Andrew

Everyone seems to have skeletons in their closets, and I don't know what's worse - keeping them in that closet or letting them out. Sometimes I think people are in so much fear of anyone seeing those skeletons, they lose perspective. In reality I think that keeping them hidden away can create a much worse scenario.

My friend Andrew was one such person who kept his skeletons under lock and key. He had at least one skeleton and that's really all I think he had - one big skeleton. He thought he was hiding this well from everyone; but in fact, it was public knowledge as he didn't remember anything when he was under his skeleton's influence.

Andrew was a quiet, avant garde type of a guy when the closet door was closed, but when it was not, he was rude, mean, violent to name of few of the unpleasant attributes he seemed to slip into. He got into all sorts of trouble like ending up in jail or losing his jobs and friends. I don't think that he wanted that to happen, but I think really it started when he was a child.

He was one of many children in a family where his mother didn't really seem to love him and in fact was mentally, emotionally and physically abusive to him. His father worked away often so didn't really know a lot of the goings on at home. When some physical evidence was presented which was not that often, it was explained away. Andrew said he was bribed to be quiet until the coast was clear. He was treated very well until the whole incident blew over. To a young child this all seemed confusing.

Andrew left home at 16 as an escape from his home or hell whichever you prefer to call it. He never really dealt with the abusiveness he suffered because he left at a young age. His only goal was to get out on his own and away from his tormenter as soon as he could. At first he seemed to do very well. He got a baking job even though he had no experience; they trained him, and eventually he apprenticed, so his life seemed to be taking a turn for the better. He also moved out of the city he grew up in to a coastal city where he seemed to be thriving. Andrew never went home for Christmas or any other family gatherings even though he was invited back every year.

His life seemed to go awry after years of living away, but no one really knows when exactly. It was little things like phoning his siblings in the middle of the night and speaking incoherently. He did still talk with his siblings and a few friends from his city but rarely to his mother or father. This gradually happened more frequently; and so it became apparent that he was drinking heavily or worse on those nights he phoned. It didn't happen every month or even every week and with the distance, no one knew really how often it did happen.

After 13 years Andrew made the announcement that he was moving back to his home city. It was a big move and his family was excited to have him home again finally. When he arrived, most of the family and I met him at the airport. The only person whose presence was missing was his mother; his sister told him she was ill, but he wasn't at all surprised by her absence. He hadn't spoken to her since he left, so he thought naturally she would have held that against him and just not bothered to show up.

Much to my joy my friend moved only two blocks away from me. I had helped him before his actual move in securing this place which was furnished and allowed pets should he want a cat or small dog. I wasn't actually sure he'd want to live so close or what he'd really need or want long term, but I thought that should cover it for now. I was happy to have him home as we had been great friends in school, and he shared with me many of his childhood tribulations. I don't think he confided in anyone else outside his family.

Even though I was joyful of his return, I noticed how he looked somewhat haggard now. I had visited him a couple of times while he was away, and he was always so sharp looking. His hair always looked like it was from one of David Bowie's albums, and he liked to dress fashionably as well. At times he looked like someone out of the 1950s, but whatever way he dressed, it always looked sharp. Now he looked fine but without the zing he used to add to his wardrobe. His pants were some plain, unpressed dark pants with some old cargo shoes topped up with an old sweater that obviously had better days. My old friend seemed like maybe he was hiding inside somewhere afraid to come out. That's the impression I got anyhow.

His family of course had a welcome back supper at one of his brother's homes, and I was invited as well. His parents were absentee, but Andrew did not seem to notice or mind. It was a very pleasant night; everyone seemed to have a good time, and my friend did as well, but his smile seemed sometimes to be distant as though he were thinking about something or someone else. At the end of the night, I drove him home; we made plans to meet at my place just to catch up the next day. As he walked to his apartment I couldn't help feeling a heaviness in my friend's demeanor. I also just chalked that up to fatigue - after all he just got back.

At two a.m. my phone started to ring; I jumped up out of bed as usually I or probably no one got phone calls at that time unless it was bad news. When I answered, it was Andrew. He sounded panicked and asked if he could sleep on my couch for the night. I said, "sure, of course," but I was wondering what happened. I stayed up waiting and about 15 minutes later my door buzzer went off. I knew it was Andrew, so just let him in. When he came in I could tell he had been drinking, but he looked sober now. He was scared. I put some water in the kettle for some tea.

