1.1 | hellogoodbye

I am a ghost. This I know to be a fact.
Obviously, I haven’t always been a ghost. I used to be a happily married man with a beautiful wife and dreams of a family, of owning my own art studio, of putting out an acoustic album of catchy indie songs.

That all changed when I had my accident.

I don’t remember the details. I don’t remember how it happened or why. I just remember falling. Falling into a deep abyss of sharp needles and cold hands.
I just remember falling and drowning, never to open my eyes again.
Until I was already six feet under.

The first time I woke as a ghost, I was afraid. Startled. Confused. I didn’t remember dying. But then it all came to me in a flash and broke my heart all over again.

The first thing I did when I regained my bearings as a ghost was go to my old house. The home I shared with my wife, Ginger. But the house was empty, and a sign in the front yard from a real estate company said “SOLD” in big red letters. I didn’t know what happened. I didn’t know where Ginger was or why she moved. All I knew was that I didn’t where to begin looking for her. Plus I had already spooked a few people without meaning to and I didn’t like scaring people. So I retreated back to the graveyard, feeling hopeless and alone. I had wanted to see Ginger one last time – to say goodbye to her properly so maybe I wouldn’t feel so attached to this world. I knew if I could do that, then I could cross over to whatever waited for me beyond this life. I knew that wouldn’t happen now.

I spent my days wandering the graveyard, sadly reminiscing about my life, and sometimes chatting with other ghosts. That usually depressed me even more. Some days I didn’t even bother materializing.

One day, when I came above ground I felt … different. Like I had been woken up out of a deep slumber. I realized it was because in a way, I had.

I wasn’t in my graveyard. Instead, I was standing in front of a house I had never seen before, along with a man and a genie I had never seen before. Then again, I had never really fraternized with genies when I was alive.

“Mr. Jin Lai?” The man asked me with a smile, as if I was a customer at a bank as opposed to a water-dripping ghost.

“Um. Yes.” I answered, looking at the man, then the genie, and back again. I was as confused as I had ever been in my afterlife.

“Mr. Lai, my name is Willem Alestair. I’m a lawyer. And I’m also an alchemist.”

I made a face. That was probably the weirdest combination I had ever heard. “That’s cool?” I replied, not really knowing what to say. I was kind of worried my soul was about to be sacrificed in some kind of weird ritual.

“Sorry for the confusion. Let me explain a bit more,” Willem continued. His face grew sad as he looked at me. “I’m your wife’s lawyer.”

My heart jumped – or rather, where my heart would be if I was corporeal felt a little kick – and I made a sound in the back of my throat like a muffled scream. “Ginger? Where is she? Can I see her?” My thoughts were racing at the thought of seeing her again.

The look on Willem’s face said it all.

“Mr. Lai, I’m sorry to have to tell you this, but … Ginger is dead.”

My heart broke a thousand times over in that moment. No.

Then I brightened. “Wait, if she’s dead, then … then that means I can …”

“Please listen, Mr. Lai.” Willem said softly. “The reason Mrs. Lai hired me as her lawyer is because she knew I could make her final wish come true. She knew I could bring you back to life.”

I gaped at him. I had been dead for who knew how long and just found out my wife was dead now, too. And he expected me to want to live again?

“I don’t understand.” I said, shaking my head. None of it made sense to me.

“Mrs. Lai made it very clear that I was to bring you back to life, to give you a second chance. She also wrote a letter which I can only give to you once you agree to these terms.”

I didn’t know what to think of anything. I felt more lost and confused than I ever had, and that’s saying something considering the fact I was a ghost.

“I just don’t understand,” I said softly. “What’s the point in coming back to life if I can’t be with her?”

Willem gave me a sad look. “I don’t know, Mr. Lai. Maybe that’s all explained in the letter.”

“You haven’t read it?”

“No. Mrs. Lai made it clear that it was very personal.”

That made me even sadder. Ginger had always loved adding such personal touches to every little thing.

“Is there any way I can … see her?” I asked. “If she’s dead …”

“I’m sorry, you can’t. She’s crossed over for good.” Willem told me.

I nodded and then took a moment to think. A very long moment. I’m not sure how long I stood there with a million thoughts swimming through my mind.

Finally I decided; if this is what Ginger wanted, I’ll do it. Even though I really had no clue what I had to live for again if Ginger was out of the picture.

I looked at Willem and nodded.

“Okay. I’ll do it. But … please. Take me to where Ginger is buried. I … never got to say goodbye to her before. Let me … let me do it this way.”

Willem sadly lead me to Ginger’s burial spot. I felt cold – colder than a ghost normally feels – at the sight. Then I felt numb.

Then I broke down.

After I grieved and said goodbye to the only woman I had ever loved, I turned to face Willem once more.

“Alright. I’m ready.”