One Last Visit (2)
Lizzie, Sydney, Australia
April 2006
This experience happened to me when I was 10 years old, and its one I will never forget.
It all begins on the 13 of June, when my dog Benji became ill and passed away, he had been in our family for 15 years and from what I can remember, he has been around since I was a baby. I guess in a way we new it was his time to go, for he was a very old dog and was starting to go deaf, and sooner or later was going to become blind.
Before he passed away my family never paid much attention to him, but I did. Every time we would go for a walk I was the one to bring him along, and I would always play with him. I guess I loved him more than anyone else. And basically if you think about it, hardly anyone wants to play with an old dog, do they?
Soon came the day when my family and I knew he had about 1 or 2 weeks to live, so we made them the best weeks of his life. We made him special meals and even bought him a warm vest. Then came the 13 of July, he was coughing badly and hardly ate anything. My father was holding him and somehow comforting him, while I when to get changed because it was a school day, when I was all ready to leave for school I walked into the kitchen and saw my mother crying, and my father closing Benji's eyes, from what I saw I knew he has passed away.
A month had passed after poor Benji's death, and every day I would always go and put fresh flowers on his grave, which was in my back garden.
One night my parents decided to go out for dinner and left me home with my older brother. While he was watching T.V and my parents were out having dinner, I was very bored so decided to annoy my older brother. I guess I went too far, so far that he locked me outside on a pitch black rainy day, around midnight.
As I sat on the steps humming to myself waiting for my brother to let me back into the house this white figure began to walk towards me, as he came closer I could see right through it, then it looked up at me, and I realized that it was my dog Benji walking in the rain. I started shaking and then began screaming as loud as I could, then my brother rushed outside and turned on the light, and Benji's spirit disappeared. My brother ran towards me and asked me what happened but I was so terrified I could not speak, and began to cry.
After an hour my parents finally came home, and saw me very scared and began asking me questions, I became calm and told them I saw Benji's spirit.
But the saddest thing is they didn't believe me? they thought it was my imagination.
After my brother and my mum went to bed, my dad hugged me and told me, he believed me because he had seen Benji walking around at night.
I know now that Benji just came back to say goodbye and that this was his last visit.