Shirtwaist Ghosts Chapter 10

10

Allen arrived at his parents’ house, dazed from yet another encounter with a ghost. His plan was to collapse on his bed and drink the memory away, for tonight at least.

In the living room, he found his mother perched on the edge of a chair, her eyes swollen and red.

“Mom, hey, what’s wrong? Is Dad okay?” He scanned the room for signs of his father.

“Oh, Allen, he’s so upset. He's never acted like this before.”

“Like what? What happened?” Allen sat next to his mother, putting a hand on her back.

“Remember the bracelet?”

“Yea, of course. Laurie loved it.”

“I’m glad, honey.” Allen handed her a Kleenex. “Apparently it meant something to him. He’s upset I found the bracelet and gave it to you.”

“I thought it was yours.”

“I found it in his dresser while I was going through his clothes to give to Goodwill. I thought - oh, I don’t know what I thought. I assumed he meant to give it to me as a present, but forgot. I could have sworn he saw me wear it.”

“Is he upset we gave the bracelet to Laurie?”

“Allen, I’m not sure what he wants. Please, go talk to him.”

Allen opened the door after a soft knock and poked his head in. His father sat on the bed, shoulders slumped, fingering a stack of neatly folded papers held together with string.

“Dad? Can I come in.”

His father nodded his head, but didn't look up.

Linen curtains diluted the desert sun shining through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the master bedroom. Allen picked up a small ottoman and sat in front of his dad. “If this is a misunderstanding about the bracelet, I'm sure we can fix it.”

Mr. Harris continued running his finger along the light brown edges of the papers with his thumb. “Have there been problems with the building?”

Allen frowned. “No, Dad. Everything's great. We need two or three leases and we're full. Why?”

“That building has been nothing but trouble for this family.”

Allen opened his mouth to answer, then thought better of it. Opening up to his father had never been easy. The ceiling fan whirred overhead.

“I'm not sure what you're talking about, dad.”

His father leaned forward. “You've seen them.” Mr. Harris held up the papers. “All the men in this family see them eventually, if they spend any amount of time there.”

“Are you ready to tell me why? Why is that bracelet so important to you?”

Mr. Harris tossed the papers in Allen's lap. Allen picked them up and saw they were brown with age, the folds yellow and heavily creased. Mr. Harris told Allen everything he knew about the building and where the bracelet came from. After he finished, Allen explained the visit from Father Eugenio and the house blessing.

“It's been done before. Maybe some things can't be put to rest.”

“I saw something right after Father Eugenio left.” Allen tapped the papers against one palm. “I have an idea.”

He pulled out his cell phone and dialed his wife. “Laurie, you remember when you said how all that material stuff didn't mean anything to you?”