The Ghost's Diary 👻 ✓

22. Laughter and Music

Laughter.
It is a sound that we hear everyday, by ourselves or by the people around us. It is something that we are expected to do. It is something that can be easily used to hide the weariness in our eyes.

It is the signal of life, according to some people.

But, when kids are born, they are not expected to laugh, but, to cry.

Their crying gives their worried parents hope that their infant is still alive, safe and sound. I find this change in the behaviour understanding norm quite unfathomable.

Often, I find myself avoiding both of them. I would rather be neutral.

It's a common stereotype that girls cry more than boys. They cry over silly things like why haven't they got the right size of shoes or why haven't their parents bought them a new cell phone.

I personally think that, that is not the case with me. I have never cried in front of people. I would prefer to be alone then, to avoid anyone seeing me like that. So weak.

And no, I'm not crying or laughing hysterically right now. It is Allison who is laughing hysterically here.

"And then Ethan and I yelled,
mission abort, mission abort! when Aunt Nancy caught us." She continues to laugh, remembering hers and Ethan's total debacle of trying to take a box of candies from Aunt Nancy's cupboard.

As much as I have heard about(from Allison) Nancy Ingram, Ethan's mother, I have come to the conclusion that she is one of those aunts that every niece and nephew loves.

Meanwhile, Ethan is texting at full speed on his phone.

"It wouldn't kill you to listen to me, Ethan. At least, when I talk to Lindsey I know that she's listening."

I actually do listen, mind the rest of you all.

"I was texting Mum, telling her that we're going over to Lindsey's home." Ethan holds out his phone and shows us the text.

"You two are coming right now with me?" I ask them as I step out of the school building. Today's classes are already over and done with.

"Solving a ghost's mystery is better than doing chores." Allison shrugs.

Chores? I don't do those because...... well, you know.

Thankfully, neither Allison nor Ethan mention that I really don't need to do chores. I think they are doing that on purpose.

We all walk down the lane to Edenfield in almost silence. After a while, we reach our destination.

I step forward but before opening the door, the flowers in the nearby gardens catch my eye and an unwanted smiles barges onto my face.
I bend down and lightly carees the tips and standing up again.

Now's not the time for the inner gardener to wake up.

Tilting his head to the side, Ethan looks at the flowers and then back at me.
"You like flowers?"

I glance back at him and put my right hand into my pocket.
"My mum and I used to do a lot of gardening together."
I put my left hand in another but I can't find anything.

There is no key there.

I rummage through my bag and it isn't there either.

"What's wrong?" Ethan asks me with a quizzical look on his face. His black rectangle rimmed spectacles reflecting off the sunlight.

"I don't have my key. We'll have to go through the back door." I make an apologetic look.

"Don't worry about that. I do that all the time." Allison smiles again.