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Ghost Gold

 

My ex, Damon (from Shadows Over Sentosa), was born in Sicily and came to Australia when he was very young. When he was in his mid-twenties, his mother wanted him to accompany her to visit the graves of his grandparents and father there. At the time, the idea held no appeal for him, as he was busy preparing for a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Egypt. They had a long, heated argument over it, but he would not change his mind.

Damon went on his travels to Egypt, which included sailing down the Nile in a rustic houseboat. This was over thirty years ago, when things were more settled in that part of the world. He toured the Valley of the Kings, on the west bank of the Nile, near Luxor, and went to the ancient pyramids at Giza, on the outskirts of Cairo. The desert sands felt like a surreal landscape to him, as if he was wandering through a dream.

His route eventually took him to Cairo, where he explored the streets dressed in traditional Arab garb, the long white robe or thobe, with the black-and-white cheered headdress called ghutra, bound at the crown by a black iqal cord. He grew a dark beard, blended in with the locals, and was generally not bothered by the hordes of beggars with their hands outstretched for bakshish, or alms.

But he did not quite manage to avoid everyone.

One night, as Damon lay sleeping in the hotel room, he woke up suddenly to find an elderly couple standing beside his bed. He sat up and stared at them, feeling more curious than alarmed to have intruders in the place. Their features looked vaguely familiar for some reason. The man bent over him in a threatening manner, his face dark with anger.

'Rispettare la famglia!' He shot a torrent of rapid-fire Italian at him in a thick Sicilian accent, ordering him to respect the family. Words to that effect.

Damon's first reaction was to refuse. This so angered the old man that he grabbed hold of Damon's right foot, squeezing it hard. The effect was startling and painful.

'Obbedire!' he growled, demanding obedience.

To appease him, Damon hastily agreed. Then, the woman took the place of the man, sitting down at the edge of the bed. He could feel the mattress sag down, the gentle pressure of her lips as she kissed him on the forehead. She promised that he would be rewarded with good fortune for his obedience.

The next moment, it seemed as if strand after strand of necklaces were placed about his neck by invisible hands. He could feel his head bowing down, his shoulders and neck straining to bear the weight.

When he woke again, it was morning. There was no elderly couple, or anything around his neck. His first thought was to dismiss it all as some weird waking dream. But his right ankle was still throbbing from where the old man had grabbed it, and his shoulders ached.

Later that afternoon, as Damon was wandering through a bustling street market in Cairo, he caught sight of something glinting on the ground. There, at his feet was a thick gold bracelet, made to fit a woman's wrist.

He asked the shopkeepers and people around him in the marketplace. To his surprise, no one hurried forward to claim it, or snatch it from his hands. No one had heard of a missing bracelet, nor did they seem at all bothered. The only one who showed any interest was the man from the nearby gold shop, who eventually talked Damon into trading the bracelet for a few gold pendants for his mother and sisters.

Damon and I met the following week, during a stopover in Singapore, on his way back to Australia. He told me of his strange experience in Egypt and gave me one of the pendants. A small head bust of Queen Nefertiti in 18-carat yellow gold.

I have no idea if Damon ever went back to Sicily with his mother. We have parted ways for many years now, but I still have that piece of 'ghost gold'.

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Comments about this paranormal experience

The following comments are submitted by users of this site and are not official positions by yourghoststories.com. Please read our guidelines and the previous posts before posting. The author, Jubeele, has the following expectation about your feedback: I will read the comments and participate in the discussion.

Jubeele (26 stories) (899 posts)
+4
4 years ago (2021-03-22)
Hi lady-glow,

Nonno, or Grandpa, could indeed have been a stern character. Not surprising, when you consider that many men of his generation were conscripted into military service during WWII, under Benito Mussolini. One of Damon's relatives was a prisoner-of-war for a time, after Mussolini was defeated. These men were shaped by hard times.

Damon and I went through a difficult split. But once the dust settled, it was for the best. I met Rex six months after that, and the rest is history.

Btw, Rex just bought me this really groovy toothbrush with black bristles and rubbery spokes. It looks very empowering. I feel ready to take on the evil Dr. D.K. 😆
lady-glow (16 stories) (3197 posts)
+3
4 years ago (2021-03-18)
Jubeele.

