Page 33 of Ghost

E llen insisted on coming in and seeing the photos that Mason had taken at Hobonny. Mason didn’t say no out of politeness, but he wanted to. What he really wanted was to curl up in bed with Francis beside him and cry his eyes out.

When Mason opened the back door to the basement, he could hear Gerald speaking in the new living room. He couldn’t make out what he was saying, but he could sure hear Francis’ response.

“And who are you to speak to me as if I were a child! I think that I am quite capable of making my own damn decisions!”

Ellen scurried quickly towards the two ghosts, with Mason right on her heels.

“What is going on here, if I may be so bold as to ask?” She stood in the doorway with her hands on her hips, her small black handbag dangling from her wrist “There is no need for shouting.”

Francis turned towards his cousin, and Mason took a deep breath. He’d never seen Francis angry, and he hoped he never would again.

Francis took a step towards Ellen and pointed his forefinger at her, his arm fully extended. “I will ask that you please keep your husband and yourself out of my affairs, dear cousin. I have no need for anyone to tell me what to do or when I may do it!”

With that, he disappeared.

Ellen glowered at Gerald. “What did you say? I remember distinctly telling you to be gentle.”

“Balderdash!” Gerald began pacing. “I was.”

“Obviously, not very.” Ellen sat on the sofa, straight as an arrow. “Francis, I know you can hear me. Please come back so that we can discuss this.” She waited a few seconds. “Please?”

“I have nothing to say to you, Ellen.” It was his far-away voice, from somewhere inside the house.

“But I have things to say to you, Francis. Please, come back and talk to me. Please?”

When nothing happened, Ellen began to weep, her hands over her face.

“You know I could never resist you when you wept,” Francis said gently, as he slowly materialized next to her. “I feel you are not playing fair, dear cousin.”

Ellen’s hands didn’t leave her face. “You have no idea how hard this is for me.” She let her hands slowly drop into her lap, her eyes moist. “Or for Mason either.” She looked at Mason, who had tears streaming down his face, frantically trying to wipe them away with each hand.

Francis looked at Mason and then back to Ellen. “For that, I am truly sorry.” He looked at Gerald and glared. “However, I do take great offense when I am commanded to leave what I still consider my own home!”

“Come now, I didn’t say anything of the sort!” Gerald roared.

Francis flashed between Ellen to right in front of the older-looking ghost.

“By God, that is exactly what you said!” Francis yelled.

Mason knew without a doubt that if either man were alive... and or solid, they would have come to blows. With that thought in mind he started to giggle and then outright laugh. The two men and Ellen turned and stared at Mason, surprise clearly written on their faces.

“Just what do you find so amusing, Mason?” Francis asked, scowling at him.

Mason doubled over, holding his stomach. “Water...I need water,” he managed to bark out between bouts of laughter.

Ellen rushed from the room to fetch him some water. When she returned, Mason’s laughter had subsided somewhat, but now he had the hiccups, which made him laugh again.

“Oh...my...god....” Mason took the water Ellen held and drained most of the glass. “May I have some more please?”

Ellen took the glass and went for more water.

Gerald stood there facing Mason, his hands gripping the front of his morning coat. Francis had a look on his face that was a mixture of bewilderment, anger and amusement.

Ellen returned with the water, and again, Mason drank most of it.

He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

“I was just thinking, if the two of you were alive, you’d have had a fist fight right here.

Then I had to wonder if ghosts can fight each other and if so, would you end up breaking anything. ”

Mason started to laugh again, and then Ellen began to chuckle, and then laugh herself.

Ellen was the first one to pull herself together. “The two of you looked like two cocks about to fight it out.”

That just made Mason lose it, and he started laughing all over again, gasping for air. “I think I’m dyin’. Can... anyone die... from laughing too much? Two cocks!” Mason sat on the floor, holding his stomach, tears rolling down his face. “Oh, I swear I’m dyin’.”

Ellen was also laughing again. Francis was the next one to start with a low chortle, followed by outright laughter.

“I do believe all of you are crazy,” Gerald grumbled. “I should take my leave of all of you and hope that you come to your senses before the authorities arrive to take you all off to the looney bin.”

“Oh, Gerald, do shut up.” Ellen opened her purse and pulled out a lace edged handkerchief. “Surely you can see the humor in all this?”

“I certainly do not.” Gerald straightened his jacket. “Woman, pull yourself together.”

“Don’t be such an old fuddy-duddy, Gerald,” Ellen replied, and then blew her nose. “Excuse me.”

