WE WENT INTO THE HOUSE, WHERE MY MOTHER WAS COOKING US OUR FAVORITE ITALIAN DINNER, MACARONI AND MEATBALLS. THE HOUSE SMELLED GREAT. MY MOUTH WATERED AND WENT DIRECTLY TO THE STOVE AND PEEKED INSIDE MY MOM’S SAUCE POT. SHE MADE HER SAUCE FROM SCRATCH AND WAS MY FAVORITE THING. SHE WAS COMING DOWN FROM THE SECOND FLOOR. SHE HEARD US COME IN. "THE PLUMBER SAID IT COULD HAVE BEEN PRESSURE GROWING INSIDE THE LINE AND TWISTED THE PIPE AND THEN POP BAMM FELL OVER." FINIALLY, I FELT THREE TIMES BETTER, AND HUNGRIER. SHE MADE MY FAVORITE BECAUSE OF WHAT THE PLUMBER SAID AND SHE FELT GUILTY FOR BLAMINGS US . MY FATHER APOLIGIZED TO ME AND TOLD HIM, "SEE, I TOLD YOU." MY MOTHER SAID AS SHE STIRRED THE SAUCE, "CHECK, THE DOOR IN THE BACK, I’VE FOUND IT OPEN 3 TIMES TODAY, I KNOW I LOCK IT." MY FATHER GOT HIS TOOLS OUT AND TOOK IT APART AND DIDN’T SEE ANY PROBLEM. HE LOCKED THE DOOR

AND WORKED LIKE NEW. HE SAID, WAS THE LOCK JUST UNDONE OR WAS THE DOOR WIDE OPEN. SHE SAID, " WIDE OPEN." HE THOUGHT IT COULD HAVE BEEN A NEW THROW RUG MY MOM PUT AT THE DOOR AND MIGHT HAVE GOTTEN CAUGHT UNDERNEATH AND THEN OPENNED THE DOOR. SINCE IT NEVER CLOSED AND LOCKED, BUT 3 TIMES. HE SCRATCHED HIS HEAD AND PUT HIS TOOLS AWAYS. MOM SAID FROM THE KITCHEN, "DINNER READY", AND BOY WAS I READY TO GOBBLE UP MY MACARONI AND MEATBALLS.

AS WE SAT, SHE BROUGHT US OUR PLATES AND LAID THEM IN FRONT OF US. I WENT BACK TO GET MORE SAUCE. MY BROTHER HATED ITALIAN FOOD, SO SHE MADE HIM A HAMBURGER, WHICH PLEASED HIM. MY FATHER CAME TO THE TABLE AFTER SHOWERING, WHICH WAS HIS FAVORITE THING FOR HIM TO DO. HE WOULD SHOWER ABOUT 3 TIMES A DAY, ONLY IN THE WINTER, HE CUTS DOWN TO 2. THIS NEW BATHROOM WAS TO BE HIS BABY. MOM GOT THE BATHROOM ON THE SECOND FLOOR, MY BROTHER AND I SHARED THE BATHROOM WITH MY FATHER. TRULY THE MENS ROOM IN BLUE AND WHITE TILE, WHILE MY MOM’S WAS A VELVET RED WALLPAPER WITH GOLD ACCENTS. HE SAT DOWN IN HIS PJ’S AT 7PM, WE LOOKED AT HIM AND HE SAID, "WHAT, I’M TIRED, I’M GOING TO BED EARLY TONIGHT.WHICH MEANT HE’LL BE SLEEP IN THE COUCH IN FRONT OF THE TELEVISION BY 9:30. DINNER WAS GREAT, DAD TOLD THE HIGHLIGHT OF THE GAME, EVEN THOUGH WE LOST, WE HAD A GOOD TIME. MY MOM WENT BACK INTO THE KITCHEN TO GET ANOTHER MEATBALL. SHE SAID, "I THOUGHT YOU FIXED THE BACK DOOR?" "I DID", EXCLAIMED MY FATHER AS HE GOT UP FROM THE TABLE TO INSPECT THE DOOR. NO MORE CARPET, HE PICKED THAT UP FROM THE FLOOR BEFORE, HE CHECKED THE DOOR JAM AND SAID, " I’LL GO TO PERGAMENT TOMORROW AND GET A NEW LOCK. WE’LL JUST USE THE DEAD BOLT AND THAT WILL HOLD TILL TOMORROW" HE WALKED BACK TO THE TABLE AND BUTTER A PIECE OF ITALIAN BREAD AND WIPE HIS PLATE CLEAN. I WASN’T FAR BEHIND. MY BROTHER WAS DUNKING HIS BREAD INTO HIS MILK. I EXCUSED MYSELF FROM THE TABLE AND THEN WENT TO THE DOOR. LOOKED FINE TO ME. HUH, MAYBE THE TUMBLES ARE WORN AND OPENS BY ITSELF, BUT YOU HAVE TO TURN THE KNOB TO OPEN THE DOOR? I FELT A COLD BREEZE FROM THE BASEMENT, THAT BROUGHT THE HAIRS ON THE BACK OF MY NECK UP AND KNEW IT WASN’T THE LOCK. WHAT EVER IT WAS IT DIDN’T LIKE BEING LOCK IN OR OUT OF THE HOUSE.

AFTER THAT HEAVY MEAL, WE SAT AROUND THE TELEVISION. CAROL BURNETT WAS ON AND WE LAUGH SO HARD OUR BELLY HURT. MY FATHER DISHED US OUT SOME ICE CREAM DURING THE COMMERCIALS, THEN BACK TO "HIS CHAIR". I LIED ON THE NEW SHAG RUG AND MY BROTHER SAT ON THE ODOMUM. CAROL BURNETT WAS OUR FAVORITE FAMILY SHOW. I MEAN WE ALL HAD SHOWS WE LIKED BUT CAROL BURNETT WAS SOMETHING THE WHOLE FAMILY WATCHED TOGETHER. MY FATHER GOT UP TO COLLECT OUR BOWL AND WENT BACK INTO THE KITCHEN. THEN, "GOD D#%@ IT, WHO OPEN THIS DOOR." WE ALL LOOKED AT EACH OTHER IN THE LIVINGROOM AND THOUGHT MY FATHER WENT CRAZY, EXCEPT FOR ME, I KNOW WHAT WAS GOING ON HERE, IT WAS A POWER THING OVER OWNERSHIP OF THIS HOUSE AND THE GHOST. SO FAR, THE GHOST WAS WINNING. MY FATHER REBOLTED THE DOOR AND EVEN LOCKED THE SCREEN DOOR TO OUTSIDE. YOU TELL HE HAD IT, PLUS THE COST OF A NEW DOOR KNOB AND BOLT LOCK, THE COST WAS GOING UP. HE THOUGHT, IT MIGHT HAVE TO DO WITH THE DOOR JAM AS WELL AND FIGURE ON GETTING A NEW FRAME AS WELL. KA-CHING!