Some Things Unexplained

Some Things Unexplained

            Duke Hall was my workplace.

Whenever I wasn’t in class or studying, I was usually there, cleaning. Cleaning is not my ideal job, but I couldn’t complain. Duke Hall was my favorite building on campus, especially seeing as I was a history major. It was beautiful, almost like some kind of antique architectural centerpiece on the quad. If I could have chosen any building to do janitor work at, it would have been there. Not to mention that I was getting paid by the semester. Work study was work study.

            After class, I trotted along the concrete intersection of the quad toward my place of custodial occupation. To be honest, I wasn’t really in the mood to clean that day. There was incredibly beautiful weather that evening- sunny, breezy and the like. Spring always beckoned me to throw away my cares and lay somewhere in the grass. But I desperately needed to get some hours in on my shift. It had been awhile since I’d done my ordinary duties there.

            My dad used to say all the time, “There’s a strict line between the real and the imaginary, and nothing crosses it.’” That was the saying I recited to myself whenever I just had to face reality. Sure, I could imagine doing other things right now. But that was only the imaginary. In reality, I was about to sweep up Duke Hall, and that was that.

            So, I repeated this lecture to myself as I walked up the ramp and into the building’s large front doors.

            Inside Duke was rather dusty, to be blunt. It was obvious that I hadn’t been working as often as I should. I had better get to work to and polish it up again before any official began to take notice. As gorgeous as this place was, it deserved to be in better shape. No more slacking on the job. I entered in to the Sam and Sue Mars Performing Arts Center to begin my shift for the day.

            When I worked at Duke Hall, I was never alone. There was an old man who worked with me on my shift. He was inexplicably there whenever I was. But I didn’t mind. He had a way of bringing a certain sense of optimism to the workplace. I hardly ever caught him without a smile. He was slightly hunchbacked and short, but that never hindered him from getting his work done. And something about how he always greeted me so happily gave him a lovable quality.

            However, he was just as eccentric as he was endearing. He often interrupted me whilst working. Every time, it would be over something different. Sometimes it would be that “there were spiders weaving messages in their webs”, or that “apparitions were coming down from the ceiling”. These were claims were humorous, and I always shrugged them off. Still, I couldn’t help but wonder whether these things were the result of an overactive imagination or if he’d inhaled too many cleaning products.

            It was somewhat comforting to see a familiar face. When I entered the auditorium, the old man was standing on the far left side, near the windows. He always made sure to say hello when I first came in.

            Today, he was all smiles as usual. “Good evening, Sam.”

            “Hey, there,” I greeted back.

            “What are you gonna work on today?” he inquired.

            “I think I’m going to sweep the aisles,” I determined.

            With a grin, he turned around and continued what he was doing before- scrubbing the luminous windows on the performance center clean. I sighed. As much as I didn’t want to clean, I felt better due to the old man’s positive attitude. I walked toward the utility closet close by and picked out my usual broom.