One night, Hollis' parents were sitting at the kitchen table, when his father asked, "When did we get us a black cat?"

"We ain't got no black cat," the mother said.

"Well, we sure must do," the father replied. "'cause I just saw one go across the floor and walk into that pantry."

The couple got up and checked the small pantry, the whole kitchen, and all the rooms downstairs.

There was no black cat to be found.

Two days later, Hollis' grandfather, who lived in a house next door, died.

Two years later, the same couple was sitting at the same kitchen table. Just as occurred once before, a black cat walked across the floor and entered the pantry.

Hollis' father asked, "When did we get us a black cat?"

"We ain't got no black cat," said the mother.

"Well, we sure must do," the father replied. "'cause I just saw one go across the floor and walk into that pantry."

The couple got up, as they had done two years earlier. Again they checked the pantry, the kitchen and all the rooms downstairs.

This time, as last, there was no black cat to be found.

The next day, Hollis' aunt, his father's sister, died of an accidental gunshot wound from a pistol, in the same house next door.

After the funeral, Hollis recalled his father say, "I hope I don't never see that black cat again."