Page 13 of Ghost

“W hat the hell?” Mason stood at the back door of the street level of the townhouse. He looked at the delivery guys and then his two friends. “What have you guys done?”

Mitch and Paul were beaming, their smiles were wide. “Just a little housewarming gift is all,” Paul said.

“Yeah, we figured you really liked it, and it does suit the place.” Mitch slapped Mason on the shoulder, causing him to lose his balance, forcing him to step through the doorway.

Mason turned to his friends. “Really, guys this is way too much. You can’t afford this!”

“Can’t you just say thank you, then shut the hell up?” Mitch tried to look annoyed, but it failed as his smile reappeared.

“Listen, Mas, we wanted to do something for ya, ya know. You’re one of the few guys I know who really deserves some good luck, and I for one know you’d give the shirt off your back if you thought me or Mitch needed it.”

“Yep, so shut the hell up and let’s get to work.” Mitch pulled his T-shirt over his head and tossed it to the side. “That paneling isn’t going to put itself up. You’re the carpenter so get to carpentering.”

Mason shook his head. “We’re going to need more two-by-fours and drywall if we—”

“It’s upstairs.” Mitch was already at the first step. “Got a big box of nails too.”

Paul pushed Mason towards the stairs. “I think we got everything we need but if not, we can always run out and get it.”

“You guys are too much.” Mason tried to hide the fact that he’d let a single tear loose and quickly brushed it away with the back of his hand.

“Meanwhile, I’m going to pull some more wire for the two new interior walls,” Paul said. “I think we’ve got just enough left.”

The next few hours flew by. Mason had set up his saws, pulled all his woodworking tools out and he and Mitch had two of the four new walls up and the paneling on them in no time. Paul, good as his word, had new outlets in place. The rest of the room went together just as quickly.

The three men stood inside the new room where there had only been three smallish rooms before, not including the bathroom.

“Wow,” Mitch all but whispered. “What a difference.”

“I’ll say. It’s all really... grand, isn’t it?” Paul glanced first at Mitch and then to Mason. “You have great taste, Mas. It’s like those pictures you see of castles and palaces.”

“I have to admit, it is really more than I had anticipated. It kinda reminds me of those antebellum homes you see on those Christmas house tours.” Mason turned all the way around. “I can’t believe this is where I’m going to be living. Doesn’t seem... real.”

“Hello? Anyone home?”

The three guys walked towards Nick’s voice.

“Hi, Nick,” Mason greeted their new friend. “Want to see what we’ve been up to?”

Nick came in through the back door and entered the new antique paneled room. “Holy cow!” His mouth dropped open as he gaped at the stunning raised walnut paneling. “I don’t even know what to say. It’s so beautiful.”

“It’s all thanks to you,” Mason said quietly beside him. “If you hadn’t told us about that salvage yard, we’d never have seen it.” Mason smiled at Mitch and Paul who were grinning. “Paul and Mitch got it for me as a housewarming present.”

Nick looked at the two men. “Nice guys. You’ve got some really good friends, Mason.”

“The absolute best,” Mason agreed.

“I brought lunch,” Nick said. “Sub sandwiches.”

“Perfect,” Mitch said, already heading outside. “I’m starving.”

Mason laughed. “There’s a surprise,” he then commented wryly.

“With as much as you eat, I don’t see how you stay so skinny,” Paul said, laughing his own big belling jiggling.

Mitch turned to face the larger man, hands on his hips. “And I don’t know how you’re so big. We’ve been working the same amount and eating the same things.”

“And I didn’t even mention your butt,” Paul said, laughing.

Everyone but Mitch busted out laughing so hard, tears were streaming down their faces as they sat to have lunch. It seemed as if had become an ongoing joke that always got a rise out of Mitch, and that in itself, was entertaining.

With their spirits high, the three friends got back to work after lunch, finishing up the paneling, installing the double pocket doors that came with the room.

Paul finished all the electrical work and had it tested.

He even managed to wire in a generic ceiling light in the new room.

With the generator running, they had light in the other half of the room as well.

Even with just a bare bulb, the warmth of the wood made the room cozy.

“It’s just amazing,” Mason said. “It doesn’t feel real.”

“I have to admit, it came out a lot better than I thought,” Mitch said. “I had my doubts, Mas, I really did. It wasn’t my taste at all, but damn... it’s gorgeous! I’d live here.”

“Yeah, well you’re welcome to visit, but I don’t know about living here,” Mason joked, shoving Mitch.

“Hey, you’d love it if I lived here.” Mitch was all smiles. “Think of all the good times we’d have.”

Paul huffed. “Yeah, a different woman every night? I think Mason would get over that pretty quick.”

“Mason wouldn’t mind, would ya?” Mitch laid his arm across Mason’s shoulders.

“Uh, yeah, I would.” Mason shrugged Mitch’s arm off. “Best way to ruin a good friendship is to live together.” He laughed. “Like I said, you can visit anytime you’d like, but you sure as hell ain’t living with me. Besides, you’re a pig. You always leave toothpaste in the sink!”

