I am an avid motorcyclist as are some of my close friends. In the middle of that May, two of those close friends were riding their cycles in a group of about eight when they were involved in an accident at Morgan, northwest of New Ulm. One was in serious condition at St. Mary's Hospital in Rochester. One, who was flown to another hospital, died in mid-May as a result of the accident. Then came May 21, 1985.

At the time, our bedroom was still in the downstairs living room, though I had moved the old army cot to an upstairs room by then. I was awakened by loud pounding on the inside front door, inside the enclosed porch, at 8:00 a.m. I hollered, "Yah...I'm coming!" I sat on the edge of the bed, pulling on my trousers, when the loud knocking was repeated. I shouted again, "I'm coming!" My wife woke up and asked, "What are you doing? Where are you going?"

"I said, 'there's someone at the door.'

"She said, 'No, there's not!"

Well, I went to the front door anyway and pulled the green curtains aside, but there wasn't anyone there. I asked, "Who's there?" Then I heard a voice say, somewhat as a question, "Al?" I recognized the voice immediately. I said, "Vernie!" Then the voice asked, "Al, can I come in?" It was the voice of the friend who had died in the accident on May 19th. As I let go of the curtains, I felt a serious case of goosebumps. I remember stepping back half a step, enough for the door to clear when I opened it farther. THen I looked into the enclosed porch area, but no one was there. I stepped out into the porch, but still didn't see anyone out there. When I went to the door to the outside and opened it, I saw to my left a semi tractor and flatbed trailer parked facing west, with about thirty feet between its front bumper and the house. It was my friend Vernie's truck. I was astounded!

As I stared at it, Mary Lou called out from the house, "Who's there?"

"I turned to see if she was near enough so I could show her the truck. She wasn't there at all. She had stayed in bed.

When I turned back, the semi was gone. I stood there staring and scratching my head, totally perplexed. Vernie was dead, but his voice and his truck seemed so very real that night.