Regardless of who the old couple were, it seems like they left an everlasting first and only impression on Damon.
I wonder if Grandpa was a stern man during his life.
Sleeping-with-steve (guest)
+3
4 years ago (2021-03-17)
Hello Jubeele,

I've had to do some homework. Lol 🤭

My history knowledge isn't that great. I looked up The Nefertiti Bust and found a lot of information. Now I want to know more about her. I've seen that bust in old films and documentaries before and it all fell into place the more I googled. My guess is the gold would be worth a small fortune, not that it's about the pricetag. The gift is priceless in itself because it was given with a good heart.

Now you are with Rex-T who is definitely priceless. I hope he's well.

I love reading comments from biblio, Aussiedaz, and a few other members like yourself. I learn so much, not only about the paranormal.

We've been told by the weather bureau to stay indoors due to heavy rain forecast from tonight until Tuesday. Please be safe.

Best wishes,
Miranda. 😘 ❤
Jubeele (26 stories) (899 posts)
+3
4 years ago (2021-03-16)
Hi Miandra

It was certainly a spooky experience. But Damon did not mention that he felt threatened, maybe a bit intimidated. His visitors were just annoyed at him for being a "wayward son". He was more startled, than scared. Damon and I were in our twenties at the time, and we were together for almost seven years. We had our moments, but it was not meant to be. I'm not sure if he ever remarried after we split up. The last I heard, he moved out to Western Sydney.

He only kept one of the pieces for himself, a pyramid gold charm, which he attached to the lug end holding his watch strap. His mother got a Nefertiti bust as well, a larger one, about two-centimetre or an inch long. His two sisters got pendants in the shape of a cat, the symbol of the Egyptian goddess Bastet. I think that the gold was meant to be shared with his family, same as the message. To remember the family and honour their memory.

Good to hear from you. Take care of yourself too.
Sleeping-with-steve (guest)
+2
4 years ago (2021-03-15)
Hello Jubeele,

It felt as though I was reading one of Sinbad's marvelous adventures. What a fantastic post.
I was really enjoying it and wanted to know more. Like where is Damon today, Is he married, does he have kids, and how many pendants did he keep to pass down to his kids when he has some.

Damonn must have been spooked to feel the presence of the couple by his bed. I sure as heck would have been. 😳

How thoughtful of Damon to give you one.

Thank you for sharing this post.

Best wishes to you and Rex-T.
SWS 😘 ❤
Jubeele (26 stories) (899 posts)
+6
4 years ago (2021-03-11)
Hi Lady Gloria 😊

I don't think Damon really knew his grandparents, because he had left Sicily when he was just four years old. He did not even have a clear memory of his father. Which could be why he didn't recognize the elderly couple. Not sure when they passed, but it was well before he went to Egypt. It was his mother who told us they were probably his father's parents. Her own mother was still living in Sicily at the time.

The pendant is pretty, a dainty thing only a centimetre long, or half-inch. It was a fascinating experience. Glad you enjoyed it.
lady-glow (16 stories) (3197 posts)
+4
4 years ago (2021-03-10)
Hi Jubeele.

This was a fascinating experience. Did Damon get to meet his grandparents like a child or had they passed away before he was born?

The pendant you got must be gorgeous!

Thanks for sharing.
Jubeele (26 stories) (899 posts)
+4
4 years ago (2021-03-05)
Helvetica - I do think it's likely Damon dreamt of his grandparents. He might have felt guilty for upsetting his mother because despite their argument, they generally got along. That could have been weighing on his mind at the time. Still, it was a bit unnerving that the dreaming intruded into the waking world. Last year, I had a similar experience, in that someone in my dream grabbed my ankle, and I woke up with a swollen foot and the bruise to show for it.

The gold is the thing that really gets me. What are the odds of such a find in a busy marketplace? I'd have thought it would have been swooped upon at the first glint of it! Like seagulls on a chip at the beach. Thanks for your input. Glad you enjoyed this account.

Melda - It had taken Damon ages to save for Egypt and he wasn't keen to spend the lot on airfare to Sicily. But family obligations are hard to ignore. A tricky situation.

One of Rex's aunts used to visit old cemeteries and take charcoal rubbings of headstones. She was a history teacher and would research into the lives of the people laid to rest there. Could be just my whimsical thought, but I wonder if spirits of the departed only come by the gravesites when people visit them. Maybe most of the time they're off checking on loved ones and favourite places?

