Mary Howis - The Mercury Man: Freddie Mercury in My Life

Most of us know that Freddie Mercury passed away on 24 November 1991; how could we not know. He was one of the biggest rock superstars the world has known and what a loss it was. Such a young life snuffed out just like that with so much talent still packed inside him, so much that we would never know about now. The fans were devastated across the world; everybody knew and loved Freddie Mercury it seems. Except for me, who didnt even know who this man was. I first heard that he had died the day after his death, on the evening news. I listened more carefully as he was obviously someone very well known because of the coverage given. I became completely overwhelmed with sadness as though I had lost my very best friend, but there was no sensible reason for this, because I had nothing to relate to. This is where my strange journey with Freddie started all those years ago.

I dont want this story to be a whimsical fantasy-type story that seems to be mocking Freddie Mercurys memory. I want it to be as factual as possible; something that you can maybe understand and see some sense in; something you may be able to relate to, that has happened in your own lives, but you are perhaps afraid to mention for fear of being ridiculed. I myself have had to summon up a lot of courage to get this book together, but if this is what I am required to do then I will do it for him and take my chances.

I would just like to add that the sole aim of this book is to prove without a shadow of a doubt that life goes on after we seemingly die and leave this Earth. Freddie Mercury feels that if through him this can be proved it will fulfil all the things he didnt get to achieve through his life on Earth.

Inevitably this story is also about myself since Freddie came into my life and intermingled with mine; otherwise it would make no sense.

How did I feel in the first stages of this experience of mine? My first sense, as I can remember was a great sadness around me, but also from the very beginning I felt a kind of presence around me. Its hard to describe what that means; its like there is something, somebody, there with you, something you cant see, yet is almost like a comfort to you. It has been a long time now and I have only come to understand this myself as time has gone on and I can look back at it all.

I was at a fairly low ebb in my life when Freddie passed away, so I wondered whether this was the reason that I felt this way; was it something to latch on to and cling to? However, I knew deep down in my soul somehow this wasnt the reason. But there had to be some logical explanation. He was always there in my mind, this unknown person. It was like an obsession growing. I started buying lots of Queen music, any books that were around giving me information about him. But all through this, although I enjoyed a lot of the songs and only half-heartedly read the books, there was always something about this man pulling at my heartstrings; and every morning when I opened my eyes there was the image of this man imprinted on my mind. (When I look back now after all these years I realize that he was trying to get my attention, to let me know that he had survived somehow, but I didnt understand these things enough then.)

Then odd things started happening. It turned out that my friend Joan really liked Queen music, although prior to this I had never heard her mention Queen and we had been friends for a long time. But anyway she said shed come over to my house and we could listen to the music together. While we were sitting there, a mist appeared on the stairs and slowly started to move along and descend them. (We both saw it clearly.) Then it floated across in front of us never stopping, just slowly moving on. There is a mirror over the fireplace in the front room and we distinctly saw this misty stuff as it slowly passed in front of it. Reflected in the mirror it drifted past and on through the dining room and then disappeared. We were both absolutely amazed. We didnt have a clue what it was but I do remember Joan saying, My God, I think you have got Freddie Mercury here. Neither of us had ever experienced anything like this before in our lives. Of course we both laughed and didnt take what she said seriously; it was just something neither of us understood and was strange to us.