Ghost Granny Read online

  Catherine was in a very happy mood. If she didn’t have to pay for the hotel room that meant she could do something special for Cody. They walked towards the Halloween costumes and Catherine told her son to pick out what he wanted to be that year.

  Cody looked at all the Halloween costumes before him. He took his time going through each one on the rack. “Can I be a super hero mom?”

  “You already are my super hero, Cody, you can get any Halloween costume you want!” Cody picked out what he wanted most – a super hero that Catherine had never heard of, but that Cody was thrilled to dress up like. “Can I really get this mom? I promise I will wear it next year too!” Catherine looked at the price of the costume. $45.00, there would be no way she could afford that in her everyday world, but not having to pay for the hotel and with the free daily breakfast the hotel offered, she decided to splurge. Catherine put the costume on her credit card and they left the store smiling.

  Catherine and Cody walked back to their hotel and decided to go down to the pool since it did not look very busy when they walked past it on the way to their room. When they got into the elevator Catherine thought she saw a puff of blue smoke right before they entered. “Hold up, Cody.” She said, looking all around the inside of the elevator, but seeing nothing out of the ordinary. A couple walked up and asked “Going down?”

  Cody was having fun splashing in the children’s pool while Catherine sat watching him. What a wonderful time they were having. It might be another year before they would be able to get away for a weekend again so she was determined to have fun with Cody.

  Cody got out of the pool on the other side from where Catherine was sitting. He started running towards her. Just has she was going to yell for him to stop running, Cody slipped on the wet surface and started to fall. Catherine jumped up and was going to run to her son, when a blue mist formed in front of her eyes. “Cody!” She yelled. Catherine wiped her eyes with her hand and when she could see again saw Cody right in front of her, upright and smiling.

  “Cody! I thought for sure you were going to fall! You should never run like that around a pool where you could slip on all the water! You scared me!” She told her son.

  “She caught me.” Cody said. Catherine looked around, ready to thank whomever it was that helped her son, but she saw no one. “Who helped you, Cody?” Cody also looked around and all they saw was an oversized blue beach ball. “I guess it was that ball, mom, I thought I was falling, but then all of a sudden that big blue ball rolled and it kept me from hitting the cement.” Catherine looked at the ball that she had not noticed before when they arrived at the pool.

  “I think maybe we should call it a night, Cody, what do you think?” “O.K.” Catherine turned right before they exited out the door and looked at the pool, the big blue ball was gone.

  “How does pizza sound for diner, Cody?” “Pineapple and ham?” Cody asked her hopefully. “Pineapple and ham it is!” Catherine answered. They got in the car and drove to the town’s little pizza shop. When they walked in they found a young man holding a pizza box and his supervisor, who was not all that much older than the other boy. The slightly older boy said “Now what? We will never be able to sell that pizza, you should have known someone was calling in as a prank. Well, you can have it, just be more careful when you take orders on the phone.”

  “I don’t want it, I don’t like this kind.” The delivery boy said to his boss. “Oh, excuse me, may I help you?” Said the supervisor, turning to Catherine.

  “Yes, please, we would like a medium cheese, ham and pineapple pizza.” The two young men looked at each other and laughed. “If you don’t have pineapple….” Catherine started to say. “Oh no, that is not it – someone ordered this pizza and when we went to deliver it, there was no one at that address. It is cheese, ham and pineapple! We don’t usually get many orders like that. We use the pineapple on a fruit desert pie we are experimenting with. Here, it is yours, on the house!” “Oh I couldn’t, let me pay for it.” Catherine said.

  “You would be helping me out actually. We are just closing and the register has already been counted. I should have locked the door ten minutes ago. Here, please, take the pizza.” The supervisor said.

  Catherine thanked the two young men and she and Cody walked out to their car. “This is very strange, Cody.” She said, but Cody was looking out the window and didn’t appear to hear his mother, so she let it go.

  Catherine and Cody were working a new puzzle they brought from home and finishing up their pizzas when Catherine noticed her cell phone on the table. “Oh Cody, I forgot my phone when we left.” She checked through her cell and found that there were two messages. One from her boss, Mr. Dobbs, saying that his mother had slipped and fell. She was O.K., but that he was going to close the office for a week so he could go visit her. He added that of course he would pay her for the week since this was so sudden. The second was from Cody’s school. Apparently, a hot water pipe broke and had flooded the main floor of the school so classes were suspended for at least the next several days.

  Catherine picked up the hotel room phone and pushed the button for the Front Desk. “Hi, this is room 340, the one with the week’s free stay gift voucher? Our plans have changed and I would like to take full advantage of the gift after all. Thank you!

  Mother and son hi-fived.

  Chapter 3

  Catherine watched her son devour his ham and cheese omelet and felt at peace with the world. What a treat it was to spend this time with him without having to rush and get to school and work.

  Today Catherine wanted to explore more of the town. So far they have only seen the main street area. It was inviting and quaint. Although they had the bigger department store at the end of the business district, most of the stores appeared to be specialty shops that were filled with items made by the local population. Catherine wanted to take some time today to venture out into the neighborhoods surrounding the area they were in.

