Gosh! I knew him so well. We first met years ago when we were both working as salesmen for a window company. You know, those pests who knock on your door and try to bamboozle you into having your windows and doors ripped out and replaced with beautiful new upvc plastic super tough safety glass windows at exorbitant cost. We became good friends. It must have happened to you, someone on the same wavelength as yourself? We went our separate ways in work once we had tired of that high pressure selling - or it had tired of us.

I am able to make the cam picture larger and as I do, the face of a dead man turns and pushes forward so his face is filling my monitor. His brown eyes bore into mine, I just know for sure he is looking at me. It is him for sure, but how? My cam is not on - he can’t see me, of course he can’t. Then my instant messenger clicks up that invitation panel to add an address to my list. Must be someone else. I ignore it and it is gone. He puts up a quickly scribbled note, “Click it”. I tip back in my chair, as though he is invading my space like you do when someone gets too close, like almost nose to nose in a crowded room. No, he must be with someone else on cam, not me.

I cannot believe this. I must be dreaming. This cannot happen in real life. But it is. I am not dreaming. It is a sunny day outside in the garden. My wife is sitting out there enjoying a morning coffee and chat with Eve from next door. Jerry, it is him, puts up another note to the screen and points at it with a felt tip pen, “I know you can see me. Click.” The popup pings up again inviting me to add to my list. Can’t be coincidence, it has to be him. What shall I do? I hesitate. I click.

The instant messenger pops up and there is his name on the panel - Jerry. O heck! Text jumps on to the screen, “You know who this is, don’t you?”
I sit there mesmerised. Not wanting to believe this. A dead friend is communicating from beyond the grave.
“Answer me!”
I bring my hands up over the keyboard. I am shaking. My hands won’t be still. More text appears, “Come on Sandy, type.”
It has to be Jerry. He was the only person who called me that due to my hair colour. Not since I was a kid had anybody called me that.
I type, “ Is that you, Jerry?” Although it is pretty damn obvious.
“You know it is. You never did repay that money I loaned you - where is it?”
I am stunned. He’s dead. How can I repay that loan? And, yes, he was the only person who would know about that. It was to help me buy a car when the old one conked out for good.
I shakily type again, “I don’t know what to say, Jerry.”
“Don’t worry my friend. How can I collect or spend it now. Just my joke.”
I am not exactly relieved to read that. I type, “But, I don’t understand. Where are you?”
“You don’t want to know, Sandy. You don’t want to know.”
This is incredible. “Why not?” I ask.
“You will not believe me if I tell you anyway.”
“I cannot believe this is happening, Jerry - anyway.”
“Sandy, this is happening, believe me.”
“But…”
He interrupts, “Switch off your computer. Pull the plug out the mains socket.”
“Ok.” I do as he says.

I get up from pulling the plug well away from the wall socket and sit back on my chair in front of the monitor - He is still there!
“How about that then!” He says.
Surely my keyboard will not respond now… but look, the chat panel is still there too.
“Oh no! No!” I yell.

The two ladies look at me through the patio door, then turn away. The invite to go to audio has come up. There it is in blue on the chat page.
“ Jerry, I cannot do this - please go away - please, no!”
I do not click, but I jump nearly out of my skin. The speakers speak, “Sandy, no need to click. Do you recognise this voice?”
“Err… err… Yes, yes, I do… But, but, how…” My voice is faint and feeble as I feel.
He laughs out so loud, just as I remember his laugh in real life… real life? Then what is this? I squirm in my seat and realise how much I am sweating.
“What ever you do… are you listening, Sandy, are you listening?”
“Err umm, yes, yes…!”
“What ever you do, my friend, you must not come down here. Please,you must not, must not….” His voice faded away.
“Jerry, “ I shout, “Jerry… come back!” (What am I saying!) “Please come back. Down where? …Jerry!”
Very faintly, “… down here… down…” He was gone.

I flopped back in the chair. Jen and Eve open the patio door and they step inside.
“Oh, look Eve, he’s switched the pooter off. That doesn’t happen often, does it love. When are you going to cut that grass?” Jen says.
“Cut the grass?” I say, “That can go to hell!”
Just what am I saying!

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