By Hank Hayseed, Esq.
BayToday.ca
Wednesday, March 26, 2008

The first house I bought was a cute little old farmhouse in the Caledon Hills, north of Toronto. The missus and I moved there a mere week after our daughter was born.
Everything was roses: I had an exciting career, we increasingly enjoyed our new place and our daughter was an absolute joy to be with.
Until things started to subtly change.
The neighbours had advised us to lock up when we left the house due to some recent hooliganisms in the area. Upon our return from shopping, as one of us would reach for the front door with our keys, the door would slowly open!
Um, okay, I guess we didn't lock it properly, eh honey?  After the second occurrence, we gave that door a thorough inspection. Yes, we could definitely hear the locking mechanism engage. Next time we came home, same thing the door was unlocked and partially open.
Okay, we tried coming home via the back door. Same thing.
Oh boy!
I was raised in a family with several women. Guess how many times I left the toilet seat up? Right, once! In this new home, every time I went to do a stand-up procedure, the lid was up when I walked into the bathroom!
For the first few times, I just assumed that I had left it up after my previous visit. But, NO! I never leave a seat up! And there was no way that the missus would've.
But wait there's more!
I had bought a rocking chair for the nursery, for the missus and I to feed and rock our daughter. One day, the missus went upstairs to see the chair rocking! Exactly as if someone was in it! The window wasn't open for any wind to be moving it.
We finally asked our neighbours if they knew the history of the house. Previous to the young couple we bought if from, there were two spinster sisters that had lived there for several decades. Their family had once owned several hundred acres in the area. As their parents and siblings had passed away or moved on, they sold off the property to be left with the wee house on an acre and half.
One of the sisters had died in her sleep. In my daughter's room! After her passing the other sister moved away.
The missus and I discussed it. Outside, in case the Ghost was listening. We agreed that at least it appeared benevolent and certainly not worthy of any concerns of poltergeist-like activities.
The five of us, daughter, missus, dog, our Ghost and myself, spent a most enjoyable time living there.
Especially, as a man, to find the toilet seat already raised for me.