About 12 years ago, when I first moved to East Texas, my parents and I stopped at a small cafe. My mother had said the place had been very popular about 30 years ago and people as far away as Houston would come there for the food.
We went in and were pretty disappointed. The cafe was quite shabby, the food was awful and the only person working there was the owner/chef/waitress, a tiny little woman in her eighties. Despite the dismal atmosphere and food, I couldn't help but be touched by the dedication of our elderly hostess. I knew she must have really loved this place to have kept it open despite obvious hardships.
In the last few years, new owners have taken over the cafe and revitalized it. They now offer good food (best burgers in town) and an antique mall next door. I usually meet James there once a week for lunch and have struck up a casual friendship with the owner and his wife.
I was in the antique mall while James finished his lunch with Brianna. I had just bought a few teacups for some candles I was making. I was the only customer in the antique area and the chef was filling in at the cash register along with the owner's wife. We were chatting while they wrapped my purchase when we heard a sound like something being thrown in the area behind us. The owner's wife shook her head and said "There they go again. No one is back there." I smiled and commented, "Sounds like you may have a ghost." She quietly told me that they had all kinds of weird goings on in the kitchen area since they had taken the place over.
I told her of some of the places around town that I knew were haunted, including my parents' former home. Next time I go for lunch at the little cafe, I'll keep an eye out for the little lady who was so dedicated to her job that she may still be sticking around!