Gerald glared at his wife.

Mason managed to pull himself up. “Excuse me, but I need to go blow my nose.”

He went into the bathroom and got a few tissues and blew his nose and wiped his eyes. When he turned Francis was standing there, a look of concern on his face.

“Are you all right, Mason?”

Mason nodded and then shook his head. “No. Not really.” He looked at Francis. “I’d really like to hug you right now.”

“I feel the same.” Francis looked distressed suddenly.

“We are going to have to have a long talk. Just you and I,” Mason whispered. “But later.”

Francis only nodded.

“I guess we should go back in there.” Mason tried to smile. “Besides, I have something special to show you.”

Francis nodded again and then stood aside so that Mason could walk past him.

When they had returned, Ellen looked at Mason. “Mason, dear, do you think you could go and get some of that lovely lemonade from Mr. Davies’ store, please. I feel particularly parched at the moment.”

Mason blinked a few times. “Yeah, sure. Be right back.”

Mason had the distinct feeling that he was being asked to leave so that Ellen could talk to Francis alone. He wasn’t so sure he was okay with that, but he didn’t want to be rude either. He frowned. Ellen had a way about her that made you not dare refuse her.

When he returned with the bottle of premade lemonade, he poured some for Ellen and went into the living room. Francis was sitting next to Ellen, elbows on knees, face in hands and his shoulders hunched forward.

“What’s going on?” Mason asked, not handing Ellen the glass, but standing in the doorway.

Francis looked up, and it was obvious that he’d been crying. “My dear cousin has most eloquently made her case, with which I cannot find fault.”

“What do you mean?” Mason asked, feeling a bit angry.

Ellen let her gaze fall from Mason towards the floor.

Francis stood up and slowly approached Mason. “She is correct in pointing out that you have a long full life ahead of you and you deserve to be loved by a real man. Not someone who has had a life and no longer does. A man who is... not dead.”

Mason could feel the tears stinging his eyes.

“She is also correct in saying that I have been very fortunate to have been able to spend the time with you that I have. It has been like a great gift and one that I will always and forever treasure.”

“I don’t want you to go, though,” Mason choked out.

“Please, Mason, do not make this any more difficult than it already is.” Francis glanced over his shoulders at Ellen.

“I am in between two worlds, not belonging in one, and being summoned to another. Ellen has made me see what the right thing to do is, and that is for me to go into the light and onto the next world.”

Mason glared at Ellen. “Don’t I get a say in this?”

Ellen looked sad. “Unfortunately, no. You don’t, Mason. As hard as it is to say that to you, it is a fact. I hope in the end, you can forgive me.”

“I think I’d like you to leave now.” Mason turned and walked back into the kitchen and dumped the lemonade down the sink.

“Mason, do you not think that is the right thing?” Francis asked quietly from over his shoulder. “Ellen is truly looking out for your well-being.”

Mason turned. “Yes, I do. You were right. No one has the right to tell either of us what to do!”

Francis looked so sad it was tearing Mason’s heart out.

“We can make this work, Francis. I know we can.”

Francis shook his head and slowly disappeared.

Mason watched as Ellen, followed by Gerald, emerge from the living room. They walked towards the door.

“Mason, I just –”

“Please, just leave.” Mason said quietly.

Ellen nodded and they both left.

Mason let himself slide down to the floor and hugged his knees, resting his head on them. “Why? For once in my life everything seemed to be falling into place, and now... this. Why?”

“My dear, Mason. If there is one thing I can be certain of, it is that life will always be changing and challenging.”

Mason looked up to see Francis squatted down in front of him. He looked sad but had a slight smile on his face.

“I don’t want you to go.”

“I know.” Francis looked up and took a deep breath. “I would rather not leave you, but staying is not the right thing to do.” He looked back at Mason. “It would be unfair to you and myself. Ellen made that very clear to me, and she is right, Mason. She is most certainly right.”

“Now what?” Mason rubbed his nose with the back of his hand.

Francis stood up. “Now, we spend what time we have left together and enjoy that time.” He tried to smile but gave up. “Come, I believe you promised to show me something special?”

Mason stood up and grabbed the photos from the top of the breakfast bar. “Okay. I’m going to grab a beer first. Meet me in the bedroom.”

Francis arched one eyebrow. “The bedroom? Pray tell, what are you going to show me?”

Mason rolled his eyes. “Like you’ve not seen everything already.”

That made Francis laugh. “How right you are. In the bedroom it will be then.”