The Ghost of Edwards-Swift & Associates - Part 1

This chair is in the lobby of our offices where I work. And there is a story behind it. But before I get to the chair, let me tell you something about children.

It is said that children are very aware of things, including things that not always make themselves aware to all. I speak, of course, of ghosts, or spirits, or whatever you may call them.

One such child I bore . . . my son, Patrick. As an example, we once had a strange incident on the Queen Mary, that famed, old ship docked in Long Beach, CA and said to be very, very haunted.

Patrick, his sister, and I were touring the ship and were in the back in the Isolation Ward, where sick passengers were kept in passage. Now, you might expect this area to be naturally spooky, but it is not - in fact, it's well-lit and open to the sea air, because it was believed that sick people needed the fresh air and sunshine to recover. While in one of the rooms, Patrick became visibly agitated. When I asked him what was wrong, he said to me, "Mom, we need to leave - there's a man in here and he's telling me he doesn't want us here." We skedaddled out and afterward Patrick described the man to me - and his description fit what a typical hospital orderly would have looked like during the 1920's. Later, Patrick also told me about other ghosts he encountered on the ship, including a child who, Patrick said, was "happy to see him." Indeed.

Let's go to my office now, shall we?

A couple of months ago, I spent a Sunday afternoon at Disneyland. I knew that the next day I had to work from home, so I swung by the office to pick up some files. Patrick and I were together, and no one else.

It is a little creepy walking into an office after hours. It's dark and even after you put on the lights, the lack of activity is noticeable. Such as it was when Patrick and I were there. We went to my office and I told my son I had to check a few emails and then we would leave.

Patrick wandered out my office and to the "kid's room," a soundproof play room off of the conference room were clients can have their children while they meet with us. Patrick likes that room because of the video game set up there. A few seconds later, he came back to my office and told me that he wanted to play in the same room as me. While I worked, Patrick fiddled around with his Transformer toy, and suddenly asked, "Mom, did you hear that?"

I stopped and listened. "No, Moe [my nickname for Patrick]. I don't hear anything." I listened again. "What am I listening for?" I asked.

Patrick answered, "I hear someone walking around out there."

"Outside the building?"

"No, Mom - in the office."

I listened some more and said, "Honey, I can;t hear anything. I'll finish up here and then we'll go."

I worked a short time and true to my word, we packed up and left. In leaving, Patrick said, "Mom, I like coming here better in the daytime, when there are people around." I didn't think anything of it, but driving home I asked, "Patrick, was there something bothering you in my office."

Patrick answered from the back seat. "Yeah, Mom."

"Patrick, was there a ghost in my office?"

"Yeah."

Ooookay. "Was it a man or a woman?"

"A man."

"An old man?"

Patrick thought for a moment. "He was grown-up, but he wasn't like a real old man."

"Where was he?"

"In your office with us."

Now I was getting chills. "Was he doing anything?"

Patrick brightened up. "Yeah - he patted me on the back and told me I was a good boy for helping my Mom."

"He said that?"

"Well, I could hear it in my mind, Mom."

I had to ask. "Did he tell you his name?"

Patrick answered right away. "Oh yeah, he said it's Henry."

Stay tuned . . .