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NICHOLAS IS A SECOND shift custodian at Freedom Elementary School. He rarely has any encounters with children, because they're leaving school just as his shift begins. Today, however... he isn't so lucky. As he's cleaning the floor in the school cafeteria, a small boy starts making fart noises with his lips.
“Loser!” the boy heckles him. “My dad says you're a loser!”
Nicholas ignores the child and continues to clean. That's better than a confrontation, I guess, but the child doesn't let up.
The boy shouts, “I bet you're really dumb! People who clean up after other people are always dumb!”
Then, as a finale, the boy turns around and smacks himself on the butt. He blows raspberries, sticks out his tongue, and rushes off to harass someone else. A kid like that is always bullying people.
“I'm so sorry, Nicholas. Just ignore that kid,” I tell him. I'm sitting on one of the cafeteria tables while Nicholas polishes the floor. “You know, back in my day, there's no way a kid would talk to an adult like that! Kids these days... there's no discipline. They have no respect! Their parents let them get away with too much, and now? They're so unruly!”
Nicholas can't hear my sympathy, but maybe he can feel it? Spirits can get through to humans more than we realize. We can plant ideas in their heads and make them feel better with a few consoling words. They might not know why they feel better, but they do. We can also make humans feel worse, if we insult them or berate them, but I would never do that. I try to be the best spirit guide I can possibly be, always. I might not be the most successful spirit guide, but I'll always be Nicholas' friend, and I'll always want the best for him.
“Can you imagine being the spirit guide to that kid?” I ask aloud. Basically, I'm talking to myself, and I even answer my own questions, but I've gotten used to it. “I wouldn't want to help him. I think I'd be tempted to teach him a lesson!”
Speaking of help, I'm going to help Nicholas accomplish a goal today, albeit a small one. He wants someone to talk to, and there are a lot of teachers who linger around after school lets out for the day. My favorite teacher is Evangeline Harris, an elderly black woman who never has enough praise for Nicholas and his hard work. I think she might be retiring next year, which is a shame, because I can always rely on her to lend an ear when Nicholas needs one—like today.
“Hey, Nicholas!” I exclaim. “Why don't you clean Evangeline's room next? I bet she'd like to talk to you!”
Nicholas doesn't react to my suggestion, so I try again, but louder.
“Clean some of the teachers' rooms next! And start with Evangeline!”
This time, he responds, and finishes with the cafeteria floor. Every day, he has to clean each room on the east side of the building, and Evangeline's room is the first one on the left. When he enters, her eyes brighten, and she drops everything to greet him.
“Nicholas!” she exclaims. “It's so good to see you! You look well.”
“Thanks, ma'am,” Nicholas mumbles his answer as he dumps the trash in her classroom. For a man who secretly craves human interaction, he doesn't have a lot to say.
“My class had a little party today. I hope it's not too messy in here,” says the friendly teacher.
“It don't look too bad to me,” Nicholas says, even though the floor is littered in bright scraps of paper. The kids must have been making a craft.
Evangeline jumps up from her desk and says, “Why don't I help you tidy up?”
“Nah. I'm thinkin' that won't be necessary,” Nicholas protests. “You don't have to do that... but thanks, Ms. Harris.”
“You don't have to call me Ms. Harris, you know. You should just call me Eve or Evangeline.” He doesn't respond to her request, so she continues, “You know, there are a few cupcakes left over from the party, if you'd like to have one.”
“That's awfully nice of you, but my hands are probably dirty,” Nicholas says. “Those cupcakes do look good, though. You should probably keep those for yourself.”
“Here.” Evangeline moves the box of cupcakes across her desk, pushing them closer to Nicholas. “Why don't you take them home with you?”
“That'd be... well, it'd be real nice of you. I appreciate that.”
I see a slight gloss in Nicholas' eyes. It's only three or four cupcakes, but he's so moved by her generosity, he's teary-eyed.
“Evangeline!” I shout at the teacher. “Why don't you ask Nicholas how he's been? He's been having a difficult time lately.”
It's not hard to get through to a woman like Evangeline, who is already an empathetic person. She asks Nicholas, “Are you doing okay, Nicholas?”
“Uh... yea. I guess I'm alright,” Nicholas answers with a shrug. Just the other day, a concerned friend was exactly what he wanted. Now he sounds so dismissive.
“Are you sure? Is there anything you need to talk about?”
“Nah, I'm fine,” Nicholas insists. “It's real nice of you to ask, though. You know, a cupcake sure does sound good. Thanks for giving those to me.”
“No problem,” Evangeline says. “If there's anything you ever need, don't hesitate to ask, honey.”
Nicholas finishes cleaning Evangeline's room, including the scraps of paper, and moves on to the next one. This classroom is occupied by a teacher I don't like, and unfortunately, she's still here. Maggie Thomas is a twenty-six-year-old blonde who barely notices Nicholas' presence. He's as invisible to her as I am. He dumps her trash, tidies her room, and she never gives him a glance.
To amuse myself, I stand beside her and ask, “Why don't you say something to Nicholas, Maggie? You don't think he might appreciate some attention?”
She ignores me, focusing on the paperwork on her desk instead.
“Say something to Nicholas!” I shout at her. The louder you are, the more they tend to listen. “Try to have a pleasant conversation with him... for once!”
Maggie glances up from her desk and sighs heavily, as if she can't believe I'm asking her to do this. She watches Nicholas for a few seconds, rolls her eyes, and forces herself to say, “Can you put the trash can in the other corner, please? Thanks.”
Nicholas obeys, and I groan in her ear. I think that's all I'm going to get out of her.
Nicholas drifts from room to room, cleaning spaces that are empty now. All of the students, and most of the teachers, are gone for the day. Nicholas occasionally passes a co-worker, but he doesn't really have any buddies here—not anymore. A few months ago, he enjoyed the company of Paul, an older janitor who retired and passed away in a matter of months. It was a tragedy, if you ask me. Paul worked his entire life, only to retire and die a few weeks later.
“You've got to have more of a life than that, Nicholas,” I tell my charge. “We need to work on one of your bigger goals soon... okay? Maybe we can try getting in touch with Hannah again?”
Nicholas, who is in the middle of vacuuming, solemnly shakes his head. It's as if he heard my request. Maybe he did, and he didn't like it. I think he's afraid to make contact with Hannah. His previous attempts have ended in disappointment.
“Maybe... we can get you a girlfriend?” I suggest. “Maybe Wanda from the diner? What do you think about that?”
To be fair, getting a girlfriend isn't one of Nicholas' official wishes. I don't think he has any desire to replace his wife. He's more interested in finding a friend than a lover, and that's totally okay.
“So, uh... speaking of Harry's Diner, maybe we should go there?” I suggest to my charge. “You get off at ten o'clock, and the diner is open until eleven, so...”
Oh, who am I kidding? I am the one who wants to go to Harry's Diner again!
I keep thinking... if I go there, maybe I'll run into a certain someone.