Chapter 13: Diamonds

The next day, Ed was working on software bug fixes.

His phone rang. It was Ellen.

“Hello, Ellen.”

“Hello, Ed. I hadn’t heard from you for several days. Is everything okay?” said Ellen.

“I’m sorry about that. I was very busy.”

“Would you have time to meet me and we can catch up this evening?”

Ed considered her question. He had nothing planned this evening. Conner might turn up. He still had a book to finish.

“Okay. Do we meet at your place again?”

“Sure. See you after your work.”

The call ended. Ed put down his phone and resumed his work.

At the end of the workday, Ed closed his computer.

He left work and returned to his car. This time, he knew where Ellen lived. No need for him to check.

It took him less than an hour to arrive. He pulled up at the entrance gate.

“Hello, I have an appointment with Ellen Morgan,” said Ed.

“Are you Ed Tanner?” asked the security guard.

“Yes, that’s me.”

“Go right ahead. You’re expected.”

Ed drove ahead and pulled up outside the mansion.

He exited his car. Ellen was standing at the entrance.

“Come inside. It’s cold out here,” she said.

He followed her inside, and she led him through the maze until they reached the family room.

Ellen turned to face Ed and hugged him.

“I’m so happy to see you again,” she said.

Ed wasn’t sure how to respond to that. He hugged her back briefly.

They sat down on a sofa together. Ellen handed Ed a beer.

“Tell me all that’s happened since we last met.”

“I’m now a medicine man, and an honorary member of the Duwamish tribe.”

“Wow! How did that happen?”

“Not everyone returns as a ghost. They can reincarnate as an animal. I found I can talk with them.”

“That’s amazing!”

“Agreed. I’ve spoken with a crow, a bear, and a bobcat.”

“Do they speak different languages?” she asked.

“I don’t know. To me, they’re just talking in English.”

“You should ask others to witness or record the conversation. It might be interesting.”

“That’s a good idea. Next time, I’ll ask someone to do that for me.”

“And your ability makes you a medicine man?”

“I guess so. Communicating with the deceased is highly valued by the tribe.”

“It’s a big thing to anyone. Because of it, you saved me!”

“I helped. Conner played a larger role. And besides, you saved me, so we’re even,” said Ed.

“Right.”

Ellen took a drink of her beer. Ed did the same.

“There’s more. I saw a mummy at the museum,” said Ed.

“A mummy?”

“A ghost that resembled a mummy. Other people couldn’t see it. Only I could.”

“Dare I repeat myself, but that’s amazing!”

“The mummy spoke in an old Egyptian language. Fortunately, I found someone to translate.”

“You can see and hear dead people?” she asked.

“And you. You were in a coma. A coma is like death.”

“And now I’m awake.”

They both smiled.

Ellen fetched a plate of nachos with cheese and stuff on it. She placed it on the table in front of Ed.

“I hope you like this,” she said.

Ed picked up a few nachos and tasted them. Ellen watched him.

“They’re good, thanks.”

“I’m glad.”

They ate nachos and drank beer in companionable silence for a while.

“So, what’s next for you?” she asked.

“I hope the ghosts stop talking about me. I’ve helped some of them, but I want an ordinary life,” said Ed.

“What about Conner?”

“If he’s polite, and doesn’t turn up too often. I owe him for rescuing me.”

“You owe me too.”

“Yes, you too. I already have a job I like. I don’t want another job. Passing an occasional message for Conner is okay.”

“And you’ll see me? I’d like to see you again.”

“Sure. I’ll meet with you. You know about my life, and the challenges I face,” said Ed.

“You can be yourself with me.”

“We understand each other.”

Ellen smiled. Ed crunched on some nachos.

Later, on his way home, Ed drove past an old building. He sensed nothing different, but something else sensed him.

A special ghost, called a poltergeist, detected his presence. There was something different about Ed.

The poltergeist followed Ed home. Of course, Ed didn’t know it.

Ed pulled into the parking lot beneath his apartment complex. As he got out of his car, he heard knocking noises. He dismissed it as water pipes, and he took the elevator up to his unit.

As he entered his living room, the poltergeist followed.

Normally, poltergeists were invisible, and they used their abilities to move things around or knock items off shelves.

Ed sat on his sofa and picked up his current reading book, thinking he had enough time for a chapter or two before bed.

The poltergeist considered it amusing to grab the book and throw it across the room.

He reached out for the book, but something happened. Ed moved the book out of reach and looked the poltergeist in the eye.

“Get your own book!” said Ed.

This so startled the poltergeist, it jumped back.

“You can see me??”

“Yes, I can see you. Why? Are you usually invisible?”

“Yes. You’re different from others of the living.”

“I am. I can see ghosts. Not my choice, but I can. I can see you.”

“Not your choice?” asked the poltergeist.

“A while back, someone mugged me. They hit me on the head. Since then I can see ghosts. I didn’t want this.”

“That sounds bad.”

“Tell me about it. Every night and sometimes during the day, ghosts bother me. Most of them want my help. Some almost got me killed!”

Ed was getting worked up. Life wasn’t fair to him.

“Wow, I didn’t know. That is bad.”

“And tonight you come over and try to take my book! I simply wanted to read a chapter or two. Is that too much to ask?”

“No, no. When you put it that way, it sounds reasonable.”

“Good. So, if you need my help, make an appointment. And don’t touch my book!”

Ed impressed the poltergeist. He came to play tricks on Ed, to torture him a little. Ed had already experienced torture. His work was already done.

“Where do I make an appointment?” asked the poltergeist.

“Go talk to Conner. He’s a ghost. You might find him around police headquarters.”

“I’ll do that. Er, sorry for bothering you.”

The poltergeist slinked off. It was the first time someone had ever forced him to leave. Usually, he had the upper hand.

Ed waited a moment before opening his book.

Igor Levron was a gardener. He worked at a greenhouse in the greater Seattle area, or at least he used to be a gardener. He’d passed away several years ago.

Igor continued to work at the greenhouse. His ghost floated around and checked on various plants. He could no longer carry a shovel or water anything. But he had the intention of caring for the plants.

He thought little of the new gardeners. He wanted to tell them what to do, what they’d missed. But they could neither see nor hear him. His inability to do what he used to do caused him to get cranky.

This night, something unusual happened. Two villains picked the lock and broke into the greenhouse.

They dug a hole in his precious flowerbed and buried something there. Then they filled in the hole and carefully locked the door by which they’d entered.

This was too much. He seethed with anger at these trespassers and what they did to his flowerbed.

Igor floated out of the greenhouse and toward police headquarters, forgetting that reporting a crime was rather impossible.

At police headquarters, Conner saw Igor approach. He floated to meet him.

“Hello, are you in need of help?” asked Conner.

“If I didn’t need help, I wouldn’t be here!”

“You’d best tell me the details, and I’ll see what can be done,” said Conner.

Conner listened to Igor. Then he smiled.

“I have a friend among the living that can help you. Why don’t you leave it with me? I’ll need to discuss it with him, then we can meet you at your greenhouse.”

“I accept your offer. Hopefully, it can be done soon.”

Igor then departed.

Conner arrived at Ed’s workplace the next day. He floated down through the ceiling and stopped at Ed’s cubicle.

Ed smiled and stood and walked to the janitor’s closet and shut the door. Conner arrived a moment later.