The Urgent Knocker

I rarely had any of these types of experiences until lately, just about two weeks ago... I was heading home (I'm on the late afternoon to midnight shift so I go home by 1am), when I got out off the cab, it was already pretty dark and quiet around in our neighborhood (as usual during that time of the night) except for police sirens I heard nearby that time. I was afraid those could be due to snatchers who usually roam the place. I already experienced having my bag snatched several years ago, and I definitely never want anything like that to happen again so I hurried towards the house as fast as I could.

Just as I passed in front of my Aunt's house (we were living in a sort of compound so we always had to pass by their house first before we can get to ours) I could smell a strong scent around the area... I realized that the smell was exactly of flowers offered during wakes. In the Philippines, it's quite common for the dead to be placed in a wake for several days (sometimes even weeks) before the funeral, itself. The scent was so strong anybody who passes by the area during that time could never avoid smelling it. And strange enough, the moment I smelt it, instantly reminding me of those bunches of flowers and even a coffin in an ambiance of a wake. I swear I definitely didn't just make it all up especially since before the smell, my mind was already so preoccupied on the possible snatchers, and I was already hurrying up even before the moment it happened.

When I realized all this, I remembered my aunt and my cousins usually experienced smelling burnt candles as well in their house, and at times, the flowers... I believe there was even a time when there were both. I also know there were no fragrant flowers at all in that area. To make sure, I asked members of our family as well and they said there weren't any fragrant ones.

Exactly a week after that I was so happy at first because I didn't smell anything weird anymore... Of course, my parents (I live with them) would already pick me up even late at night since that happened. I was happy I was able to get home safe but later that Monday morning, at around 7:00am while I was sound asleep I woke up to the sound of knocking on my bedroom door. At first I ignored it, thinking that it's probably my brother or my mom who usually comes into my room during early mornings before my brother gets to school. Yet moments later the knocking still continued... Getting more intense... Louder and with more urgency like as if I have to open it up that instant or else...

So even though I was sooooo sleepy that time I felt like I had no choice but to open the door if it's the only way to make the knocking stop. I jumped out of bed and good thing I still managed to touch the picture frame on my small bedside shelf, with Jesus' picture in it, and made a fast sign of the cross to signify a short morning prayer. The moment I reached the door, I really expected somebody right outside, most likely my mom or my brother. But to my big surprise there wasn't anybody at all. I got out, and I found our household help standing near our kitchen looking at me. I immediately asked her who the hell was knocking at my door, and she gave me a puzzled look and said there was nobody knocking at all. I couldn't believe her as I was sure I heard all those knocking... I asked her where my brother was, she said that he already left for school together with our father many minutes ago... I also opened his room adjacent to mine, and true enough he wasn't there any more. I tried to check for my mom, and I saw that she was so busy at the computer so I definitely know that wasn't her.

My friends from work once said that if you smell candles or flowers, most likely it's our ancestors who want to remind us that they need prayers... They said that these will only stop once we can have a mass offered for them once in a while, or light up candles for them. So, the afternoon right after the knocking experience, my mom, aunt, and I went to offer a mass at our local cemetery, and also lit a few candles. We do hope these things won't happen to us again... And so far, Thank God, nothing has happened.

My question here is,

(1) Is it true that when we smell flowers like that or candles it's most likely our ancestors trying to remind us?

Our houses are the first ones built in our place. These are lots being handed down from our great-great grandparents and the people before them... And I know for sure there wasn't any murders or any violent stuff happening in our place.

(2) My officemates say that when two doors face each other it's actually an indication of bad feng shui, and that they also serve as a "portal" for different entities. Given that, I remembered my bedroom door is just right across our bathroom #2 door. Could this possibly be a reason for the knocking?

Your help/insights would be greatly appreciated...

Thanks.