Remember that phenomenon I nicknamed “The Man in the Attic”? Well, I like to think my immediate family also possesses a creative streak, and frequently uses it entertain others by recounting real life adventures in animated and imaginative ways. Or (in my father’s case) sometimes they fabricate tall tales just to see who falls for them.

The following are two stories told to me by relatives thus far in 2018.

By Dad Rolvsson  

My father told me that many years ago, when we were vacationing at our aunt’s house in the countryside of his home country, we kids were all asleep and he and our mother remained in the the living area talking. He said it was about midnight when he noticed a shock of white outside one of the barred windows.

He said he saw a man in white on a big white horse walking down the unpaved street. A strong white horse. (Horses out there don’t grow very large; they’re typically small and bony.)

(My baloney meter had gone off by that point.)

He qualified his claim by stating our mother had seen it, too.

(That changed things. For as long as I can remember our mother has never invented any fun fictions or ever told a joke. As a matter of fact, she oftentimes took our metaphors and sarcasm literally. Therefore if she said she saw it, I’d be WAY more likely to believe the tale.)  

(I asked my mother about it but, since that trip took place over 15 years ago, she had no idea what I was talking about. She didn’t remember details from that trip. So disappointing… And so I marked off the tale as another load of baloney—clever and fun baloney, but baloney nonetheless. Oh, and then I related all this to Anton because (1) we like spooky stories and (2) we’re amused by the lengths our father goes to pull one over on us.)

By Anton Rolvsson 

During Anton’s high school years, he and two friends passed a a particular classroom with a glass window in the door. The room was large, vacant and darkened, presumably locked. (I believe this took place either before or after school, I don’t recall which; certainly not during school hours.)

First Friend had walked ahead. Second Friend glanced at the window in passing and saw this: there was a kid sitting in front of the class TV set (on one of those carts with wheels) which was on but the screen was glaring with snow. Thinking it was super weird, First Friend nodded for Anton to check it out.

Peering through the glass, Anton saw it, too.  He called ahead to First Friend and told him about the super weirdness. First Friend didn’t buy it though. He was used to his buddies’ jokes and insisted on seeing for himself before believing.

When First Friend looked into the classroom the kid was gone but the TV set continued to glow with snow.