The Apparition of 27 Mainway : Maria……….

Somedays I would wake up to her immaculate but faint and hologramic face. She never smiled to at least calm my raging nerves. Her name, Maria, Date of birth; 24 September 1903 and Date of death 25 December 1921. Five years prior, she was the very hologram that made me vow to never watch Ghostbusters again after the freak encounter in the backyard. How we ended up becoming sort of friends is a story I would rather not tell now as it took three more pant-wetting encounters, screams of blue-whale proportions and a number of nightmares. She was the secret of my room.

“Who were you talking to?” came the chilling question. I could not tell my mother that I had been talking to a ghost in my room, she would instantly get me admitted in a mental institute. Everyone darted glances reeking of suspiscion. Amara knew, Tarirai seemed confused while Amanda, Amara’s five year old daughter and my mother were genuinely in the dark.
I cleared my throat. Silence……
“Just a friend on the phone,” I said and quickly looked at Amara for a nod of approval which she subtly gave me. Yes, it was officially a good lie!
“Anyway, the Madumbes are coming over for the holidays so I need you to clean up your room and move in with Tarirai. No underwear on the floor or in that stinky closet,” my mother said and everyone chuckled. My room? I could not let anyone in there. First of all, I would never clean up in time and my secret was supposed to stay as such. Auntie Florence Madumbe was said to be a renowned prophetess in South Africa where they stayed and if that was anything close to the truth, I was going to be busted for sure.
“Why can’t they move into Tari’s room?” I beggingly asked. My mother simply pulled the iron look and I found myself running to clean up.

I broke the news to Maria. We would have to move. My million dollar question was, “Do you ghosts leave any sort of residue that alerts psychic folks of your presence?” It was an honest question. For the first time she smiled at me. Hers was a brilliant smile that made the whole room sparkle. I saw sparks flying and felt like I was bungee jumping, plunging from the famous Victoria Falls bridge into the unknown. I knew she was a beautiful figure, I just did not know that she had any effect on me what-so-ever let alone that kind of effect.
She did not answer. She simply helped me clean up. I forgot that I had even asked the question anyway. What was this? A thudding heart, beads of sweat, butterflies…..she had just set me off in tiny sparks. Maria……….