In almost every store you go into, you see Halloween articles, for that reason this time I will write about things that I saw first hand and things that have been told to me. Do you believe in ghosts? Or maybe I should be saying do you believe in things that are hard to understand or believe? During the years that we lived in the San Jose Projects, there were several things that took place that were hard to describe or believe.
Now, in the apartment where we lived, the living room and kitchen were downstairs and upstairs were the bedrooms and the bathroom. There was a light as you started down the stairs but one night my older brother, Kenneth, wanted a glass of water, so he started downstairs. He did not turn on the light because it would shine right into my parents’ bedroom and he knew if he woke up my stepfather there would be hell to pay, so he just leaned against the wall and started down the stairs. About half way down, something or somebody grabbed him and threw him down the stairs. He ended up with a big knot on his head and a black eye. My brother started screaming and my stepfather and mother got up to see what was going on. Now mind you, it was raining and the door was locked, but they found footprints that measured thirteen and a half inches and whatever or whoever it was, wasn’t wearing any shoes, it was barefooted. Outside on the ground, there were no footprints and again I say it was raining and had been for hours, what was it? Only God knows. On another occasion, as I said in another article, I would sit out in the swings late at night and swing back and forth singing. I got tired and decided that I would go to sleep, I went inside and up the stairs and into my bedroom, I cut off the light and started to take off my shirt and remember my window was facing the playground and when you looked out the window you could see the swings. In the same swing that I had been using was a little person making some kind of noise and I hollered at him and he turned and you could see the face because of the are light at the playground. He was swinging real high and he turned and looked at me and his eyes were like two red hot coals of fire and he had long fingers and black finger nails and he pointed at me and shook his head. I ran back down the stairs and the swing was swinging as hard and as fast as it could but it was empty. I grabbed the swing and stopped it and sat down in it and it was ice cold. I felt a tingling in my whole body so I stopped it and got the swing next to the one I was using and tied them in a knot. I went back upstairs and looked out the window and there he was again in the same swing. This time when he looked at me he shook his finger at me and let out a sound that sounded like a laugh or some kind of animal. I went back downstairs and the swings were tied together but not moving and they were empty. I went back to my room and watched until I fell asleep and my mom woke me up and asked why I had slept in my clothes. I told her what I had seen and as usual, she did not believe me. It was about a month later when the deal with my brother took place and I told my mom I think he was coming for me, they all had a good laugh, Now mind you, my neighbors would sit by the window in bed and listen to me singing, and I talked to everyone that had a window facing the playground and no one saw or head anything. Another time, I had been on the other side of the projects, at Gloria’s house, and we were all sitting out on the grass singing and playing the guitar, as I started walking home, I heard footsteps behind me, when I turned around, there was no one there. All of a sudden, something grabbed a hold of my guitar and tried to pull it from my hands. There was no one there, but I believe, due to the fact that the guitar had a strap on it and was around my neck, I did not let it go. I hollered and then there was a strong wind that hit me that lasted just a few seconds and then it was quiet and still. Again I ask, what was it? During the time that I was asking my neighbors if they heard or saw anything at the swings, they told me about a neighbor that had woke up during the night and saw a woman dressed in white was at the foot of her bed. It floated through the wall and she watched it until it reached the small bridge that separated the projects, I believe it was an irrigation ditch. In the middle of the bridge, it disappeared. Later on she said she was walking home and she saw the woman again on the little bridge and again it disappeared. She looked at her watch and it was midnight. I decided I would check it out, so I ask my friend, Robbie Diaz, to stand there with me on the little bridge and see what would happen. He stood off to one side and at midnight there was a strong wind that blew across the bridge so hard that it would almost knock you down. It only lasted for about thirty seconds but it was scary. Again I asked, what was it? When I made up my mind to write about the things I have seen and heard, I asked my friend, Victor Camposano, if he had heard anything or had he seen anything around that time in the projects that was strange. He told me the following story. While the project was under construction, Victor lived on Chestnut St, a side street off of W Martin St, he was around seven years old. It was in the early 50’s and they were just about to finish up the project, Victor said he was outside because there was a fire in one of the two story buildings that was still under construction. All of a sudden, he saw what looked like a man run out of the building and climb up a tree like a monkey and disappear. When the police and the fire department arrived, he told them what he had seen and they looked in the tree but found nothing. What was it that he saw and how did it disappear so fast? In closing, let me say, some things are not as they seem and some are hard to explain. There are a lot of more stories that I have seen or heard of around town, maybe at a later date I will write about them, but remember you live in one of the best little cities, so get out and enjoy yourself with your family in this beautiful city of ours, Del Rio Texas. |
KWMC
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