Man in Grey

It was just a typical summer day in south Texas. At the time, I was a little girl of 12 or so. I lived in a fairly secluded area at the end of a cul-de-sac, and of course, with southern weather, it was hot as hell. I think it was at least ninety-eight degrees outside.

My mother’s Rottweiler had recently had puppies, but most of them died either due to the heat or illness, so only one was left. I brought food and water into the shed, the only source of shade, for her to eat so she had a better chance of having one living puppy. The last one did survive, for those who are curious.

Though it was miserably hot outside, I suddenly felt dreadfully cold. Simone (the mother dog) didn’t growl, but began wagging her tail (or nub, I should say) and stared forward. I had to look.

I turned my head and saw a man dressed in a grey suit. He had a thick moustache and was wearing a hat that looked like it could’ve been from 1910 or so. I opened my mouth to say something, being the impolite and outspoken brat I was, only to realize that I could see through his legs.

He tipped his hat at me with a faint smile and walked (or drifted) on. Shocked, and somehow not paralyzed with fear, I darted out of the shed and followed, only to see him disappear beside the ash tree that was starting to grow next to the house I lived in.

That wouldn’t be the last time I saw him, but I never felt threatened by his presence. In fact, I felt safe. Every now and then, after my parents purchased another acre of land, I would see him standing in the woodsy areas of our yard, only for him to disappear when I blinked or looked somewhere else. I always felt like he was watching over me, but to this day, I’m still not sure.

As I grew, I eventually fell in love with someone and decided to move away with him. I may’ve been just a teenager, but you know what they say… love makes you do crazy things. Or hormones. I don’t know, it was one of the two. But I remember as I got into my dad’s ugly green Toyota Corolla to head to the airport, all of my luggage loaded into the vehicle, I stared out the window as we pulled out of the driveway. What I saw brought tears to my eyes.

The man in grey was waving, as if to say goodbye to me.