The Wall People

by AnneMarie Dapp

  “Oh yes, several of the pieces were passed down to me from Ireland. They are treasures.”

  “Ah yes. To be true. Now, where would you like me to begin, Katie?”

  “Well father, if you don’t mind, I thought we might start in my bedroom.”

  “Wonderful,” he answered.

  Katie led Father Peter and Camellia to the back of the cabin. As the priest walked toward her room, his smile slowly faded. His entire demeanor had changed. His light-hearted expression suddenly switched to a serious, contemplative look.

  “Father, is something wrong?” Katie asked.

  He walked around the room and stopped at the end of her bed. Gradually, he looked up to the ceiling and his eyes locked on the thick varnish above. Outside, a cloud passed over the sun, and the room darkened. After a moment, he seemed to gather his thoughts and looked up seriously at the two women.

  “Young lady, I don’t mean to alarm you, but I have just a few questions to ask.”

  “Yes, of course, Father please ask me whatever you would like.” Father Peter continued to speak.

  “You mentioned that you were concerned about a recent trespassing incident that occurred in your yard. Have there been any other strange occurrences that have taken place since?”

  She had given him a few details concerning the trespassing when she had made the appointment for the blessing. Katie took a deep breath before she answered. She knew that she had no choice but to speak the truth to the Father.

  “Yes, there have been some other incidents, I’m afraid.”

  Camellia looked startled at the news.

  “Actually, there have been unusual occurrences since the day that I moved in. I began having strange dreams the very first night that I slept in the cabin. Several of these dreams have taken place in Ireland. I recalled a detailed past life in the town of Kinvara near Galway Bay.”

  Father Peter interrupted. “I’m very familiar with that town, my dear. I’ve visited many times over the years.”

  “I have never been to Ireland. I have heard stories from my relatives. In my dreams, however, I can remember the faces of family members and friends that I have never met. In fact, they do not even belong to our time. My dreams depict Ireland during the nineteenth century.”

  She hesitated and quickly looked back and forth between Camellia and Father Peter. Their kind eyes silently encouraged her to go on with her story. She took a deep breath and continued.

  “There is a man in my dreams named James Williams. He seems intent on hurting me. I have distinct memories where he did in fact take my life on the shores of Galway Bay.”

  Camellia gasped in astonishment as she continued.

  “I remember details and events of The Great Famine in Ireland. I can see the old farm and my family’s home. The blight eventually hit our land.”

  Father Peter quietly made the sign of the cross.

  “Oh it was a terrible time, indeed, for the people of Ireland. There was great suffering all over the island to be sure.”

  “Yes, my mother used to tell me stories that had been passed down to her from my ancestors. Yet, these dreams are so much more than stories for me. I can remember, as if the memories were my own, as if I lived during that time. They seem so real.”

  “Have you had other experiences, child…in the home itself?”

  “Yes, I’m afraid I have.”

  Camellia’s eyes were full of wonderment and worry as Katie continued with her story.

  “The other evening, when I was taking a bath, I heard some strange voices. They sounded like they were coming from the walls,” she whispered quietly.

  “And then…”

  She hesitated, shifting her gaze between Father Peter and Camellia. She could not believe that she was saying this out loud. What would they think? Her voice began to choke up as she tried to find the words to describe the terrifying evening.

  “The voices seemed to be coming from the cabin walls,” she whispered. “They became loud and frantic, eventually overlapping one other. A powerful storm was brewing that particular evening. There was an unusual gust of wind outside and the lights suddenly went out altogether. The room became very cold. As my eyes tried to adjust to the dim light, a strange shadow appeared in the corner of the bathroom. At first the image seemed like that of a stranger. Eventually his features became more solid. I realized that it was James Williams. But then,” she stopped for a moment to gather her thoughts, “the image began to change. It transformed into some kind of creature or monster, a demon. I’ve never seen anything so terrifying in my life.”

