I watched a YouTube video of an excited dog looking at a bubble floating from the ceiling to the floor in someone’s home. From the dogs perspective, that bubble must have appeared to be a living being. When the bubble collided with the floor and disappeared, that dog must have thought that he had just witness a supernatural event.
We know that this was not a supernatural event. It can be explained by scientists as a part of nature. Perhaps, ghost are like those bubbles. They are perceived by us to be supernatural actors. However, ultimately scientists may discover that they are just part of our yet to be explained natural world. This is Audio Stories with J.B. Simien and this is “How I know that the Dead Are Alive.”
I’m sorry, I think that I misunderstood your last question. Would you repeat it please? The heavy set manager interviewing me displayed a little bit of nervous energy as he repeated the question. “Would you be comfortable working alone in a building that is known to be haunted? That question came near the end of my (I think) successful interview to become a night janitor at the College in Bellevue, Washington. I don’t think I would have a problem. I responded (still a bit confused). I don’t believe in supernatural stuff.
Still, the manager continued, if you knew that you would encounter ghost while working, would you still want to work here? I assumed that his question was a test too measure how badly I needed this job. I thought to myself, I’m desperate for work. I’ve been unemployed for five months. Employment is difficult to obtain when you are past age fifty and a felon. A ten dollar per hour, minimum wage, job like this one is the best that I can do for now. I also knew that they need me because people kept leaving. I replied “Mr. Bell, I have no fear of ghost. That would not be a problem if you were to employ me sir.”
Monday, my first night on the job, I met Fred. We got to know each other briefly. I was relieve because I was told by Mr. Bell that I would be working the shift alone. Fred is not his birth name. He is from China. His actual name is difficult for English speaking people to pronounce. So, he adapted Fred as his English name to make it easier for us to address him.
We were tasked to clean the classrooms in C wing. So we went to the end of that hallway with our equipment and begin. We split up. He cleaned the rooms on the right side of the hallway and I cleaned the rooms on the left side. We were always across from each other. He wouldn’t move to his next room, until I had finished cleaning my room, and I would wait on him also.
When we first moved to the end of hallway C, I notice one of the professors was still working in their classroom. That classroom was on my side of the hallway and now it was time for me to clean the room. So, I knocked on the door before entering the room and asked her politely if it was OK for me to clean up. She continued to work at her desk and didn’t say a word. She completely ignored me. So, after some minutes of waiting to be acknowledged, I backed out of the room.
I didn’t want to get into trouble for disturbing a professor on my first night on the job. I went across the hallway to the room Fred was cleaning and told him that a professor was still in the other classroom working. I think its best that I clean that room after she leaves, I said. He said, OK. So, I help him clean the room we were in.
When we finished with that room, Fred looked across the hallway to the room where the professor was working. He said, well, I guess she’s gone. Let’s clean that room together and we will move on. When I got near the door of the room, I could see that the professor was still working at her desk. I said, wait Fred she is still in there. He walked into the room with his equipment and said No, there is nobody here!
I grabbed him gently by his arm and said don’t you see her at the desk. He turned and looked at me like I had lost my mind. There is no body at the desk, he said in a strong voice that indicated I should take my hand off of him right now. I spoke out to the professor, we are sorry to disturb you mam but we need to clean this room. She continued working as though she hadn’t heard me. Fred, now clearly irritated with me, said forcefully, who are you talking too there is nobody in here but us!
I was shaking. I understood the manager’s question now. The professor was a ghost. Fred could not see or sense her. I said, Fred you have to believe me, there is a ghost sitting at that desk right now. The manager warned me about them. Fred turned to me and said. No, that can’t be correct. I’m the only ghost who haunts this building. Then, I watched him fade into shadows and disappear.
Now, this is the place in other stories where the person will tell you that they ran screaming from the building and quit the job the next day. Well, I thought about it. However, if you recall, I need that job because for me it’s difficult to find work. Also, I had promised Mr. Bell that ghosts would not be a problem for me.
So, here is what I did. Filled with fear, I clean that room with the ghost professor still sitting at her desk because nothing was going to disturb her. Then, I spent the rest of the shift fearfully completing all of my work.
I kept that janitorial job for nine years. I took an early retirement at age sixty-two. After a few months of working there, supernatural encounters became just a routine part of my job. Now, I encounter ghosts everywhere. I’m tuned into them. That’s how I know that the dead are alive.
This ends the story of “How I know that the Dead Are Alive.” I’m J.B. Simien. I hope that you have enjoyed this story. If you would like to be informed when more stories are posted, please subscribe to this channel now. Also, if you liked this story, please click the thumbs up symbol below.
Thank you and take care.
