From the story A Grenadian Childhood By Nellie Payne Mr.

David Lang who also worked in the Department of Agriculture with Daddy, but in the country, had come down into town for meetings and was asked to stay with us. Vince and Selby were moved in Jessies room, May went into the dressing-room and Jessie moved in with me. Mr. Lang would have the boys room. We were banished from the dining room quite early that evening and consoled ourselves cutting out pictures from magazines and sticking them in our scrap books. We got sleepy so got into bed without tidying up our mess. It was a lovely, cool night and Jessie and I sniggled under our blankets and fell fast asleep.

I awoke and could feel Jessie gripping me with fear. Alert, I could hear slippered feet dragging themselves toward our bed. END OF FIRST SECTION Now if anything bothered me, I would keep quiet and seek the best way out. Jessie was entirely different; she would let it be heard by all and sundry that things did not suit or please her and someone must come to her aid. The footsteps approached the bed and Jessie yelled, Oh Gawd, help, help! Vince in the adjoining room did not wait for anything more and shot out of bed making for the safety of his own room, where he was grabbed by Mr. Lang and sent back to his bed.

The footsteps started again, sweeping towards us, nearer, nearer and Jessie yelled, Oh, Gawd, Oh Gawd, Oh Gawd! We both knew it was an evil ghost. I begged her to keep quiet as Mother and Daddy would be ashamed of us, what with a guest in the house and all that! Jessie cuffed me and bawled, I dont care! And the footsteps scraping the floor came yet nearer. Murder, police, help! shouted Jessie, and Vince again took off to mr. Lang, who was thoroughly annoyed and literally chased him back. So far, Selby had slept through everything. END OF SECOND SECTION Hush Jessie, no one can hear us. Lets pretend were asleep, I whispered. Pretend! bellowed Jessie, this is no time to pretend! and, as the steps swished across the floor, the scream she emitted sent Vince and Selby scuttling. Selby made a beeline for Mothers bed where the jump he made awoke both parents. Jumbies, he said, jumbies all bout. Jessies bellows were like angry waves. They pounded relentlessly one after the other and Mother and Daddy arrived bearing lamps. Sitting on the side of our bed, we hugged them, trying to tell our tale of the slippered ghost; just then, the feet began approaching again. We buried our heads in their laps, utterly terrified. END OF THIRD SECTION Daddy made us sit up and very sternly told us that our fright had been caused by ourselves. Pointing to the many pieces of paper we had cut from magazines and had left on the floor, he told us, Keep looking. We did. The breeze blew, scraping the crumpled paper along the floor. We felt awfully silly and were tucked into bed with a reassuring, Good night. In the morning at breakfast, Mr. Lang, on hearing our side of the story, gave his, saying how hed taken a pot shot at Vince, mistaking him for a burglar. We laughed so much in the beautiful daylight that Selby was made to leave the table. He had popped a piece of toast into his mouth. Then, because he was overcome with laughter, the food had shot out, sprayed across the table and landed in the butter dish.