  Camellia’s eyes grew wide and she quickly made the sign of the cross.

  She stopped suddenly, somewhat in shock of what she had just heard herself say. Now she thought, now they knew that she had really lost her mind.

  “What happened next, Katie?” Father Peter gently asked.

  “It was as if my body had become parylzed. The creature moved toward me until it was standing over the tub. In an instant, a bright light appeared. An angel stood directly over the demon. I knew his face. His name is Daniel. I’ve seen him in my dreams of Ireland. I remembered him from my past life. He stood over the creature and commanded it to leave in the name of Jesus Christ. It fled when he lifted up a Pewter Cross and raised it toward him.” Her words trailed off. Did she really just tell them all of her secrets?”

  Father Peter looked deeply into Katie’s tear filled eyes.

  “There, there, my child. Do not be afraid. You are not losing your mind, my dear. Of course, this is definitely no commonplace occurrence by any means. When you have been a priest as long as I have, you come across God’s mysteries time and again. It sounds as if your angel was sent by God to protect you. The Lord is merciful and his angels surround us with his light and love. I don’t mean to frighten you, but I must be honest. You may be in great danger. We will need to find out the nature of this ungodly demon. There are great mysteries in the world that cannot be explained by science or philosophy. Gateways are sometimes opened to the spiritual realm. When a door opens to evil, we must do our best to close it.”

  His kind words were soothing. Her heart was filled with relief and gratitude, as he seemed to take the burden from her.

  “Oh Father, thank you so much. I’ve been so afraid to talk about this.”

  Camellia quickly walked over to Katie and put her arm protectively over her shoulder.

  “My poor friend, what a worry this must have been for you. This is what you were trying to tell me that day in the vineyard?”

  “Yes. There is still so much I need to tell you. I am so lucky to have you in my life, Camellia.”

  “Katie, I love you like a sister. You are not alone in this.”

  “Indeed.” Father Peter broke in. “Our Heavenly Father is always present watching over us. We are truly never alone. He is far more powerful than any evil in the world. Katie, I’m going to do a standard house blessing. This should keep you safe and protected. However, I want you to contact me immediately if you have any other occurrences. We will do whatever it takes to protect you, my dear. Further steps will be taken if needed.”

  “Father, do you mean an exorcism of the house?” Katie asked in a fearful tone.

  “We will cross that bridge only, if, and when it is needed.”

  “Thank you, Father.”

  The priest opened his briefcase and carefully arranged his religious materials for the house blessing. He placed the silk vestment over his shoulders and quietly prayed.

  “Restore unto me, O Lord, the stole of immortality, which was lost through

  the guilt of our first parents: and, although I am unworthy to approach

  Your sacred Mysteries, nevertheless grant unto me eternal joy.”

  He took out a small glass jar of holy water. Carefully, he filled his silver aspergillum with the precious drops. With his Bible in hand, he began the ceremony of the house blessing. He began with the words, “In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Hol
y Spirit.”

  The women joined him as he made the sign of the cross. Father Peter, Katie, and Camellia responded, “Amen.”

  Father Peter continued the blessing by praying.

  “When Christ took flesh though the Blessed Virgin Mary, he made his home with us. Let us now pray that he will enter this home and bless it with his presence. May he always be here among us; may he nurture our love for each other, share our joys, comfort us in our sorrows. Inspired by his teachings and example, let us seek to make our home before all else a dwelling place of love, diffusing far and wide the goodness of Christ. Peace be with this house and with all who live here. Blessed be the name of the lord.”

  Katie and Camellia responded, “Amen.”

  Father Peter then instructed Katie to read aloud from the Bible. She gently held it in her hands and read aloud in a strong voice.

  “A reading from the letter of Paul to the Colossians

  You are God’s chosen race, his saints; He loves you, and you should be clothed in sincere compassion, in kindness and humility, gentleness and patience.

  Bear with one another; forgive each other as soon as a quarrel begins. The Lord has given you; now you must do the same.

