About three blocks from my house was a government housing community with about one hundred apartments. Which made for a lot of kids of all ages in the neighborhood all the time. During the summer breaks and weekends a lot of us would get together and play baseball, football, or some other sport to entertain us.
I was nine at the time which would of made it 1986. There was a brother and sister that lived in the top row of the apartments, who would often play with us. The little boy, Eric would have been six and the girl, Jessie was twelve. I know this because they were the same age as my older sister and little brother.
We weren't really that close to their family, but like I said all of us kids would play together, and our parents were friendly to each other.
Right before school started that year Eric was killed instantly in a tragic car accident. His father was also hurt pretty bad. I didn't go to the services but my parents and my older sister did because she was friends with Jessie.
About a month or so later I was at the store with my mother. Jessie's mom was there and she stopped to say hello. Following her was Eric. He looked the same as the last day I saw him before he died. I wasn't scared but I was very confused. Jessie's mom was done talking and started to walk away and I was just froze there. My mom asked what was wrong and I told her Eric is right behind his mom.
She got a concerned look on her face and asked if I was sure, and I assured her he was there. So we went up the next isle where she was and I could still see him and told my mom he was still there. That's when I realized what was really happening. I was seeing a little boy's ghost following his mom around.
I asked my mom what we should do, and she said nothing right now and finished shopping, and then went home.
Later my mom told me she wanted me to go with her to talk to Eric's mom because if it was one of her kids she would like to know. So we went to her house and there were boxes all over the place being packed. She told us they were moving soon because the father (I don't remember the mom or dads names) was getting out of the hospital and had to go through therapy because his foot and leg were crushed in the accident, he also had some brain damage but I'm not sure to what extent and they were moving closer to the hospital in Pittsburgh where he would be doing the therapy.
My mom asked her to sit down and told her we needed to talk to her.
So she did and my mom started telling her about the store and of course she started crying and she walked out of the room. She came back in with Jessie and had us re-tell the story and Jessie started crying too. I think we were all crying to tell the truth.
Then Jessie told us that she had also seen her brother several times and her mom had woke up just about every night with Eric standing by her bed. Then her mom thanked us and hugged me and told me she was glad we told her.
They moved shortly after that and I never saw them or Eric again.
Now years later and being a mother myself I find this very heart breaking and if it was my little boy I would also like to know.
Also if by chance if any of that family would read this and would like to contact me they can. I remember more details about their family that I didn't include due to respect for their privacy.
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