My Mother’s Ghost

The following is a first person account about a son who tragically lost his mother at a young age.

I grew up in a small town in Ontario, Canada. My aunt and uncle raised me because, at the age of six, a drunk driver killed my mother in the fall of 1965. She was crushed between two cars, and on the way to the hospital she died.

I am lucky because, despite this devastating loss, my family made sure I had a wonderful childhood. Every school day, I would hurry home for lunch. I would eat quickly and then go down to the corner store to buy a newspaper for my uncle.

He always gave me a quarter and since the paper only cost 20 cents I was allowed to buy penny candy with the change. I would then deliver the paper to my uncle and still had time to watch my favorite cartoon before I had to return to school for my afternoon class.

After my mother’s passing, my grandmother told me that she had a collection of photos of my Mom that she would give to me when I grew up. Unfortunately, her apartment locker was broken into, and these items were stolen.

At the age of 10, I was home for lunch one spring day when I left to buy my uncle’s paper. As I approached the corner store, a young woman in a nurse’s uniform stopped me on the street. She looked at me and said,

“I remember you. Your name is Daniel, and you were born at St. Joe’s hospital. You weighed 8 pounds, 2 ounces. Your birthday is January 3, 1959. I was there when you were born. I helped deliver you.”

I rushed away as she called out-- “Take care.” I told my aunt and uncle about this odd encounter. They did not know what to make of it.

The following weekend we went to visit my grandmother. She announced that she had a surprise for me. She had found a photo of my mother that had not been in the locker.

The picture looked just like the young nurse who had stopped and talked to me by the store. I told my grandmother about my encounter. She told me that my mother, before marrying, had worked as a nurse at St. Joe’s hospital.

Since that warm spring day so many years ago, I have often wished that I could go back in time. It would be nice to talk to the young nurse once more.