  Over all these clothes, to keep them together and complete them, put on love.

  And may the peace of Christ reign in your hearts, because it is for this that you were called together as parts of one body. Always be thankful.

  Let the message of Christ, in all its richness, find a home with you. Teach each other, and advise each other, in all wisdom. With gratitude in your hearts sing psalms and hymns and inspired songs by God; And never say or do anything except in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

  In a powerful voice she finished with, “The word of the Lord.”

  Father Peter and Camellia responded, “Thanks be to God.”

  The gentle priest took a moment, and then looked up to the ceiling. He paused for a brief moment as he gathered his thoughts. He began to pray.

  “Protect us, Lord, as we awake; watch over us as we sleep, that awake we may keep watch with Christ, and asleep, we may rest in peace.

  Grant this through Christ our Lord. Amen.”

  The women followed Father Peter into the bathroom, where they gathered around the claw- foot tub. Katie tried her best to not think of the demonic creature that had appeared before her in this room. Father Peter read aloud in a strong voice.

  “Blessed are you, Lord of heaven and earth. You formed us in wisdom and love. Refresh us in body and spirit, and keep us in good health that we might serve you.

  Grant this through Christ our Lord. Amen.”

  He spent extra time in the two rooms with the most recent activity. He sprinkled holy water as he moved through them. As he entered down the hallway leading into the kitchen, the alarm specialist’s eyes widened as Father Peter read aloud from the Bible. The women echoed back various verses. Finally, the priest stood in the doorway facing the cabin with outstretched arms.

  “God bless this house,” he said in a loud and authoritative voice. He lifted the silver aspergillum high in the air. He shook it firmly as a long spray of holy water shot out of the silver encasing.

  They finished the blessing together by saying, “Amen.” And made the sign of the cross.

  “Katie, I have one more ceremony to perform before I leave.”

  The women followed him back to the bedroom where the blessing had commenced. Father Peter took out an emerald green rosary from the pocket of his briefcase. He offered it to both Katie and Camellia. They gently kissed it. He placed it on the nightstand and said, “I hope this will give you comfort, Katie. You can say the Rosary whenever you want to draw closer to Jesus and the Virgin Mary.”

  “Oh Father, thank you so much for your kindness and understanding. I can’t thank you enough for all that you have done for me today,” she said with tears welling in her eyes.

  “Oh my child, you are very welcome. I want you to get in touch is you need anything else.”

  “I will, Father.”

  After the ceremony was completed, the women walked Father Peter outside to his car. Cozy the Goose ran over as he bobbed his head from side to side. The priest smiled brightly at the bird. “Well, what a fine looking goose. What a site for sore eyes. We have plenty of geese back in Ireland. They are good protectors to be sure. Looks like you have one more guardian on your side, Katie.”

  He smiled at them as he made his way back to his car. After he drove away, the women walked back to the cabin. The technician was just finishing installing the security box near the front door. He showed Katie how to plug in the code and how to deactivate it if it went off.

  “If you have a break in, and the alarm is not turned off in the five minutes time window, 911 will be called and emergency vehicles will be sent to your home. With your new security system and your house blessing, you’re in good hands,” Daryl smiled.

  “Thank you so much. It’s wonderful.”

  Katie signed all of the paperwork. He gave her a pamphlet detailing all of the systems codes and instructions. The women said goodbye and he headed out to his car.

  When they were alone, Camellia asked Katie if they could sit out on the porch swing for a moment. The women sat down and looked out onto the forested yard. The ravens cawed loudly in the distance.

  “I’m sure this is more than you bargained for when we became friends,” Katie trailed off. She looked intently out at the view as hot tears stung her eyes.

  Camellia looked calmly at her friend, and then took her hands gently. “Katie, I’m about to tell you something that I’ve only shared with a handful of my closest family members.”

  The women looked intently at one another.

