That night, my ghost came back. Lisa was, as typical of her, in a deep sleep, so I didn’t try to rouse her. Instead, I bravely asked the specter, “Who are you?”

Once again, she moved toward the center of the room. As it moved, I heard a child’s voice say, “Help me.” Then, it disappeared near the center of the room as before. Somehow, I knew that this was a little girl, but I can’t explain how I knew that.

I pondered the meaning of this but saw no reason to try to wake up Lisa. She was unlikely to return that night. The two-word message seemed impossible to interpret.

Another day dawned on Brook’s mansion. At breakfast, I told the family about the return of my specter. Only Lisa expressed real interest I think the rest of the family was convinced I was a dreamer.

Lisa and I got an early start at the pool. We discussed my sighting, and she agreed that I should ask the spirit for details. As we sat by the pool, I wondered how long it would be before one or both of us got of sick going to the pool every day. “Lisa, we need to accomplish something this summer.”

“Right. I’m working on a perfect tan.”

“There are people who achieve the perfect tan, then commit suicide.”

“OK, Sarah, you’re an enigma. Maybe you could try to explain your point to a mere mortal.”

“One of the problems with wealth is the lack of a need to accomplish something. Our bodies and minds are made to face challenges and conquer them. We have an inner need for accomplishment. I feel like that’s the reason you see so many actors and rock stars commit suicide. There was even a minister in Sugar Land who did himself in! When someone rises to a place where they feel they can’t go any higher and they want for nothing, life becomes meaningless. Humans have to have challenges!”

“Ok, we may be bored, but I think we’re a long way from running out of challenges. Also, we are not wealthy. Your parents are. We do, however, need to start thinking about careers. In what capacity are we going to damage society?”

“Well, Lisa, I think I’d like to do my ‘damage’, as you call it, as a physician. I hate to see people hurting. Maybe I could do something with gene therapy. They have made a lot of progress understanding the genome thanks, in no small part, to my dad.”

“You have a right to be proud of him, just as I have a right to be proud that my dad left before he did too much damage to me and my mom.”

“I’m, sorry, Lisa.”

“It’s ok, I have my wonderful uncle. You know him right? Anyway, I think the legal field might be right for me. You get to lie a lot, plus, you get to know the judges, and you get to do a lot of illegal shit that would put most people away for decades!”

“How sweet, and your language is so refined!”

“But I’m right?”

“Seriously, I think you would make a great attorney. You’re smart and outgoing, plus, you could sell smoke to someone whose house was on fire.”

“Hey, I like that! I could put that on my ads!”

“There’s just one formality in the way of our dreams.”

“Come on, Sarah, what could be in our way?”

“Education!”

“Oh, that! Like you said, ‘a formality’. We just have to put in the time in classes, take a little exam to show off how much we know, and we’re on our way.”

“I’m glad it’s so easy! I was under the misconception that it was hard!”

“Well, there might be a few bumps in the road, but we’ll be traveling in a tank.”

“Right. You are the encourager!”

“I could encourage Forrest Gump through medical school! Then, I could make a million dollars defending him against the lawsuits certain to be filed when he does a cardiectomy on someone with a ruptured appendix.”

“Like you said, I’m the one who really cares about people!”

“Right, and the medical profession is one of the few where you can make a lot of money caring about people!”

“And you’ll make a lot of money not giving a sh….”

“STOP! Remember, that kind of talk is for boys. You now have to be ‘all dainty and shit’!”

“You have quite a memory, but you just used the ‘S’ word.”

“Well, my memory is selective. Other people’s sins are seared into my memory. My sins just go poof!”

“Ok. Lisa, I’d like to change the subject, because there’s something I’ve been wanting to ask you about, seriously.”

“Oh! I’ll get serious.”

“If you don’t want to talk about this, that’s ok, but, if you can talk honestly about it with anyone, I think it would be me.”

“Ok, shoot.”

“You like to not be serious and joke around a lot. Do you think it has something to do with maybe … covering up some disappointment about your father, and the way he treated you and your mom?”

