Even though it has been many years since this transpired, I am chilled just remembering it. This is the final story in the series, "All in A Day's Work," as not long after this I was hired at another church.On another occasion where I had taken the kids to work with me, I was in my office upstairs and heard people moving around the building. I was trying to focus and get as much work done as possible, while I had a sitter for my youngest child. I remember that a few times I heard someone pounding up the stairs and I was a little surprised when they never rounded the corner to my office. The staircase was situated such that once you reached the top you were visible through my door. The only way you could ascend the stairs and not be seen by anyone in my office, is if you were to either stand on the top step or turn around and return to the first floor.
Over the course of a few hours, I decided that someone must be playing on the steps. Please note that if you are a ghost and I am busy with work while balancing the needs of children who vary in age from sixteen to three years old, it may take a bit of constant pestering to get my attention. At any rate, I was eventually awakened to my subconscious thoughts that indicated something on the steps needed my attention. I left the room fully intending to tell one of my older children that they needed to find a better place to play, and to stay off the staircase.
I rounded the corner and was a little surprised to find that there wasn't anyone frolicking up and down. I decided to go down and see what was consuming their energies. As I walked the long hall to where the nursery and my youngest was located, I smelled cigar smoke. I remember thinking, "That is odd," but in an old church you have a lot of strange odors, so again I disregarded it. I walked through the door where my son was playing and greeted him. After hugs from him and his two friends, the nursery lady said, "You know the strangest thing just happened.
She proceeded to tell me that just a few moments before I came down, my son had pointed at the door and said, "Man." She didn't think anything of it or go to the door to investigate, as she assumed it was the pastor whose office was located across the hall. After all three children gathered to the half door, the bottom was closed and the top open, she went to say hello to the pastor. When she reached the entrance to the nursery, no one was there. She asked the children, "Who were you talking to?" The oldest who was five years old replied, "The man in the black hat with a smoke in his mouth. He just left and went up the hall." The babysitter opened the door and looked around, but no one was there. When she turned around she realized the kids had followed her out of the room and into the hall and they were waving towards the staircase to my office. And then my son said, "He's leaving now."
As she related this to me my blood ran cold. I took her aside and explained what I had been hearing on the steps and how I had come down to reprimand the kids. We decided to call it a day, and we packed up and went home. Not long after that I was transferred to another church. I have often wondered about these events and what would have eventually transpired if anything, had I continued working there.
This is the final part in this series, "All in a Day's Work." If you'd like to read the series in its entirety click here.
