The Spirit Of An Overdosed Man

I have another story to share just before New Year. It was a summer night during August around evening time. I came back home and my sister was watching television with Henrique on her lap.

I went in the kitchen and prepared for dinner as usual. Oh, by the way my sister cooks as her job and so I will do the cooking just to let her rest at home. I bought some vegetarian curry from an Indian restaurant take-out and cooked some udon noodles to make our favorite dish, Curry Udon. To balance up I also prepared a Tomato Sauced Crab (No, we are not rich, my sister brought the crab back from the restaurant where she worked, the owner somehow gave it to her).

Well, basically we were celebrating since we did not have crabs in a long while. We planned to call some friends in, but for only 1 crab? No.

We laughed and chit-chatted, and realized that we have not had dinner with each other for a long time. That moment I smelt an aroma of the cachaça, a Brazilian beverage made of distilled sugar cane juice. No, we did not drink that night because I have to ride my sister to work the next morning (5am! No way will I drink). I thought that smell of cachaça was from our neighbor, and did not care much about it.

My sister was fast asleep after a shower. I stayed up and did some work. That night I have receive a call from one of my friend asking me if I can fix an old Microwave for his parents, again I smelt the cachaça, since it was stronger this time I thought that it was my sister drinking alone in her room. I hung-up the phone and went to my sister's room, she was asleep and I saw no cups or bottles, no way she will be drinking.

I went back to the living room and saw that our dust bin was flipped opened. I thought it was Henrique wanting the left-over of the crab. He was hiding on top of our cat tower as if he was afraid of me yelling at him (same as usual cats when they did some naughty- naughty).

I did not yell or get mad, I was still wondering where the smell came from. I cleaned up the mess and took a shower, during my shower time I smelt the cachaça again, as if someone drunk came in the bath room. Of course there was nobody.

The next day, after I ride my sister to her work place, I went to meet up with my friend to fix an old microwave for his parents. That afternoon I was rushed to the hospital due to an electric-shock.

Sorry it took long but this was weeks later. When my sister came home and smelt the cachaça, "Bêbado babaca!" (drunken ass*ole! Sorry for the language) She yelled as she walked in the living room, I looked at her puzzled and remembered about the cachaça smell that I smelt, I asked her if she smelt it too. She was surprised to see me not having any drinks at all. She told me that someone must have been drinking in our house and told me to call the flat owner. I told her that I have been smelling the smell before I went to the hospital.

I did not cared much since I thought my neighbor was a heavy drinker, as long as he did not do anything affecting our life I am OK with it. My sister yelled from her room that her closet was in a mess she asked me if Henrique has been messing up in her closet. Henrique with that puzzled emotion, and I knew that Henrique would never go into my sister's room since it is always very messy.

I joked that it might be the drunken man then I suddenly heard a mysterious cough, I thought somebody else was with my sister and asked her if she has brought home her boy friend (no, she is single). She rushed out with her very undone room wear with half of her make-up washed.

"Eu vi um fantasma?" (Did you see a ghost?) I joked again. I realize that my sister was shaking as if someone put some ice in her shirt. I rushed in thought that if really someone else is at home. I checked every room in our house and saw nobody. I asked my sister what happened and she told me that she thought someone was behind her.

I called the flat owner and told him the issue; he seemed not surprised at all. He told me that he needed some time and that he will be calling us back.

Months later, which was today, I received a call from the flat owner, he told me to meet him in a restaurant during lunch time, and so I did.

"Seu vizinho tem algumas notícias tristes" (your neighbor have some sad news) he started. He told me that the grandfather of our neighbor was found overdose com álcool (drank too much alcohol overdosed?). The police found 8 empty bottles of cachaça in his own home. Our neighbor was called by the police and went to the city where his grandfather lived.

For now the smell had stopped and we are having normal life probably because I went to the shaman or maybe because the spirit has finally rest in peace with my neighbor's help?

Sorry it is long, but I found it eerie because really for now we have not smelt the cachaça smell anymore, and no more strange things had happened. I don't know what to say about it and so I thought I need to share this to you all. Thanks for reading.

Love from São Paulo

E.Lynx