READERS TALES
Farmer Johnson
and His Nightly Trip
(NOTE: The following occurred in
Oakley Michigan in the fall of 1986)
My boyfriend at the time
lived in a 100 year old farm house outside a small town in Michigan. Being a
country girl at heart I loved the large family farm house, barns and the land
surrounding it. I spend many peaceful days out there by my self in in the day
time, cleaning, cooking and exploring the barns and out buildings waiting his
arrival.
Learning I was staying my
first night there my boyfriends brother told me that I would hear Farmer
Johnson on his nightly trek. "Who, and what??" I asked trying to play it cool,
knowing I had felt vibes , good vibes, but all the same _VIBES. Michael went
on to tell me little history of the farmhouse, as told to his grandparents who
originally bought the farm.
Story goes, Farmer Johnson
and his wife's bedroom was where the bathroom is today, off the kitchen around
the corner from the living room. Every night you
will hear the bathroom door open, steps threw the kitchen, the back door open
and shut, and open again in a few minutes. It seems Farmer Johnson had his
nightly constitution still after 100 years. ( Good
to know the ghost is regular) And in the early mornings you would hear Mrs.
Johnson head up to the sewing room for her morning chores. I laughed at him
telling him I was going to stay and he could not scare me.
As I settled in on the pull
out couch in the living room I had forgotten Michael's tales of the farmer and
his wife. Just as I drifted off into slumber what did I hear, yep-Farmer
Johnson on his way to the outhouse!!!!! It was just as Michael had told me,
the bathroom (old bedroom) door open, steps threw the kitchen and the door
opening. I thought it was Michael trying to scare the crap out of me so I
waited a little while to hear the back door open, I
sprang from the bed and jumped around the corner to catch him and there was no
human form there!!!!!!! I felt a cold chill travel threw my whole body, I
sprang right back into the bed and covered my head and eventually fell asleep.
I was spooked but never scared. Upon waking in the early morning, I again
waited for Mrs. Johnson to take her sewing upstairs. I did not have to wait
long, the bathroom (old Bedroom) door opened and I did hear footsteps step
lightly on the old wood stairs traveling up. I knew it was not Michael or his
brother, they sound like a herd or elephants on the staircase not like a lady
on light feet. Not but two minutes latter both guys arrived down stairs asking
me if I had heard the Johnson's. They have lived in the farm house there whole
life and have become accustomed to the Johnson and there nightly and morning
rituals.
I stayed many a night at the
farm and always stayed awake long enough to make sure Farmer Johnson made it
safely to his out house and to greet the Misses in the morning.
-April.