Mitch tried to play it off as if his feelings were hurt, his lower lip stuck out.

“Prob’ly why he ain’t married,” Paul laughed.

Mitch rolled his eyes. “It’s beer time, right?”

“Yeah, it is.” Mason pushed Mitch towards the back door. “Beers are in the cooler. I’ll be right back.”

Mason ran up the stairs to the main level. “Francis,” he called out in a stage-like whisper. “Francis, are you here?”

“I am here, my fine friend.”

Mason turned towards the front parlor to see Francis beaming at him. He looked even more solid than before. “I want you to come downstairs and see what we’ve done.”

Francis frowned. “I cannot.”

“Uh... why not?”

Francis turned to face the window and the street outside, clasping his hands behind his back. “She is down there. My mother.”

“Oh, so that’s who has been screaming at me,” Mason said as he walked towards Francis. “No offense, but she’s not very nice.”

“You have no idea.” Francis scowled. “She has forbidden me from descending the stairs. Each time I tried, she would scream like a banshee until I could no longer tolerate the sound and was forced to retreat.”

“Hmm... odd.” Mason turned to face Francis. “Does she ever come upstairs?”

Francis turned his head to look at Mason. “No. Not that I know of.”

Mason thought a moment. “I’m kinda new to all this ghost stuff so I’m not much help, I’m afraid.”

Francis smiled slightly. “I believe your being here is already a great help.” He turned and looked around.

“I have a feeling that this home will be returned to what it once was.” He looked at Mason again.

“This will once again be a home, which I will be forever grateful for. I have fond memories of being here even though I never considered this to be my home.”

“I’ve not forgotten my promise.” Mason wanted so badly to reach out and touch Francis. “I will try and find out what happened to your home.”

“I would be forever in your debt, Mr. Mason Montgomery.”

Francis turned to face Mason. For the first time, Mason realized how much taller Francis was compared to himself. They stared into each other’s eyes for a long moment.

“Hey, Mason, what are you doing, man?” Mitch called out from the back courtyard. “Your beer’s getting hot!”

“I guess I should go,” Mason said.

“Yes, you should go and be with your friends.” Francis smiled sadly.

“We’ll talk again soon,” Mason promised.

“I will look forward to that.” This time Francis smiled warmly before he gently faded away.

Mason stood there for a moment feeling a bit sad. Not sure why exactly, but he did.

“Mason, what are you doing?” Paul called out. “You okay up there?”

“Yeah, I’ll be right down.”

Mason rushed down the stairs to go out into the courtyard. As soon as his foot left the last stair, the old woman rushed at him, screaming. Her voice was high pitched and shrill.

“What did you do to Francis?” Mason yelled.

The old hag stopped short, a look of surprise on her face.

It didn’t last long. With even more fury, she raised both fists into the air and charged towards Mason, her screeching even louder.

Mason tried to dodge her, but she still managed to surge through the left side of his body, causing him to shudder.

The faint smell of death clung to him, and that rancid taste was in his mouth that he’d experienced before.

“Yuck.” Mason sputtered. “Damn, I need that beer now for sure.”

“Who are you yellin’ at?” Mitch asked, standing just inside the door to the backyard, Paul behind him looking over his shoulder.

“It was your ghost, weren’t it?” Paul asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

“Pfft... no such things as ghosts.” Mitch turned and pushed Paul out the door. “I’m thinking that knock on the head loosened up some screws.”

Paul still stood there after Mitch had passed by him. Mason nodded to him.

“Yeah, it was the old woman.” Mason patted Paul on the shoulder as he passed him. “I think something bad happened here.”

Paul whispered, “Is it safe for you to be here?”

“Yeah, yeah. She can’t hurt me.” Mason picked up the beer that was waiting for him on top of the cooler. “I don’t think so anyway.”

“What are we going to do for dinner?” Mitch asked, then belched loudly. “And we need more beer.”

Mason couldn’t help but roll his eyes. “You do realize that we’ve been drinking almost a case of beer a day, don’t’cha?”

“So?” Mitch finished his beer and smiled.

“Fine. How about I run down and get some Popeye’s chicken and you two go and get more beer.”

“I went yesterday,” Paul stated, standing up. “You go and I’ll take a shower,” he said to Mitch.

“But... my foot,” Mitch complained.

“Ain’t bothered you all day, you big wuss,” Paul said pulling Mitch up from the beach chair by the arm. “Go on. You’re the one complaining about not having beer.”

Mitch huffed but started towards the back of the courtyard where the gate was.

“Hurry your skinny ass up,” Paul yelled. “You drank the last beer and I’ll want a cold one when I get out of the shower!”

“My ass ain’t—”

“It’s skinny, but you’re still cute,” Mason called out, his hands around his mouth.

Mitch smiled. “Aww thanks, Mas.”