF LASSIE HAS COME HOME
During the Great-Depression of the early 1930’s–American families struggled to live and survive from one day to the next. The male condom had only been in existence for a decade and a half, and the birth control pill had not been scientifically formulated, yet. Therefore, the average American family had, at least, six to ten children to feed. Some families had as many as sixteen children, or more, living in their homes at the same time.
My mother’s family was one of these families. There were ten children, her mother and father. The older children (like in most families) were forced to help with the household chores, outside chores such as farming etc… and made to assist with the care of younger children.
Being the fifth child born of ten children–my mother was, literally, caught in the middle. During the beginning of the Great-Depression, she was a young girl of 11 years old. There were five younger children below her in age, so her main duties were to assist with the preparation of meals and to take care of the younger children. Her mother, occassionally, helped her father and the older children do the back-breaking work in the fields farming.
One day, while everyone was away from the house working in the fields on the ’south 40′–my mother decided to take her younger brothers and sister outside to play. As they ran around the dirt-covered yard, with my mother’s dog named “Bob” (an American Boxer) playing a variety of games prevalent to that time–the unexpected was about to take place.
While they were playing a game similiar to dodge ball–my mother’s dog “Bob” began to bark and act strangely. My mother summoned him to come to her. She started to rub his head (while speaking to him softly). She had never seen him react to anything in this manner before. Therefore, this was not only frightening to her but it was also bewildering. The younger children, repeatedly, asked my mother what was wrong with “Bob.” They resumed playing their game, and within a few short minutes– they were all about to witness something that they had never seen before.
“Bob” had calmed down, and was running around the dirt-covered yard with the children. My mother told me and my siblings, that “out of thin air” a beautiful full-grown Collie appeared standing not far from where they were playing. They had never seen this dog before then, and thought that it might be a stray. “Bob” spotted the other dog, and began to run towards it. The ’strange’ Collie just stood there for a moment, as if it were waiting for “Bob” to come closer to it. Suddenly, when “Bob” had gotten just a few feet away from the Collie–the ‘mysterious’ dog started to run towards the house. The front door was closed, because my grandmother was a stickler about flies, snakes, field rats and anything else that might crawl or fly into the house. “Bob” was running directly behind the Collie. When they jumped onto the front porch–”Bob” stopped dead in his tracks, when he approached the front door. He knew that the front door was closed. The ‘mysterious’ dog that came from ‘nowhere’ did not miss a step. He continued running towards the front door. My mother and her younger brothers and sister, stood in amazement as the Collie ran straight through the wood front door (without damaging it). My mother told us, that she could not believe her eyes. “It ran through that door as if it were not there,” said my mother. Understandably scared, but yet, curious as to how this ’supernatural’ dog had managed to run directly through a closed wood door–she, cautiously, walked towards the front porch, opened the door and walked inside of the house. She told the oldest of her siblings, to watch the others while she went inside of the house to investigate. “Bob” accompanied her into the house. He ran from room to room searching for this ‘peculiar’ animal. After checking each room from the first floor up to second floor–my mother and her dog had given up on their search. Once again, the Collie appeared out of “thin air.” “Bob” began to bark at it, and as quickly as it appeared–it disappeared through one of the walls in the living room. My mother ran back outside, entirely, in shock. She tried to explain to the others, what she had just seen.
When my grandparents and the older siblings arrived back home from the working in the fields, that evening–my mother was anxious, but yet, hesitant about telling the story about the ’supernatural’ Collie. My mother discussed the issue with her brother that they called “Bub” (he was one year younger than my mother). They decided that they would tell their parents, anyway, during supper.
Everyone was seated around the large kitchen table, eating supper. My mother and her brother “Bub” had come up with a signal, to begin the conversation. About half way through supper–my mother began the story. “Bub” would add bits and pieces to it, along the way. After completely telling what had transpired that day–my mother and “Bub” waited for the reaction from my grandparents. My grandfather was the first one to speak. He asked them, if they were sure about what they had seen. My grandmother spoke next, and repeated the same question. Finally, both of my grandparents began to look at one another. My grandfather asked my mother about the markings and colors on the Collie. She described it to them, and you will not believe what my grandfather told her. He said, that over 40 years before that day (when he was young boy), another farming family lived in that house. He went on to say, that there were about eight or nine children, a mother and father and a large Collie. He remembered that the Collie had some unusual black markings on its face and legs. This is, exactly, the way that my mother described the dog. My grandfather ended his story, by telling them about the Collie that this family owned had disappeared under ‘unnatural’ circumstances. It left, oneday, after a band of wandering Gypsies had put a curse on it, because it tried to attack them. As the years passed by–sightings of the ’spookey’ Collie outside and inside of the house were still, infrequently, taking place.
