Ogrina: A Ghost by Any Other Name
Hi Everyone:
Last Monday evening I had the good fortune of a dinner invitation at the residence of Guy and Barbara Koenig, who live at 31 Hildray Cres in Kloof. Not knowing my way around town with its narrow, twisting and often steep residential roads, Guy graciously offered to chauffer me over and back to the rectory at evening’s end. Promptly at 6:30, Guy was at the gate and in perfect time as I had just completed answering a series of questions submitted by Mary-Ann Pringle, a participant and leader of Café, a series of presentations and discussions on the Catholic Faith.
At the Koenig residence I was greeted by Barbara and in short order was offered a choice of red or white wine, poured by Guy before repairing to the study for an exchange of pleasantries while Barbara attended to last minute ‘fixins’ in the kitchen. That’s when Guy started relating a series of recent past and somewhat chilling occurrences at 31 Hildray Cres.
In listening, I soon suspected this true tale to have been often repeated as it remained vividly in memory, as though yesterday. Obvious too, was how deeply admired and affected the Koenig’s were with Ogrina, who served faithfully for thirteen years as an esteemed and trustworthy friend and servant.
Getting on in years, Ogrina’s health began failing a mere two years before her demise. The bond of mutual friendship which unfolded over those years blossomed into mutual concern for one another as evidenced by those rides and visits to and from hospital. She was “family.”
In the Spring of 2003 Ogrina passed on to her eternal rest, well, not completely, as you shall see. In one sense, yes, and in another, not really, as her presence remained evident throughout her cherished domain at the Koenig residence.
Six weeks after Ogrina’s demise, Guy packed her belongings and took them to the family residence. Only later did he realize that the custom of inviting family members to come and pack her possessions would have been the proper Zulu protocol. Neighboring servants say, because a family member did not fetch her clothes, it meant that she would be coming back and her spirit would protect her job. This was a mystery to Guy as she did not die in the home, nor did she work for 6 months before her demise.
Ogrina’s spirit remained present throughout the house by various manifestations, movements, footsteps and sounds. It became quite clear that she was still in charge at the Koenig household and was not about to abandon her post through the mere separation of body and soul. It was her domain and she’d let anyone who thought otherwise, know that she was in charge.
Strange as it may seem, the Koenigs were unable to keep a domestic employed for any length of time thereafter. For the next eighteen months there were a series of hiring and resignations of eight to nine maids. The newly employed would come; some, for days or a few weeks or even a couple of months and then leave.
Back to the Anglican Church, where an unemployment office was located, Guy would go to fetch yet another domestic. He noticed some of his former employees there and began to wonder why they were back here seeking employment when they had employment, a decent wage and accommodation. Something had to be wrong. It was not until Guy saw the man in charge who informed him that someone wanted to speak to him. It was the lady who had only worked a half day.
Here is what she told me. You will not find a maid until you get rid of the ghost of your former maid who died. People who worked in your house heard her. She was moving furniture behind them. They would look around and see nothing. They were frightened.
One incident in particular frightened both Barbara and me as we were having breakfast in the kitchen. A god-awful scream from another part of the house came from our newly hired domestic which resounded throughout the whole house. We ran to see what happened. She is shaking like a leaf. We tried our best to calm her, gave her water and have her seated.
“What happened?” She would not respond. She said nothing. She wouldn’t divulge anything of her frightening experience. “Nothing” she would say. “No! Nothing.” “You screamed. You tremble. You can’t say nothing.” The next day she left.
After this incident, I had gone back to the church unemployment office at St. Agnes and managed to seek her out when she told me that Ogrina’s spirit was still there. I asked how do I remove her spirit? She told me I had to speak with a member of her family and tell them what is happening.
I did. I spoke to her son who told me that his mother was so pleased to work for us that she didn’t want to leave and so her spirit stays there. He said he would have to come and take her spirit away. This is what is required. He needed money to purchase a live white rooster and two candles. He would come to the house, but I had to fetch him in three days time. Three days later I greet the son who has the white rooster in a cardboard box and we set off to 31 Hildray Cres.
After arriving, he said to my gardener, you must tell your boss that I am going to my mother’s room. When I come out he must not speak to me at all. Nobody must speak to me. He must take me back to the cemetery and leave me there. That I did.
On the way and as we moved away from the house I heard a murmur in the car. As we had gone through the gate, I heard the same murmur again. This happened six to seven times as we passed old land marks on the way to the cemetery.
Later, her son explained what he was doing. Telling his mother that she must now come back to where she should be, in her grave. At every stage of the ride he would be telling her where they were as they proceeded to the cemetery, naming all of the old familiar landmarks to and from her domain of thirteen years, from her home and extended family.
News got around that Ogrina’s spirit had been summoned and when I questioned one of the workers, why I wasn’t told, the answer was, white people don’t believe in this type of practice. They laugh at us so we don’t bother to have ourselves ridiculed in front of them.
Fr. Al