Lunch With A Bavarian Ghost

In Munich, a Bavarian Ghost named Wagner, asked me to meet it at the town center.  Somebody else delivered the message by email, and said to meet Phantom Wagner, at noon in front of the busy City Hall.

Now, I'm not sure why I wanted to have lunch with a Bavarian ghost - and I think it was a bad ghost indeed.  But I was filled with great curiosity.

Noon came and went.  I was nervous because the ghost didn't show up.  But up, at the top of the clock tower, it was there.  I saw the phantom, and I was filled with fear.  I reached for my new holy rosary, which I tie to one of my belt loops.  But it wasn't there.  (Another tip, some times you should bring holy items random people give you on your journey if you're to face spirits.)

The geist came down and said, "Hello, Paul.  Let's eat at a beirgarden."

I walked with it to a biergarden in the center of the city.

The phantom ordered for me.  It said in German - "White sausage, pretzel, mustard, and a Bavarian pilsner for the American.  For me, just sparkling water."  (White sausage is a traditional Bavarian breakfast and you do eat it with mustard and freshly baked pretzels.)

Take, my advice here.  If a ghost, ever offers you food, don't eat it.  I don't know why I agreed to meet this phantom, but looking back on it, I think it wasn't the wisest idea.

But like Eve, who doomed the human race, I was curious - like really curious.  In German curiosity is neugierig.  Neu means new.  Gierig means greed.  New greed.  Yes, I had a greed, a hungry one, to know about the new.

"Aren't you going to eat?"  I asked.

"I don't eat."

Usually, humans feed the dead, in a ceremony called a libation.  You pour alcohol on the ground.  The Asians call the spirits to eat food.  In this case, it was a reverse libation.  The demon was feeding me.  In any event, the purpose is always the same: to maintain a connection.

The specter wanted to know about my life in Los Angeles, but it said I only had an hour to entertain it.  So, I told the shade about my law firm, a little bit about the corruption I uncovered, and my family.  It listened and listened.

Then the clock tower struck and the hour was up.  The Bavarian shadow said, "I have to leave now.  Will you walk me to my clock tower?"

So, I did.  In front of the clock tower, it said, "When you return to Bavaria, let us do this again?"

I thought, I don't think I'm coming back.  But I couldn't tell it this.

"And one more thing," it said.  The phantom touched my shoulder with its index finger.  I felt heat and energy leave my body, and I felt weaker.  What a thief.  It stole my energy.

There was a smile on the ghost's face.  It was fed.

Then I heard it say: "Ciao!"

In it's place, there were only tourists milling around.