The Christmas Spirit - Part One of Two

The Christmas carolers strolled by in full voice and had given the young ghost second thoughts about leaving the graveyard on this cold and snowy December eve.

Jonathan Wilcox - Born 1923 - Died 1944, was killed by a  sniper’s bullet during the battle of St. Vith in Belgium on the sixteenth day of December, 1944 - the first day of the battle.

“I never even got to fire my weapon,” Jonathan said on that first day in the graveyard. “The last thing I remember was shivering from the cold, then I heard gunfire and screaming. I don’t even know if one of the screams was mine own. Then all went dark and I was warm again. And now I’m here.”

Here was the Sleepy Hollow cemetery in Sleepy Hollow, New York.

”You‘ve been here sixty nine years to the day,” said Ronald Thornberry - the yards elder statesman - Born 1751 - Died 1816. "You‘ve got to get out there some time. Go ahead. Go out and raise hell. It’s expected.”

Ronald Thornberry was three months into his retirement when he was strangled in his sleep by his wife of forty years.

“I never knew how disagreeable the man could be,” said Mrs. Thornberry at her murder trial, “until he was home all the time.”

Mrs. Thornberry was convicted and hanged. She, too, was buried at the Sleepy Hollow cemetery, but has kept her distance all these many years.

“Don’t tell me you’re afraid of the dark?” said Eliza Morgan.

Eliza was new to the yard. Born 1990 - Died 2013, Ms. Morgan was throwing a Christmas party with her boyfriend when the two stepped onto the balcony of her fourth floor apartment to have a smoke. Eliza’s boyfriend then pulled a mistletoe out of his pocket and dangled it over their heads. When Eliza stepped in for the Christmas kiss, she slipped on a patch of ice and sent them both sailing over the railing. Her boyfriend fell into a canopy and survived. Eliza fell into the cradle of a life-sized creche and did not. 

“No,” said the young ghost. “I’m not afraid of the dark. I’m afraid of the people.”

“Why?” said Eliza. “They can’t hurt you now.”

“So I’m told.”

“What if I came with you? I could do with a little rabble-rousing after what I’ve been through.”

“You’re awful cheery for someone who’s only been dead a week.”

“I’ve always been cheery,” said Eliza. “I guess I’m just one of those people who acccepts the inevitable and moves on. My mother always told me I was an old soul. That I’ve been here before and that I’ll be back again. But the fact that you’ve been here sixty-nine concerns me. I hope the game hasn’t changed. I’d rather be an old-soul out among the living again, then a dead soul in a cemetery.”

“I wouldn’t know anything about that,” said Jonathan. “The cemetery doesn’t seem to come with any rules. And there doesn’t appear to be anyone in charge around here. Except maybe Thornberry. But no one ever pays attention to him.”

“Hello!” said Thornberry. “I’m standing right here!”

“Sorry, Mr. Thornberry.”

“Quite all right, young man. But remember this. We may be dead, but we must maintain our manners with each other. Otherwise, it’s chaos!”

“Will do, Mr. Thornberry.”

“How about that walk?” said Eliza.

“Gee, I don’t know. Leave the cemetery?”

“Then how about you taking me for a walk around the cemetery? That would be a start. I’ve heard it’s haunted.”

“Very funny,” said Jonathan. “All right then. I’ll show you around. But inside the cemetery.”

“I get it,” said Eliza. “Jonathan not want to leave comfort zone. Want to keep one foot in grave. Make that two feet.”

“Oh, you’re a comedian all right,” said Jonathan. “I may die laughing.”

“Too late.”

“Let’s go,” said Jonathan. “I refuse to be fodder for your corny material.”

“That’s okay, dear boy. I already have a fodder. And a mudder.”

Jonathan suppressed a laugh and led the way.

“Not so fast,” said Eliza. “I’m not used to my grave legs yet. It’s like I’m walking on air.”

“You’ll get used to it. You just have to learn to go with the flow. But sometimes you’ll find that you have no control over it. If you’re caught napping, and it’s a particularly windy day, you may find yourself clear across the other side of the cemetery. If it wasn’t for the gates we’d have spirits scattered all over the county. So you have to be careful where you snooze. You may want to scope out a mausoleum to sleep in. They get a little crowded at times, but it’s better than waking up with your face pressed against the cemetery fence.”

“Sounds like fun,” said Eliza.

“I’m afraid sleeping in a crowded and dusty mausoleum is not as much fun as one might think.” 

“I meant being taken by the wind while you sleep,” said Eliza. “What an amazing way to spend the night.”

“I see I’m going to have my hands full with you.”

“Not the first time I’m hearing that, Jonathan. By the way, in which mausoleum do you go nighty-night?”

“Andrew Carnegie’s,” said Jonathan. “It’s the biggest. I can always find a good spot if I get there early. Sometimes I even get to play a few hands of Rummy with old man Tuttle.”

“Please tell me Carnegie’s mausoleum has a hall!” said Eliza. “Because I’ve always wanted to play--”

“Please don’t say it, Eliza. Please?”

“All right,” said Eliza. “I’ll let it go this time. But you have got to loosen up. If you’re this much of a stuck-in-the-mud when dead, you must have been wearing concrete shoes when alive.”

“I’ll work on it,” said Jonathan. 

“Good,” said Eliza. “No boyfriend of mine is going to be a stiff. If you’ll pardon the expression.”

“Boyfriend?”