I had a feeling that we were going to be talking for awhile. Andrew sat on my couch but looked very fidgety and nervous. He kept looking around as if expecting someone to come out. I asked him what happened. Well he told me it's a long story and I might not believe him. I told him to tell me anyhow and maybe he'd be surprised. My water was boiling, so I told him I'd grab us tea and then he could tell me what was going on. In the back of my mind I was thinking was someone after my friend and was that why he returned home? I didn't know but sure wanted to find out. Now that I know I wish I didn't.

So we settled down with our tea on the coffee table. He started by telling me this all started back when he stuck out on his own. He had been dabbling in drugs he said, and it all seemed like fun and games to him at the time. He said it wasn't any trouble but that was what got him into hot water - his nonchalant attitude on his drug and alcohol use . He didn't really take notice that he was doing more drugs and drinking more as time went on. With no real friends or family around, he could do whatever he wanted and no one was concerned.

Andrew said he'd go to work and his employers loved him as he caught on fast and was meticulous about his creations and his workspace. He said that went on for years; he'd go to work; go to clubs and parties and be generally socializing on his days off. He said all the people he met were partiers like he was, so he never had a problem finding anywhere to go on those days off. Andrew said he even lived with a girlfriend for a couple of years, but it was all built around partying, and it ended badly.

Slowly he started calling in to work or missing work altogether, until finally he lost his job that he had had since he moved. He said he knew that it had become a problem at that point but he just went and found another job, but he said that one lasted only a couple years until he was let go from that. Then onto the next where he had an accident at work and ended up in the hospital and that was because he was drunk at work, so he also got let go from that one and that was the pattern he had taken.

Andrew said he tried to stop by joining groups, but when he did that, he said it'd only last for a few months then he'd be back at it. One night he had been drinking at home and had passed out; when he woke up to use the washroom, he saw a woman sitting on his kitchen table one night. Andrew thought he met her at the bar and let herself in, or that he brought her home and passed out with her there. He didn't remember. She had long black hair and a nice figure; her outfit was form fitting, and she was swinging one of her legs as she was sitting there. He went into the kitchen to talk to her, and she didn't respond to his greeting. That was strange, so he went in to take a better look and when she turned to him her face looked pleasing except her eyes. Her eyes were like cat eyes - slitted and coloured reddish. Andrew said he felt his heart pounding as he backed away from this cursed image of a woman, but not a woman. He was trying to get out of his place and couldn't move fast enough. When he looked back as he was leaving, there was no one in his kitchen. He didn't know what she was or where she came from, but he knew it wasn't good. That was the beginning of Andrew's nightmare.

Andrew said after seeing her the first time, he could hear walking around in his room or his living room at times, but no one was ever there. He said sometimes while he was asleep he could hear a woman laughing but not in a nice way - laughing in a mocking way he said. He didn't know where she came from, but he remembered growing up hearing his mother and father fighting; and in one of his mother's rants to his father, she was telling him that it follows the family. He didn't know what "it" was though.

I didn't know what to make of it. I was thinking maybe after his prolonged drug and alcohol abuse maybe he was hallucinating, but I wasn't sure. I also thought maybe he should find out what his parents were fighting about that one night that he seemed to remember. I thought it was strange for him to remember that after all he'd endured. I didn't have many ideas on how to help him as I'd never heard of such a story, but he was my friend; so I thought I'd try my best.

He continued to tell me the many times he'd encountered this "woman," and he'd come to the point where he couldn't sleep anymore and felt he was on the verge of losing his mind. He said lately it was getting worse; he said she was always whispering to him, sometimes just his name and other times things he couldn't understand, but the one thing they all had in common is it was terrifying. I told him to try to get some sleep and got him settled in on the couch; I went back to my room and was almost asleep when I heard my friend talking. He was saying, "Get away from me." "Who are you?" I got up promptly and asked him if everything was ok. He said, "She just walked by me. " The creepy part about that is I felt as if something were there too even though I could see nothing. It was a feeling that sent shivers down my spine. I told him I'd leave the bathroom light on, and he just thanked me. The rest of the night seemed quiet, but I went to bed feeling uneasy.