  “Walk-about ten, mom?” Cody looked at Catherine, smiling. “You got it!” “Can we stay here, mom?” Cody asked as they walked out of the hotel and onto the main street. “It is nice, but we probably could not afford to live here.” Cody did not ask again, if there was one thing he understood, it was the lack of money they had to do special things. He was very happy that he had this time to be with his mom.

  A gust of wind blew around them and it was so sudden that neither mother nor son noticed the tinge of blue coloring it had. Cody almost tripped, bumping against his mother. “Oh, your shoe has come untied.” They were next to a bench, so Cody sat down and Catherine bent down to tie his shoe for him. “I can tie my own shoes, mom.” Cody protested. “I know, but I like doing small things for you.” She answered him. When Catherine put her hand on the bench to help her stand back up, she noticed a newspaper that had an article with the heading “Love our town?” Catherine sat down to look at the newspaper more carefully.

  The title was above the help wanted ads. Along with the usual waitress and school teacher positions open, was an ad which was larger than the others and had a couple of speckles of blue glitter near it. The ad was for a house sitter for one year. Apparently, someone was willing to let someone live in their house for a full year while they traveled Europe. The ad said that no outer maintenance would be required. All that would be required in that the person take care of the owner’s cat.

  Catherine was immediately intrigued and decided to search through the rest of the advertisements and help wanted ads. Another, stronger, gust of wind blew the newspaper out of Catherine’s hands. Catherine asked Cody if he had seen where the newspaper blew to. Cody pointed across the street to where the newspaper had blown up against the door of a little shop. Taking Cody’s hand, Catherine walked across the street and when she grabbed the newspaper, there was a help wanted sign on the inside of the glass window it had been pressed against.

  Catherine looked up and saw the name of the shop. Thelma’s Chocolates. There were few things that Catherine and Cod
y loved more than chocolate. Catherine decided to take a chance and they walked inside. Behind the counter stood the little woman in the blue dress that Catherine had seen in the hotel and a couple of other places in town. The woman smiled and said “Welcome to Thelma’s Chocolates.” Catherine returned her smile. “Hello, my name is Catherine and this is my son, Cody. I believe we have seen each other around town, but have never met. Are you Thelma?”

  “I am Thelma’s sister. The lady looked at Cody and said “I have a raspberry chocolate truffle with your name on it!” Cody smiled and looked at his mother for permission to take the offered candy. Catherine nodded and said “Thank you. I noticed you have a help wanted sign in the window. What exactly is the position you need help with?”

  “I can be your taste tester!” Cody told the women. This chocolate is so good! The lady in the long blue dress smiled and said “If you want the job, it is yours! Now, to you.” She said, looking up at Catherine. “Thelma needs someone to run this shop while she travels. She has a young lady who comes and actually makes the candy pieces, but it would be good if the manager could also pitch in. Here is a book of all the candies and their prices. Everything you might want to know or need to know is all in his book. So, do you feel up for the job, Catherine?”

  Cody looked up at his mother, silently pleading say yes! “It sounds wonderful, we are just visiting here, but I would love to make our stay more permanent. We have been at our apartment for the past six years and our lease is actually up this weekend. I say, yes!”

  The lady in the blue dress smiled and said “Good! It is all settled then, remember, the book holds the answers to all of your questions.” The lady in the blue dress turned around and her backside knocked over a stack of boxes. “Oh dear, well, Cody, there is your first assignment.” She smiled and walked into the kitchen which was in the back of the store behind the counter.

  Catherine waited for the lady to reappear while she helped Cody restack the boxes. She then peaked into the kitchen while saying “When did you need me to start work, Mrs…I’m sorry, I didn’t catch your name.” But when Catherine walked into the kitchen, it was empty. How odd.

  Just then a customer walked into the shop. “Good afternoon, I am picking up an order for Roger.” Catherine looked behind the counter and found a big box with the name “Roger” on it and handed it to the lady. The woman handed Catherine $40.00 and said ‘keep the change.” Catherine knew how to run a cash register from her days at the hardware store. She rang up the $40 and told the woman thank you when handing her the receipt.

  Catherine sat down at one of the black wroth iron table and chairs and read the book that the lady in the blue dress had pointed out to her. Indeed it had just about everything in there that Catherine could have asked. It had keys to the shop, the shop hours, and even information on the local bank where her check would be directly deposited. I have a job, but we have no home yet. Catherine and Cody had a few days left to be at the hotel, but what had she been thinking, accepting a job in this town where she did not live?

  A young lady came to the back door of Thelma’s Chocolates and introduced herself as Isabel. She brought in several sheets of chocolates and placed them in the refrigerators. “You must be Catherine.” The young lady said. “Yes, how did you know?” Catherine asked her. Luna asked me to give you this.” She said, handing Catherine an envelope. “What is this?” Catherine asked.

  “It is the keys to 100 Enchanted.” “To, what?” “To 100 Enchanted – the house that you are going to be staying at. It is good that you don’t already have a home here, this will be perfect for Thelma. You don’t have to worry about the grass or other maintenance for the house since my brother Sebastian takes care of all of that. Do you need help moving in?”