Lisa sat, squinting from the sun, looking straight ahead. I thought I saw a tear starting to fall. Finally, she spoke. “I find humor a way to deal with a lot of unpleasant things. As far as my father goes; it just don’t seem fair!” I knew she used the word ‘don’t’ for effect. She knew grammar better than the English teachers. “How could I be stuck with such a selfish loser? I don’t know where my mom and I would be without your dad. I mean, your dad and mine are at opposite ends of the winner-loser spectrum. Did my dad ever love my mom? Did he love me? He couldn’t love us and do what he did. If I had been born a boy, would he still be here? Kids always blame themselves when their parents divorce, but in this case, I’m sure of it. My dad thought he would have a son who would accomplish all the things he never quite pulled off when he was young. I’m talking about totally unimportant stuff, like sports. A daughter was no good to him.” A few tears were escaping by now and her voice was cracking.

“Oh, Lisa, I’m sorry for bringing it up, but maybe you need to cry about it. You can’t hold it in forever!”

“I’ve cried, believe me. I’ve cried until I thought I cried out all the tears. I’ve told myself, ‘Damn it, I’ve cried my last tear over that bastard!’, but there always seem to be more tears available when this subject comes up. I wonder what would have happened if I had been the child that they thought was a boy, only to find out years later that I was a girl all along. Wow, my dad … I just can’t imagine what would have happened!”

“I know. He would have had the doctors take all your female parts out and give you hormones to make you mature as a male. Then, he would have a ‘son’ he could force to play football and all the other crap that boys do. You would have been miserable, but that wouldn’t matter to him, as long as he had a ‘son’! Yes, you’re right about him being selfish.”

“Wow, that’s a scary scenario! Eventually, he would have to give up.”

“Yes, but there would be years of misery before he did, and you would have memories of a ruined childhood.”

“Sarah, you are so lucky … blessed. I guess I can’t complain too much. We’re blessed with your father also.”

“I’m glad y’all are. You and your mom are the best!”

“Thanks. I don’t know how we could ever thank y’all!”

“Lisa, I look at it this way; no sermon here, but The Bible says it more blessed to give than to receive. People who refuse help, or something that is offered, deprive the person making the offer of the blessing of giving. So, accepting help and a simple, ‘thanks’ is plenty. I can look at my dad and know that he receives a blessing from helping y’all. I feel blessed also, and I’m sure my mom does. Actually, I think you and I are the most blessed by this situation. Whatcha think?”

“Absolutely. Thanks for everything, including the talk. How about we go inside and research our careers? I wanna bless someone with a lawsuit. Oops … sorry, but I’ve been serious for about two minutes. I’m near my ‘seriousness’ limit.”

“Uhggg! Ok. We’ve languished here long enough.”

We headed into the house to change clothes and do some more research on schools and careers.

That night I had a strange dream. It was one of those dreams that is so confusing I didn’t know what was happening. The main thing I remember is that Lisa’s dad was in jail, and Lisa was going to get him out since she was an attorney. She was typical ‘Lisa’ in my dream; assertive and certain that she would succeed in getting her dad freed. Since it was a dream, the question of ‘why’ never came up.

When I awoke from the dream, my specter was near the foot of my bed. I shook Lisa a bit, even though I didn’t think it would wake her. I asked the spirit, “What do you want?”

The reply was, “Get me out!”

Again, the ghost began to move across the room. Suddenly, I realized that Lisa had awoken. She sat up in bed and let out a piercing scream that echoed throughout the house. It brought all the parents to our room, and my dad turned on the light. Lisa was sobbing uncontrollably, and Aunt Katy rushed to her side. I had never seen Lisa in such a state. I told my mom and dad, “The ghost came back for a visit, and Lisa got to see her. Guess she’s not as tough as she pretends to be.”

I realized then that Lisa was not completely unflappable. She left my room in tears and went to her mom’s room to sleep. My mom got into my bed to stay the rest of the night. I didn’t think I needed her, but it was kind of comforting not to be alone.

Everyone now knew I wasn’t making up a ghost story, but it didn’t help to understand where the specter was that she wanted out!

Next: A Test…MUST PASS
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