Ghost Story

[snarg2001]

OHHHHHHHH! Get well soon Amethyst!!!
Hope everything goes well for your family members too.

[Amethyst]

Well you know how it goes... lol.. felt better after all that, then had hives... which are just now to the point where they aren't bothering me... lol..

My dad has to have a valve repaired or replaced, he talks to the surgeon the end of next month... so that's going to be fun... but we'll get thru it.

Keep up the good work LM!!  We like reading your stories...

[Lady Macbeth]

I hate this ending.  Hate hate hate.  It's lame.  Lame lame lame.  Help me out friends!



“I must go.� Sanjay repeated. Yet he felt oddly reluctant to leave Lieutenant-Colonel Tompkins.
   
“You've stayed longer than any of the other.� The ghost said.
   
Sanjay thought of something.  â€œWhen I return to my village, I will bring you more tea and biscuit.  I will try to find the kind your Jenny made!â€�
   
“Well, that's decent of you.  Very decent.â€� The ghost smiled sadly.  His expression clearly said he didn't think Sanjay would find them.
   
“And I will vote in the elections.  For Suvar democracy!â€� Sanjay was proud he remembered the word the ghost had used.
   
This time Lieutenant-Colonel Tompkins' smile was less sad. “Good chap.�
   
“Shall I take these things?� Sanjay pointed to the bottle and the biscuits.
   
“Will you eat them?�
   
“I never liked Ingrese tea.â€� Sanjay confessed.  He returned the ghost's smile.
   
“Never mind, then.  The caretaker will clear them away in the morning.â€�
   
Sanjay bowed.  He turned and started away, back down the crushed-rock path to the gate.  Lieutenant-Colonel Tompkins called to him. “Sanjay!â€�
   
Sanjay started.  He didn't remember telling the ghost his name.  He turned.  At a distance, the ghost looked wavy and indistinct, like smoke.
   
“Your mother won't die.â€� Lieutenant-Colonel Tompkins said.  â€œShe'd like to see you, but she'll recover.â€�
   
“How...how do you know this?� Sanjay wanted to believe the ghost. But ghosts were known to lie...
   
Lieutenant-Colonel Tompkins shrugged. “I don't know.  I just do. It seems we ghosts do get some compensation for our lot.â€�
   
Sanjay nodded.  â€œThank you.â€�
   
The ghost hesitated.  â€œThank you.â€�
   
Sanjay bowed once more.  As he walked away he sensed Lieutenant-Colonel Tompkins watching him.  It wasn't a frightening feeling anymore.  He resolved again to find the ghost some of the tea he wanted so badly.  He came to the gate and climbed through.  When he reached the road he began to whistle.

[snarg2001]

Perhaps you could add a post--indicating that Sanjay did indeed reach and visit his mother, a line or two indicating some elections and their outcomes---perhaps years later a flow of some english goods into the country that included the ghost's tea and biscuits he so badly wanted. You could end the story with some sort of line about "and there on the stone after Sanjay left remained tea and biscuit---a biscut dripping with butter and jam, and tea with a drop of honey.And somewhere, a leutenant ghost smiled."

   Or something like that. Just a few explainatory lines how the ghost encounter changed Sanjay, how Sanjay helped change his country, and how the Leutenant got his wish.Perhaps something like that?

[Amethyst]

Good idea Snarg!!  The ending was still appropriate for the story though...  Anyway... good job LM!!