  “In my family, on my mother’s side, the women have what you might call a special sense. The gift, or as my family calls it, Las Dotes, has been passed down to me by my mother and so on. I have always had a special way of telling when a person possesses good or bad energy, if they are truthful or not. There have been events in my life that I knew would happen. I knew the moment we met that we were going to be wonderful friends,” she smiled.

  She lifted Katie’s hand and patted the back of it.

  “You glow with kindness and honesty. I could see it right from the start. In some people, you can almost see a kind of life force, or, an aura some call it. Your aura glows a beautiful blue around your body.”

  Katie eyes widened in amazement.

  “Can you describe what this looks like to you, Camellia?”

  She was quiet for a moment as she tried to find the right words.

  “It’s kind of like looking at rain puddles on the ground after a stormy day. Sometimes, the light hits the water in a way that sends prisms that reflect the sunlight. Your blue aura looks like translucent light rippled on crystal water. Its vibrancy represents your kindness, compassion, and nurturing spirit. It’s not an accident that you find yourself drawn to nature. And children. You are a nurturer. I could see the connection with my children the moment that we met. They absolutely adore you, and my husband is thrilled that I’ve found such a wonderful and caring friend.

  I was aware of my gift on my twelfth birthday. I went to bed that night and had a vivid dream about my grandmother. I opened my eyes and could see her standing over my bed smiling lovingly down. She said it was her time to be with the angels and that my mother would need me since she was leaving. My grandmother kissed me on the forehead. She took my hand and said that she would always be close by. Take care of your momma, little Cammy.

  In the morning, I woke up to my mother crying at the dining room table. My father was standing behind her with his hand on her shoulder trying to comfort her.

  My father said softly, ‘Cammy, I have some very sad news. Your abuela passed away last night.’

  ‘I know daddy, she came to me last night and told me she was going to heaven.’ I answered.

  “I told my mother that my grandmother
was with the angels now and not to be sad. She hugged me, knowing that my grandmother was at peace.

  My dreams and feelings have always been something I’ve kept very private. Now, I see that the gift has been passed down to little Bennie. He’s the first son in my family in generations to have it. Steven just sees his sensitivity as being a great way find the outcomes of football games,” she laughed softly. “But I recognize the signs. He already has the ability to see right into the hearts of people. It’s just a way of knowing. I think we’re all capable of doing this on some level. The gift is just stronger for some.

  I knew you were speaking the truth when you told us about your dreams and the frightening vision you had in your cabin. I’m just sorry you’ve been going through this alone. I sensed there were things you were not ready to share. I didn’t want to overwhelm you with my insight. You see, you’re not the only one that is afraid of being thought of as crazy,” Camellia smiled.

  “I’m here for you, Katie. I want you to tell me the minute anything unusual happens.”

  “Thank you so much. I can’t tell you what this means to me,” she answered happily.

  “There’s just one more thing. I don’t want to frighten you, but I have the feeling that it’s not over yet. I sense unfinished business. Just be alert right now. I wish that I could give you more information. It’s just a feeling that I have.”

  “Thank you. I’ll be very careful, and I will let you know if anything happens.”

  The women stood up and hugged each other tightly.

  “I guess I better get going with the final preparations for the Quinceañera. Call me if you need anything!”

  “I will.”

  After saying their goodbyes, Katie walked back inside the cabin and made her way to the kitchen table and sighed deeply. It had been a relief to confide in Father Peter and Camellia. Her gratitude for their support and kindness was humbling. She finished her tea and made her way outside to start another day of planting. She worked for hours at her potting bench. The remainder of the day eased her mind and her body. She slept peacefully that night. The rest of the week took on an ordinary schedule of errands, planting, and jogging breaks. She made time to visit one of the local boutiques to pick out her outfit for Quinceañera that Saturday. Katie chose a dark green satin dress for the special occasion. Everything seemed to be falling into place. Life’s sharp edges were smoothed back into normalcy.