My Dad's Other Woman

A FaceBook post string with my oldest made me remember this.  My family, Dad especially, heard things that were not there.  My Dad told me the family (his when he was a kid) was sitting on the porch when they all heard singing and preaching at the nearby graveyard.  Having heard of no recent deaths they went down to find out who had dies.

Upon reaching the graveyard they found no sign of anyone being there and no fresh grave.  And, in later years when he was an adult,  he went up the creek to the house of some of my cousins as they were supposed to meet that night to go 'coon' hunting.  He said when he got to where the road became the creek bed just below their house he could hear people talking.  He thought it was the people he was supposed to meet but when he got to their house he found all was quiet and everyone had gone to bed and was asleep.

I realize these place names will mean nothing to most everyone but I was told by my Dad my grandfather was walking to Chestnut and from where they lived to get there he had to go through the "Walter Osborne"  gap.  There was a small dog that appeared and followed him.  He yelled at it and threw rocks at it trying to frighten it away.  When it kept following him he pulled his pistol and tried to shoot it.  He emptied the weapon and the dog paid no attention to it.  He then threw his gun down and ran.

There are several other stories from my Dad and Grandfather regarding unusual happenings but this is in particular about my Dad's woman.  She was not a physical presence but a voice only he heard.  He said he could hear her voice but could not make out the words.  I can recall when we lived at the tower at Spring Knob seeing my Dad wearing nothing but a T-Shirt carrying a shotgun in one hand and a flashlight in the other going outside to see who it was talking to him.  He never did find anything, though.  I'd say the explanation for that is obvious.

Finally, out of frustration, he told her, "I don't mind you talking to me but at least talk so I can understand you".  The voice then told him, "You better put on a coat because it is going to be cold".

He said he never heard her after that. 

I read of a specific hearing disorder which can cause people to hear voices that are unintelligible.  Perhaps that was all this was.  I know there are times when I'm lying in bed I can hear distant voices and sounds like a radio on in the distance.  If I raise my head off my pillow they go away and when I put it back they return.  Sounds like some physical cause rather than supernatural one to me but I do not discount anything.  I know craziness is a family trait and, perhaps, some psychic ability is also there.  Quite an interesting combination don't you think?