A ghostly fishing trip.

​If you've lived in Peru for many years, you've probably passed the Paw Paw Church in North Eastern Miami county.  My grandpa told me this story.  Is it true? I don't know, but it's one of my favorite memories of my grandpa's story telling.


Grandpa went fishing one evening.  He parked at the Paw Paw Church and grabbed his stuff from the back of the truck. He walked through the graveyard, crossed the fence, and made his way to an old sycamore tree on the bank of the creek.  It was one of his favorite spots. He sat down on the roots of the tree and made his first cast.  He caught his first fish a few minutes later.  Cast after cast, he caught a fish.  He got so carried away, that it was almost dark when he caught the limit.


He gathered up his pole, his tackle box, and a stringer full of fish, and headed for the truck.  After crossing the fence between the creek and the graveyard, he saw a white shape raise from behind a tombstone and dash off into the dark.  He stopped and wondered what it was just as another white shape dashed off into the darkness. 


He never believed in ghosts, but he wasn't sure what the white shapes were.  He saw half a dozen more as he walked towards the truck.  He began to walk a little faster.  A couple more popped up as his truck came into sight.  Almost jogging by that time, he tripped over a tombstone and landed flat on his back dropping everything.  He felt something brush his face and could feel its breath as it stood over him. He kept his eyes closed, because he was afraid of whatever it was.


Whatever it was, it stood above him breathing into his face for several seconds.  He was still trying to convince himself that there was no such things as ghosts when he heard "Baaa".  A ghost wouldn't make that noise, so he opened his eyes and was nose to nose with a sheep.  


The sheep walked away leaving him there on the ground.  He watched as it slipped through an opening in the fence a few feet away.  He stood up just as another sheep jumped up and dashed through the opening.  Well, he believed in ghosts for a few minutes.


Grandpa picked up his pole, tackle-box, and fish. He walked back to his truck with tomorrow's supper and another story to tell his grandkids.

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