The Man Bites Mommy's Pants

After all my supernatural childhood experiences, I really should have known better.

We moved to a small city, Kimberley, in 1975 when my eldest child was seven weeks old. One of my husband's numerous business transfers!

We bought a very old house, built in the late 1940s, which had been beautifully renovated but still had the high ceilings and lovely wooden floors, (I think yellow wood) plus archways leading from entrance hall to lounge, dining room and kitchen. I won't go into the whole description of bedrooms etc. My husband and I fell in love with this house at first sight. Strangely enough, I still dream about that house!

Well it was necessary for me to work so I found a half-day job at a construction company when my son, Craig, was about six months old and fortunately, living right across the road from us, was a day mother, a lovely older lady, Auntie Ann. So she took care of the baby while I was at work in the mornings.

I know I need to get to the gist of my story but I have to mention that after many scary ordeals in my childhood and teenage years, I tried very hard to distance myself from anything paranormal. To me any being that was not alive was just plain scary. As life has gone on, I've learned otherwise.

Moving on. Shortly after I found myself pregnant with my second child I resigned from my morning job. I decided to keep Craig at home with me instead of sending him to Auntie Ann, as it was an expense which I could no longer afford. He was an extremely hyperactive child but as long as he was busy, he was fine.

We had acquired a dog, a cross-breed, which was mainly boxer. Believe it or not, although she was female, her name was Jethro! One of the most amazing dogs I have ever known and Craig's companion until she died in 1989. This might come across as unnecessary information but in fact it does fit into the picture.

While I was home pregnant, and after my second son was born, Craig was constantly running around the backyard where I had my rotunda washing lines. He used to jump up to the washing, spin around on the pole, Jethro jumping up and down, and the two of them would go running around all over the lawn at the back, Craig laughing his head off all the time, only to keep repeating the procedure.

Then I started noticing that even when Jethro was not around, Craig was still continuing with the same behaviour. One day he was lying on the grass, laughing hysterically and I asked him what he was laughing at. He said "it's the man". He was just over two years old at that stage. I told myself that he had an imaginary friend but I must admit I felt a few tingles down my spine.

A while after that, I remember it was a Saturday afternoon, I had washed loads of laundry and was folding the whole lot up in my bedroom. My husband was with me. Craig came strutting in and said to his dad: "The man bites mommy's pants".

Instant reply from husband: "What man?!" Craig: "The man who plays with me."

Husband: "What pants?"

Craig pointed to a pair of jeans and a pair of beige slacks.

I will never forget the look on my husband's face! I then had to go through the whole procedure of explaining Craig's shenanigans around the washing line, running around the lawn, laughing like mad, with the dog in tow at times and that his own little boy had told me that he plays with "the man". Try explaining that to someone who doesn't believe in anything that isn't human and logical.

We had very good vibes in that house, so "the man" was certainly keeping my child amused in a very positive way. Believe me, Craig was so hyperactive that "the man" actually did me a favour! Jethro was obviously happy with "the man", so he must have been a good guy.

I never ever felt any supernatural presence in that house, except for my grandmother when my mom was visiting me for a few days and we had been discussing granny.

I don't think that my child simply had an imaginary friend. I truly believe that "the man" was actually there!

I would love to hear opinions on this.

Melda