  Catherine was almost speechless. “We don’t really have much with us. The ad in the newspaper about the house sitting, that house belongs to Thelma?”

  “Yes, Thelma and her sister Luna own a lot of property around here. It was nice meeting you, Catherine. The shop is only opened a half day today, so if you need any help with the house, let me know.”

  “Thank you, Isabel.” Isabel left and the clock on the wall chimed. Twelve o clock, the chocolate shop was to close now. Catherine made sure the doors were locked and she and Cody walked out into the afternoon sun. “Are we going to our new house now, mom?” Cody asked.

  “Cody, I am really overwhelmed. I don’t know where this house is and I am not sure what I have gotten us into here. Come to think of it, Isabel said she would help us, but I don’t have a phone number for her or know where she lives either.”

  “Hello Catherine, Cody.” A man’s voice said. Catherine looked up to see an older gentlemen standing in front of her. “Hello, do we know you?” Catherine asked, still rattled by all of the morning’s events. “You do now! I am Mr. Lucky, I teach school here. I will be your teacher, Cody.”

  “How do you know our names, Mr. Lucky?”

  “We don’t get many newcomers, but when we do it is always a treat. Is there anything I can help you with?” Catherine was both relieved and cautious. “Could you tell us where 100 Enchanted is?”

  “Of course – just over Luna’s hill. I would walk with you, but I need to get back to classes. The school, by the way, is just one half block over from here to your right. We have a very good educational system here.”

  “Thank you, Mr. Lucky, excuse me, but is that your real last name?” “Sure is!” “It is very nice to meet you, and thank you for your help.” Catherine said, standing up and taking Cody’s hand. “Just over that hill, then?” “Yes, just on the other side of Luna’s hill. Have a good day.”

  Chapter 4

  Catherine and Cody walked towards the hill where the pumpkin rolling contest had been held. When they got to the top of the hill, both mother and son stood there in awe. “Cody, this is spectacular!” “Mom, it’s like in a movie or something!”

  Walking down the other side of the hill they saw a heavy mist-like fog hovering over a beautiful postcard worthy scene. There was the lake to their left, straight ahead of them was a little wooden bridge over a pond and there were two deer drinking from it. In the distance they saw a big thatched roofed house with a wrap-a-round porch and three miniature ponies in the yard. To their right was a garden with a staggering amount of pumpkins growing. To Catherine, the mist reminded her of spun sugar surrounding the scene like looking through a panoramic Easter egg and seeing all the beauty inside.

  The sight of a tractor pulling a big cart full of hay came into their view. Catherine watched as the tractor pulled up to them and stopped.

  “Hello, you must be Cody and Catherine. I am Sebastian. Would you like a ride down to the house?”

  Catherine could not have imagined a more perfect scene. Not only this phenomenal view, but also Sebastian. He was about her age, tall and muscular, had a beautiful smile and a welcoming hand reaching out to them.

  Cody ran and started climbing onto the tractor. “Whoa, Cody, why don’t you ride in the back with your mom for now? “

  “Cody, that is too high, come sit back here on the hay with me.” Catherine told her son. “A hay ride, wow!” Cody laughed. Sebastian brought out portable stairs and helped mother and son up into the wagon. “Hold on, Cody, we have some bumps to go over.”

  Catherine put her arm around her son and held on to the railing with her other hand. The deer did not startle as they drove over the wooden bridge and Catherine was surprised to see how dark blue the water was and how it glittered in the sun. She couldn’t help but stare at the back of Sebastian’s head and strong shoulders. She was glad that the short trip was not conducive to conversation and she used this advantage to try and collect her thoughts.

  So much had happened to them since the storm forced them off of the expressway. It seemed like weeks ago instead of only a few days. Everything looked perfect, but perfect was not a word that usually defined Catherine’s world and she needed time to wrap her head around these recent event
s and take time to sort things out in her mind. This, of course, would have to wait, no one could think straight in this setting right here and now, everything looked magical.

  Sebastian pulled up to the very large Old English style home. He helped Cody and Catherine down and said “Well, what you think of the place?”

  “It is beyond gorgeous, but that would be quite a long walk to get back to the hill, especially in the winter, which is coming soon.” Catherine said.

  “That is why I am here.” Sebastian said, then adding after he noticed the look of surprise on Catherine’s face. “I mean, that is my job here. I oversee the house and the land and make sure the inhabitants are safe and well cared for.”

  “Do you live here too?” Cody asked. “There is a cottage in the back and that is where my sister and I, and my son Max live. Max is ten years old, how old are you, Cody?” “I am ten.” “That works well, Max is at school right now, but you will get to meet him later.”

  “Could you show us the inside of the house?” Catherine asked. “Of course, the house is hundreds of years old, but has all of the modern hook ups and electrical outlets. The house if fully furnished, of course, and Thelma has instructed me to keep the refrigerator and pantry stocked.”

  “For us?”

  “Yes. She and Luna are very grateful that the house will have life in it again and are eager to do anything to keep it that way.”

  “But, how did she know, how did you know, that we would be here today? We only found out ourselves not more than two hours ago.”