THE LATE WIFE: A CAMPFIRE STORY
And the Winner is …
We asked you to submit your favorite campfire story to celebrate the spookiest of seasons—and, oh my, did you deliver! We read tales of summer camp, Scouts, a mysterious “rock,” nights in Transylvania, camping plans gone awry, and many more. We’re sleeping with the lights on now!
It was tough to select just one, but we’re excited to share Candice Caetano’s otherworldly story below. Thanks to everyone who sent in their campfire stories! We hope you keep on sharing these tales around a campfire, under the stars, and surrounded by friends and family—that’s really what it’s all about.
The Late Wife
By Candice Caetano
I was hired to take care of an elderly man on hospice in the United States. He was near the end of his life and I was hired to be a companion for him during these last stages.
He did not have any televisions or modern technology in his house, so while I was there working at night I found different ways to entertain myself. I would spend the time cleaning the house and tidying up. There was no dishwasher, so I would hand wash the dishes and leave them out to air dry.
The elderly man had a lot of cats. I would often put them in the laundry room and shut the door while I cleaned. It had a doggie door that went outside so they could access their food. All of the time, the cats would be back inside the main house and I could not figure out how the laundry room door got open.
One night I had washed the dishes and was air drying them, but didn’t put them away immediately. I then could hear the laundry room door—it sounded like it was opening and slamming closed. I went into the room and all of the cabinets were left open.
One night the old man’s daughter came up from Chile and was sleeping in the back room. She came out and said, “Oh, mom always liked this door open so the cats can stay inside the house.” I said, “Oh, how long ago did your mom pass away?” She said, “Three months ago. She died right where you are sitting and she never went to bed with the dishes out.”