THE GRIMLEY GHOSTS

         It sat in the middle of the block, once a well manicured property, a single two and a half story house with garage and driveway. A small gated front yard along with a small fenced back yard. That's the way it looked before a fire ravaged it's appearance and taking the lives of both it's residents.  The house belonged to Abner and Hazel Grimley. A last name befitting their appearance.

         On mischief night and Halloween, they would sit on the front porch with their small white dog, front gate closed and locked to prevent any tricks before any treats, as the saying went. Their experience with the Catholic kids, predominate in the neighborhood, like being called "big foot" or "witch hazel" while running by their house with flat sticks raking their fencing, soured any thoughts of being sociable.

         Both now in their early seventies, they always enjoyed their Friday Fish fry. Whether it be cod, perch or the trout Abner caught, along with french fries and coleslaw, it was a happy way to end the weekend. One night after their Friday special, and preparing for bed, Hazel warmed a glass of milk to help her sleep. In a moment of senior forgetfulness she turned on the burner under the pot of oil, used for the Fish Fry, thinking she was shutting off the pot that warmed the milk, which she had already done. An hour and a half later they were on their way to meet their beloved dog, "Carbo," who had died ten years previously.

          Oh, the tales these kids would tell at Halloween when the property stood vacant. The Grimleys could be seen sitting on the porch with their dog, all glowing in the dark,.... Mrs. Grimley was spotted on the roof dancing with Casper..... Ghost's could be seen playing cards in the front yard..... Bats could be seen dropping small dogs and cats into a boiling pot of water, which Mrs. Grimley kept stirring. The smaller kids were so terrified, they crossed the street to avoid walking past the Darby Rd. haunted house. Even some of the adults when walking by could be seen blessing themselves.

         After the house was rebuilt and remodeled, it was purchased by a former neighbor and his family. Paul and Pat Coleman with their two children moved into the former Grimley residence at 1313 Darby Rd. He and his wife occupied the front bedroom, with their daughter in the middle room and son in the back bed room.

         Finishing putting away things of memory in the attic, Paul and his wife left the kids with their new neighbor and went to dinner. Picking up the kids later on, their neighbor mentioned the light still on in their attic. Returning to the house, Paul pulled down the upstairs ceiling stairs to the attic, but no light was on. "Maybe just a reflection from the sun," he thought.

         Other odd things started to occur. Their son, came in their room one night and said he couldn't sleep because of the barking dog in the yard. Leaving his bed Paul went to his son's room and looked out the back window.....no barking dog. Being a father in protection of his family he went downstairs, turned on the back porch light, went outside.....no barking dog.  Conclusion, son had a bad dream.

         There followed a rash of other unexplained happenings.....the TV coming on when nobody was home.....the basement smoke alarm going off in the middle of the night after being installed.....the washer and dryer running at the same time, sans wash inside.....Paul's car door locking after he started the engine and left to get his coffee brewing in the kitchen. Were the crazy happenings a nuisance, yes, alarming no!

         That's until he met a boyhood friend, Frank Kelly, one Sunday while shopping for furniture at Boscov's. Paul and Frank had a lot of catching up with. Near the end of their conversation Paul mentioned he bought the Grimley house. Still living in the area, and familiar with the fate of the Grimley's, Frank said in a some what kidding fashion, "have you seen their ghost's yet?" "What do you mean," asked Paul. "Didn't you ever hear the old tale, that a person who dies a violent or accidental death, as to remain on earth before being accepted to the other side," asked Frank.  Of course the story was always being told around Halloween.

         "That's a new one on me, Frank, I'll keep that in mind when I see the Grimleys," said with a strained chuckle. They exchange phone numbers as their wives approached, "Let's get together sometime for dinner." "Sounds good," as they went their separate ways. On their way home after buying a couch, they told each other about the conversations they had with the Kellys. Paul said nothing about the "Grimley Ghosts"

         "Well what do you kids want to be for Halloween," their mom asked about a week before the big day. "I want to be 'Darth Vader' said her son, and I could go as 'Princess Leia' said the daughter." "OK, lets go shopping this weekend to see if we can get you guys the costumes and I can stock up on some candy for the trick or treaters," their mom said.

         On Saturday, shepherding the kids in the back seat of her station wagon and securing their seat belts, she did the same and attempted to start the car. Nothing,.... the dash lights came on but the car wouldn't start. Making sure it was in drive, she tried again, same results. After the third try, she said, "OK kids, let's have lunch while mommy calls the three A's."

         "We'll be out as soon as possible," she was told while making her kids soup and sandwiches. A half hour later a tow truck pulled up behind her car in the driveway. She met the driver near his truck and explained what happened. "Let me have the car keys, he said, the dashboard might give an indication of the problem." Sitting in the car with the door open he started the engine. It kicked right over. He tried it again, same results. With the engine running he looked under the hood, and after a few minutes, closed the hood, looked at Mrs. Coleman and shrugged his shoulders.

         Embarrassed and feeling foolish she gave the driver her three A membership card and signed his call sheet. She took a five dollar bill out of her wallet, which he refused. "Everything seem OK, he said, these things happen." He backed his truck out of the driveway while she slinked into the house to try and save the afternoon.

         Well the big day or should I say night, arrived, and with no school the next day the excitement in the Coleman household was a standard occurrence in any household with children on Halloween. After dinner the children got dressed in their costumes. A little addition here, some subtraction there and in about an half an hour they were ready to go. Pam Meyers, the Coleman's next door neighbor with her two daughters dressed as Bumble Bees agreed to walk with the kids on their neighbor rounds.

         After a lot of picture taking, and a generous handout for the Bumble Bees, Mrs. Meyers led the children out the door to begin their assault on their neighbor's supply of sugar. "Have a nice time, be safe," a smiling Pat Coleman said, before closing the door and waiting for their first visitor. Paul was standing by with his camera, to catch all the masked avengers on film.

         They could see kids and adults passing by, but nobody knocked. After an half hour, Paul said, "let's take the candy outside and sit on the porch, we're relatively new in the neighborhood, and maybe that's why no takers." Each went outside with a basket of candy and Paul's took his camera. No sooner did they sit down, each on a chair by the door, when the wind picked up and shut the front door closed. All the lights suddenly went out as the wind gained strength, followed by thunder and lightning.

         The Coleman's candy baskets were blown out of their hands, sending candy all over the porch. All their Halloween decorations joined the candy in their dance with the winds. Now attempting to get back in the house, the Colemans were locked out. A low moan now echoed thru the trees, whose multi colored leaves left their stems and swirled about with candy wrappers and crepe paper decorations.

         Not sure of what to expect they ran down the walkway as the rain started to arrive, opening the fence gate and headed to their neighbors house for refuge. Looking back towards his house, Paul thought he saw two apparitions leaving his front porch. He stopped momentarily to snap a picture of the "ghosts" rising with the wind and disappearing.

         The weather bureau claimed a tornado type storm, rare for that part of the country, had touched down briefly in the township. With power restored in about twenty minutes, the Coleman's returned to their house using the spare key the Meyer's held for such emergency. Their kids along with the Bumble Bees took refuge in the firehouse a couple blocks away. Everyone was safe and it was considered the best Halloween ever by their children.

         Later that night, after everything settle down, and the kids "haul" had been gone thru, Paul, not telling his wife what he saw, reviewed the pictures on his camera. There was no picture of "Ghosts" leaving his porch, just a picture of a darkened porch. Later while lying in bed and trying to put everything in prospective since they moved here, he started to laugh to himself. "The Grimleys got even, harassing us, they way we harassed them. Touche, Mr. and Mrs. Grimley, touche."