Great to hear from you. Take care of yourself. 😘

Macknorton - Thanks for your encouragement. I'm just glad all those hours, during my school years, poring over Roget's Thesaurus did pay off. 😊
Melda (10 stories) (1363 posts)
+6
4 years ago (2021-03-05)
Jubeele - One can't really blame Damon for not wanting to change his travel plans to Egypt in exchange for placing flowers on graves.

Perhaps it's more of a ritual than that and I don't mean to be disrespectful. I personally really enjoy visiting cemeteries. I find them calm and peaceful and whenever I visit my home town I always pay a visit to the family graves and besides placing flowers, I have a chat to each of them, even though some of them died before I was born. I know only their bodily remains are in the graves but for whatever reason, it's something I like to do.

Who can say what actually happened that particular night? I think it is possible that Damon's grandparents appeared to him in a dream. I'm quite certain that I've had interactions with people who have passed whilst I've been in a dream state.

I hope the jeweller didn't cheat him on the value of the bracelet. Nevertheless you shared in a part of the proceeds 😊

Thanks for sharing Jubeele and keep well.

Regards, Melda
Helvetica (2 posts)
+4
4 years ago (2021-03-04)
Hi Jubeele,

Thanks for sharing this story! I wish I had deceased relatives bribing me with gold 😁 Seriously, do you think it could be possible that Damon dreamt of his grandparents. Perhaps subconsciously he felt guilty for disappointing his mother. I'm just wondering if this came up in conversation when he told you about the occurrence.
If it did happen as he believes, then it is creepy to think that a visiting apparition could cause such physical pain.
Macknorton (5 stories) (646 posts)
+3
4 years ago (2021-03-04)
Thanks for the explanation Jubeele. May I say, in my opinion, you are too hard on yourself regarding your English. It's pretty much flawless. You write extremely well.

Regards

Mack
Jubeele (26 stories) (899 posts)
+4
4 years ago (2021-03-04)
Macknorton - Hahaha, methinks I could be the confusing one, since English isn't really my native language.

Damon's mother told us that the elderly couple sounded just like his grandparents. Damon had the impression that he had thick chains of gold placed about his neck. When he found the gold bracelet, he took it to be his reward or incentive to do the right thing by his family. The gold bracelet reminded him of the gold chains about his neck. He believed it was a gift of gold from ghostly sources, because the timing of it was so soon after the visitation. It was odd to find gold jewellery, waiting to be picked up, in the busy marketplace at Cairo.

Thanks for coming by and dropping a line.

RCRuskin - Dear Honorary Brother 'Brat', your honorary sister does indeed like this tale. 😉.

I think Damon was sensitive to the spirits in his own way, because he knew something was amiss at the chalet on Sentosa Island. He grew up in Australia, but his family is very Sicilian and proud of it. His folks often had animated discussions to clear the air, where everyone was encouraged to speak their mind. Whenever I visited with Damon, his mother - wonderful woman - always fed us well. 😊

Rajine - You could be right about Damon being scolded by his ancestors. His mother thought so too when she heard about it. Damon's younger sister ended up going with his mum to Italy. I hope he eventually went with her on another trip to make her happy. It's my belief that family who have gone before, do check on us from time to time. I still get the occasional visit or message from family in dreams, scents, odd shadows or flashes of light.

Thanks for taking the time to read and comment on my account.
Rajine (14 stories) (906 posts)
+4
4 years ago (2021-03-03)
Hi Jubeele

It seems like it could be his ancestors scolding him for not wanting to visit the Graves, or him being disobedient to his mother 🤔, no matter where we are our late family members are always with us.
RCRuskin (9 stories) (848 posts)
+3
4 years ago (2021-03-03)
I think my honorary sister would love this story! I must tell her about it. 😁

As I was reading this, I began to wonder if your ex was from Italy. I can see in my mind's eye the gestures and hear the accent since friends from my hometown are very Sicilian.
Macknorton (5 stories) (646 posts)
+3
4 years ago (2021-03-03)
Hi Jubeele

Sorry but I'm confused (that's not unusual) but why was that bracelet "ghost" gold?

Regards

Mack

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