As with most families, I am sure, my family has an extended family chat group, which comprises of about 4870 members (this might be a slight exaggeration, but you get the drift). Members are spread across the world, too many have unfortunately never even met each other. But this is where you realize the privilege of living in the social media era. I could almost be living in the same country as my great nephews and nieces, as there are photos, updates etc.
We are four siblings, who could not be more different from one another. The same applies to the group members. We really are a group of ‘’all sorts’’…..every different spice, every different letter of the alphabet and just a melting pot of cultures and religions. We have something of everything. For the most part, the group comprises of a whole group of calm and serene members…..and then there’s me!!
My oldest brother, bless his little cotton socks, is one of my biggest supporters when it comes to my blogs (well, I dare say just generally). Every time one of my blogs is published, he shares it on the family group, together with a few words of praise. This is the point where I LITERALLY HEAR members’ eyes rolling to the back of their heads, thinking there goes that unhinged and unstable aunty/sister/sister in law again!! However, I do so appreciate him trying to spread my derangement with my extended family!!
Anyhoo, the reason I speak of this, is because he recently inquired as to whether my cubs, Salt and Pepper (the source of many of my blogs), read my posts. And the answer to that is yes, of course they do…..kinda…….sorta.
Initially, I would read Pepper my posts (more to run them by him for censorship purposes)…..yes, imagine…. me being petrified of being completely unfiltered!! To be honest, he enjoyed hearing them, and almost looked forward to hearing them, and it always ended with a smirk and a ”nice mom, I like it”.
Then there was Salt, who after forcefully being led to my computer (me ignoring the eye rolls and huffs and puffs), would listen to my brilliant writings with a smirk on his face, chuckle here and there, and then utter the words, ‘’hmmm, nice mom’’, before sauntering off. The only time one of them got offended was when Salt heard that I had used the word ‘’beast’’ to describe him. He still makes reference to that. But he IS a beast…in the most affectionate way possible. Anyway, if THAT is what offended him, I am probably in the clear!
You see, my children know me well. It might shock you (not), but there is virtually nothing that I have said about them in my posts which I haven’t said to their faces. Again, just making the diagnosis a breeze for any future therapist of theirs, with this easy to reference information!!
A few years ago, Salt told me that one of his friends said he loves that I am ‘’so savage”. I have yet to decide whether this should be taken as a compliment or an insult, but to date, I have chosen the former!!
Anyway, now that my Pepper is a working man, he is not always readily available to filter the posts before publishing them, but no need, as he never suggested any changes anyway.
So that is the answer to my brother’s very valid question. And here I am again….. with my children as my content. Who am I to pass up an opportunity to write about the day to day goings on in my life?? And really, my subject matter make it so easy to do this!!
So after all that waffling, I will now discuss this ‘’ghost’’ that Pepper swore was in his room.
Our house has been a lot like musical rooms for the last 15 years. When we initially moved in, Salt and Pepper each had a room, and there was, what can best be described as a small study/guest room/playroom/storeroom….the room with no name, if you will.
When Pepper got a bit older, he decided he wanted to be a big boy, and move further away from his grumpy mummy, so he asked to move to the room with no name, as it was ‘’waaay yonder’’, and far enough away from his mummy (or seemed like it for a little squirt). Of course, the fact that he was totally downgrading flew way over his head! Salt then decided he wanted to be a big boy too, so he moved into Pepper’s old room. And that is how we remained ever since.
Then COVID appeared, and Pepper’s first year as a working man started remotely. One would then assume he would use Salt’s old room as an office, but that room affectionately became known as ‘’the dungeon’’, as that was where everything was stored (including friends that slept over). So my Pepper decided that he wanted to use the dungeon as his bedroom, and have a working space in WHAT WAS AN OFFICE IN THE FIRST PLACE!!
So a few days after the shuffle took place, Pepper came to share with me his ghost theory. You see, he had a fan on in the room one evening, which was making a noise on the floor as it turned. So Professor Pepper decided to get some rolotowels to place under each four legs of the fan. Now, for those of you who do not know about rolotowels….they are those THICK ABSORBENT paper towels that are used to absorb spills….sometimes even dams!!! So Pepper takes two A4 size sheets for each leg, folds each of them into what is virtually brick thick, and places them under each leg of the fan. Then, he woke up shocked that the fan had moved a smidge!!! For me, it was a miracle that it stayed standing!!
‘’But it’s not just that mom’’, he said when I explained the mystery of the moving fan. ‘’It’s lots of things. Like an empty deodorant bottle just disappeared out of my room the other day.”
Anyway, thereafter I then heard him close his door every night, lock it, try open in to double check if it was indeed locked, and repeat the process again. There I sat, listening to this nightly ritual, wondering to myself what if this ”ghost” was in the room? Then he’d be in a bit of a pickle would he not??
I did briefly think, perhaps I should mischeviously mention this possibility to him, but then realised he would probably want to move back to his old room again, and I just could not have endured a redo of that whole production!
So, a few days later, he with a few brain cells missing, comes to tell me that there was a bath towel in his room which disappeared, and also the lights go on and off by themselves sometimes.
By now, I would imagine that a lot of you know where I am going with this??
But for those of you who are more ”Pepper-like”, let me paint a picture. Imagine me if you will, a beautiful boho chic-esque looking woman, with a straw sun hat, walking through fields of corn, hands stretched brushing these miracles of nature with my fingertips….um…..yes, well to make myself feel better, that is how I imagine myself, as I, ON AN HOURLY BASIS, walk through my house switching lights off…..picking up towels….and whatever else is in my path!!
Naturally by now, you would have realised that the time came when Pepper walked in the room and saw me picking up a towel off the floor, and uttered the words, ”oh, maybe YOU are the ghost”.
But more concerning for me, is HOW did he not realise that he had been having these ”ghostly encounters” for his whole life???
Oh Pepper…….
Grumpymummy 