We woke up to the sun shining and a beautiful day out there. The events of the wee hours seemed to feel less real now which I was relieved about. I made us breakfast before we decided to head out. Andrew wanted to go shopping both for groceries and some small items he'd need for his new home. I gladly volunteered to be his chauffeur.

As we started out, I asked him about what we had talked about again. Now in the daylight it seemed easier to ask for more details. Andrew hesitated but he seemed to be thinking where to begin and not that he didn't want to talk about the "woman." I just wanted to make sure I wasn't dreaming all of this as it seemed surreal. After hearing about the experiences that so clearly seemed malevolent, the only thing I thought was asking his brothers or sisters as he didn't want to ask his mother or father. We decided after doing the grocery shopping and purchasing his other items, we'd see if we could talk to his siblings.

Andrew called all his siblings and his brother Jonas wanted to talk to Andrew as he said he knew what was troubling him, or he thought he did. He invited us over after we were done all his shopping, and so we had a plan.

After we were done the errands for the day, we headed over to Jonas' home. Jonas was ecstatic to have Andrew over. You could see how happy he was as he met us in his yard waiting for us to pull up. When Andrew got out of the car, Jonas practically lifted him up out of the car with a big hug and back slap. He also gave me a gentler hug and no back slap for me, thankfully.

He motioned for us to follow him inside. His home was a split level townhome with a lot of sunlight and a fireplace; I liked his place very much. He asked us what we'd like to drink, and so produced a pop for me and a beer for himself and Andrew. He had chips out as well, so I guess he was anticipating our visit. After we settled down in the living room, the discussion got more serious. Andrew told his brother much of the same events that he told me about and since I guess we had more time, he mentioned more interactions with this "woman." I was thinking no wonder he came home. I think I'd have died of fright on my own living with that.

Jonas listened and he looked pale by the end of Andrew's narrative of the events that included this "woman." "The woman is actually not a woman," Jonas told Andrew. "We don't actually know what she is, but she is the product of a curse. What you heard our parents fighting about that night is this "woman;" she had been tormenting our mother, and our father was getting tired of our mother's seemingly "crazy" moments.

Jonas continued on to tell us that their mother did not meet them at the airport as she is now institutionalized. She screams and screams things that make no sense most of the time and is always telling anyone who will listen to "Get her away from me" even though no one sees anything or anyone else around. He continued on to say she is sedated most of the time and she'd been in there for about 8 years or so which seems to coincide closely with the time Andrew started seeing the "woman."

Jonas said that apparently their family had been cursed while they were still back in Ireland. The Irish had brought many beliefs back with them such as banshees, dullahans, leprachauns and changelings and whatever this was seems to fit in with all of these supernatural beings. Jonas also told Andrew that many in their family die under mysterious circumstances or go mad. We left Jonas' place in a rather somber mood, but at least we knew a little more.

Andrew and I talked about this later that evening over supper at his new place. I felt that maybe one of the actions he could take first is to quit drinking and drugging. Easier said than done I know, but I felt if he were clean, he might have a fighting chance. As I recall from our childhood most of the times I saw his mom she was drinking or sleeping which now I think was actually passed out.

He actually did make an effort to stop drinking and drugging, and I tried to support him all the way on this. This was very difficult for Andrew to do as he didn't like baring his soul or letting his skeletons out of the closet. In his mind he erased that past and recreated himself until the demons or skeletons caught up with him. While he continued to live his clean and sober lifestyle, he also continued to see and hear this "woman." I think in the end he finally gave in to his fears of her. She never left, and I think he thought the only way to temporarily escape her which was also how he escaped his abusive past was to make himself oblivious by whatever means were at his disposal.

The sad part of my story is my friend Andrew was found deceased in his apartment and was there for almost two weeks before he was found. I had been on vacation and found out on my return. They said he drank himself to death, and was found with blood all over his apartment because the lining of his stomach was eaten through. The thought that runs through my head though is if Andrew had faced his childhood demons or let his skeletons out earlier would she have actually been able to drag him down along with many other members of his family past and present, or would he have been able to escape this seemingly foretold end.