By W.T. WIMPY HIROTO
It had been three days since the last “tap tap tap” episode. An unmatched period of silence over a six month period of time. The mysterious interloper(s) suddenly stopped knocking on my door. Taking a hiatus or simply disappearing? Whoooooooooooooo. Maybe (s)he/it is being recalled to the netherworld for a more important assignment/victim?
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Frankly I don’t know how to act or what to do. In times of dire straits, I turn to my computer to find *surcease. So there I am last Friday (three days earlier than usual) banging out this week’s column celebrating the partial flight of the invisible intruder. Yeah, I shoulda known better. A subsequent “tap tap tap” interrupted the premature rejoicing at exactly 1:16 a.m. Saturday; and then again on Sunday at 3:48 a.m., followed by an encore at 5:18 as if for added emphasis. But lo and behold, nothing Monday a.m., nada. This respite was short-lived as this (Tuesday) morning there was a loud knocking at 1:12, followed by a 1:24 single telephone ring as if in encore of the earlier intrusion. How’s that for up-to-the-minute reporting? {*WoW=word of week=surcease=respite or reprieve, emotional release.)
So I am left on the proverbial horns of a dilemma today (Wednesday.) Will the interruptions continue unabated or is the tapering off an omen of impending relief? If not human, maybe the ghost/ghoul is looking for a more reactive victim to torment.
[Yeah, folks, I’m beginning to think the intimidation is taking an unworldly turn; if a human being does not show up on security camera tapes, just an empty corridor, who then is knocking on my door?]
By now I’m so used to being rudely awakened at all hours, the knock-knock-knock sequence is anticipated. Like Pavlov’s dog; Charlie Brown futilely trying to kick the football out of Lucy’s hold; Freudian whatever. To make matters worse, it means my ongoing investigation into the whys and wherefores of this phenomena has come to a dead end.
Should I discontinue my search for Casper the Friendly Ghost? The Phantom of Boyle Avenue? The Hunchback of Keiro Home? And seek the help of an exorcist?
It’s as disappointing as it is mystifying. The question of who is/are (s)he/they/it remains a challenge that seemingly defies logic/common sense/reality. If the knocking continues, I have yet another approach on the front burner. Quite obviously, you will be amongst the first to know what happens. Should I bust open a bottle of cabernet or compose another will?
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Since almost every column these days is being turned into confession time, here are two more revelations:
When in Vegas the end of June, I wrote about fancy $30 breakfasts and a profitable eight-minute stint at a blackjack table. What I didn’t mention was the first night there at New York, New York Hotel an unmistakable trio of knocks echoed into my room at 3:25 a.m!
We all know unexpected and unwelcome people knocking on wrong doors in Vegas hotels is not an anomaly, it happens all the time. But you can imagine how it affected me, even if it only happened that first night.
And you know those room signs they have for guests to hang outside on the door handle: one says “Do not disturb” and the other asks for immediate maid service. Well, I thought one of them was ideal for me to bring home instead of soap, shampoo or towel. NYNY, instead of a generic “Do not disturb” notice, has one that appropriately (for me) reads: “Don’t come a-knockin’.” So I brought one home to hang on my door nightly. Not very effective.
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Like any good investigative reporter worth his shoyu, CR2S has conducted a series of interviews with staff, volunteers, residents and other old timers regarding the eerie goings on around here.
Stranger-than-fiction specter stories are worth later recitation if you don’t scare easily. While the nation celebrates Curiosity on Mars, CR2S readers can expect reports from eerier WhooooooooLand …
W.T. Wimpy Hiroto can be reached at williamhiroto@att.net. Opinions expressed in this column are not necessarily those of The Rafu Shimpo.