The Graveyard Shift

“Don! Did you take your medicine?”, I heard my mother yell from the stairs, uttering seemingly the only words that she said to me every day, twice a day, like clockwork. Her footsteps escalated as she made her way up to my room, that happened to be the lovely basement of our home. Go figure. I didn’t mind though; I liked the isolation and the fulfillment of my desires to be secluded from others. That includes my own family, or lack thereof since it was just mother and I that resided in our home. Even with those living conditions and arrangements, mother could be overbearing at times, ok all the time!

 She lightly tapped on my “bedroom” door, “Donnie boy, wake up, did you take-

“I’m up and yes I took it mother.” I assured her in a frustrating tone while wiping half of the out of my eyes. “What time is it” I asked. “It is 7:30 pm, she answered. “7:30! Oh no! I have to get going and get to work!”

 “But, honey, you don’t have to clock in or be there until 9:00 pm, and the cemetery is right down the road”, mother tried to persuade me.

I grabbed a wrinkled shirt and a pair of disheveled jeans off the hardwood floor and quickly put them on. “I know, but I need to get there early to prepare myself and the souls by sunset”.

“Souls? Sunset? What?” 

I opened the door and we were now face to face. “You wouldn’t understand mother, no one would. It’s much like you’ve nor anyone else of the human descent that I’ve come across ever understood me”, I whispered brushing past her on my way out the bedroom door. “See you later!”, I shouted from making my way down the stairs. I hustled down them and made a beeline to the front door.

Sprinting to my destination in anticipation, thoughts of how it all started and became this way clouded my mind. What I said to mother was truth and resonated facts. I’ve felt misunderstood since the start of my life. A sense of not belonging. A sense of the physical beings around me not having even an inch of anything in common with me. The beings in the spiritual realm that I have encountered at my job as the gatekeeper of our neighborhood cemetery changed those feelings. They talk to me. They see me. They notice me. Something that I have never experienced but longed for. I felt both obligated and honored to give the same sentiments to them. They understand what it means to feel abandoned and not seen, but I see them, physically, mentally, and emotionally. Let mother tell it, it’s just my insomnia getting the best of me and I am talking crazy. She would never understand. Even though I have to partly thank her for this newfound sense of belonging in the form of my dream job. She’s always scalding me about sleeping all day and being up all night, so she suggested I get a job as a recommendation to help treat my insomnia. Imagine her dismay when on a limb, I decided to apply at the old cemetery nearby and got hired for the night shift. She didn’t know whether to be happy that I was finally employed and able to help out with the bills around the house or bothered that it was a night job and not conducive to helping my insomnia as she hoped. In my eyes though, it was a win! I didn’t like the daytime anyway! Maybe I was supposed to be a vampire in this lifetime! Makes sense! I chuckled as I pulled my hat down to shadow out the fading sunlight from lingering over my eyes.

I had finally made it to my destination and headed over to the shed to get my supplies ready for the nights work. I took my job title as the groundskeeper serious both figuratively and nonfigurative. The up keeping of the grounds was important to myself and the souls, it was the only way they would accompany me in dialogue. They didn’t feel safe and comfortable unless the grounds were clean for them to be able to roam freely. I used what little light was still dimly glowing from the sky to guide me to selecting my tools out of the shed that housed them. Nightfall began to fall as I started the routine process of clocking in and the regimen of purifying their world. Slowly and one by one, I carefully sanctioned each soul’s area. Careful not to brush over their headstones improperly, I maneuvered each cleaning tool to perfection. Finally, as I finished up dusting the headstones, making them noticeable and alive again, I called out to the souls. No one answered or came forth, which was strange and out of the norm. I took the tools off of the grounds and took them back to their rightful place in the shed. Turning to call out to the souls again, I heard a faint familiar voice followed by seeing a faint glare of light coming towards me.

“Mother!”, I screamed in shock, recognizing her familiar voice and shadow figure. “What are you doing here!”

“Yes, doctor, as you can see, Donnie boy isn’t taking to his medication too well. The side effects of hallucinations are much too strong. I think we need another option”.

“Are you recording me?”, I asked angrily.

“Yes. The doctor needs to see exactly what I mean. Relax Donnie boy, it’s ok. We are going to get you some help with your insomnia. We are going to beat this”.

“Mother, you don’t understand! I am perfectly fine! This is where I belong!”

“No dear, this isn’t where you belong! You need long term care on top of another option for medication. Now come with me so we can start the process.” Mother reached out her hand to take ahold of.

“Son, listen, I love you and I am here. We can get through this, together”.

For once in my life, those three words my mother spoke to me that had never escaped her lips, made me feel noticed. I felt like she cared. I felt….seen! I grabbed her hand.

“Wait!’, I stopped midway on our walk to start heading home. “Can I at least say goodbye?”

“Sure, son go ahead”, mother agreed. She let go of my hand and headed off to the side of the street.

“Well souls my time has come! I have been chosen and selected to be seen. I hope one day, you too, can find the same. Take care”.

With that, I turned and walked away, prepared to start a new life and never to look back.