I know some people believe that ghosts are not real. Some also say that spirits are not real. Even when Dawson’s story was posted last Sunday, some of the readers doubted the existence of the supernatural world. I understand them perfectly. I was also like that. I thought ghost stories were jokes people tell to scare others for good laughs. I am not even sure I had any proper belief in the supernatural world. I mean, how can you be so sure that something exists if you have not experienced it? That is why I am sharing this story in response to Dawson’s.
I am not going to lie, when I read the story I was moved to tears. It reminded me of my own experience when it comes to the existence of the spirit world, and how I came to believe that such things were not just for thrills and laughs. I know how quick people are to dismiss these tales. But when it comes to this story, may God almighty bear me witness that it is nothing but the absolute truth.
It was in 1998 when I was a student at St. Augustine’s College in Cape Coast. By then we were experiencing load shedding. It was during former President Rawlings’ second democratic term. The lights would go off during the day and stay on at night. Sometimes we would have light during the day but it would go off at night. Even if you were too young to remember, I am sure the “Dum Sor” we experienced a few years ago would give you an idea of how things worked.
I would say St. Augustine’s is surrounded by interesting stuff. By that, I mean its location. Right opposite our school is the sea. Beside the school is the Central Regional Hospital. The hospital’s mortuary happens to be closest to my house. Behind us is the Lagoon. And by the school park was a decrepit old colonial British (Victorian Style) building that was rumoured to be haunted. In our time, the house was vacant.
Despite all these things, I had never thought to be afraid of running into anything supernatural. However, one night changed things for me. I am a light sleeper. Any little sound would even have me rousing from a deep slumber. Even a shadow cast over me can wake me up. That’s why I was the first to experience them.
One night the lights were out. Everyone was deeply asleep and so was I, until I heard the sound of footsteps and strange utterings. It was not one person. It sounded like the voices of two or three people. Immediately, I heard the voices, I felt chills all over my body. The hair on my skin rose as goosebumps covered my arms. For some reason, I was certain the voices didn’t belong to any of my colleagues.
The voices continued until one of my colleagues woke up at 4:30 am. That was when those sounds ceased. I was so spooked the entire time. When morning came, I told my dorm mates what happened but they laughed. They said I over-ate the previous night and had hallucinated. “Too much gari before bedtime is not good. See what it has turned you into?” I swore heaven and earth that what I heard was real but they did not believe me.
Because of that, dusk filled me with a lot of fear. I kept hearing the voices every night but nobody else did. I was in a constant state of mental agony. I would stay up most parts of the night and doze off in class.
I thought hearing the voices was the worst of it until one night, one of the voices sat beside my bed. Don’t ask me how, but I knew. It opened my chop box, took out my cornflakes, poured some of the cornflakes, took Nido, sugar, and my bowl. This may sound untrue but I heard him ask, “Who wey he dey own cup?” I know! I swear on my late mum’s grave that I heard the voice loud and clear.
I couldn’t move. I was in deep shock and dead sick in my stomach! The next morning, I narrated everything to my boys, and as usual, they laughed at me. They said I was demented. They called me funny names, but I knew what I heard. I even gave out the cornflakes and the other items to the guy I shared the same bunk bed with and he took it with glee.
As a way to prove that what I’m saying was true, we decided to join our beds. There were three of us. We did it so that when I heard the voices, I would wake them up.
Alas, they came again that night! I heard them first so I pinched the dude next to me and woke him up. He in turn woke the next guy up. They also heard everything loud and clear. No images or silhouettes. Just strange voices.
Guess what, I slept soundly that night for the first time in months. It was the other guys who were so terrified that they kept pinching me to wake up. I didn’t mind them. All I thought was, “Welcome to the haunted club, buddies!”
It Will Be Difficult For Me To Commit To One Person
The next morning, there was a pandemonium in our dormitory and House. They kept saying, “What he’s been saying is true o. It’s true. He is not crazy. We also heard it.”
The next Friday, the Scripture Union guys came to our dorm to offer deep prayers and praises. That was the last I heard of those sounds and tiptoes. I enjoyed peaceful nights till I left school in December 1999. Ever since that time, I have never doubted the existence of ghosts or the supernatural world.
—Owusu
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