Kindness Turned To Angel

Back in 2009 my boyfriend at the time got sent to a work house in Anoka County, Minnesota. He had been there before and stayed for a long period of time, so the guards got use to me being around a lot. Once in awhile they would let me stay the night if I promised not make a lot of noise or become a pain. I'd happily agreed for now I got to see my boyfriend more and more.

One night when the guards were making everyone else leave, I stayed up in my boyfriend's room until the main guard said coast clear to me, which meant I can come out and go to my car for my things. So I did just that. As I walked back in, the main guard yet again stopped me and reminded me of the rules. I thought that was weird for this was the 100th time he told me.

As I brushed it off and started up the stairs to head to sleep, I noticed an older woman sitting on the stairs looking out the window. She looked so normal! Medium brown hair, blue eyes, and her skin was our normal color, but she looked so sad, so I figured she was another resident of the work house.

I asked her if she was ok and she just looked at me with her blue eyes. She seriously looked like she had been crying! So again I asked her if she was alright and if there was anything I could do. She looked out the window again and said, "I can't find my room." Puzzled, I asked her what floor she thought it was on. She quietly replied the fourth floor. I smiled, put my things downs and told her I would be happy to show her to her room, I mean I have been to this place numerous times.

The woman grabbed my hand and off we went to the fourth floor. Now a side note, the fourth floor was under repairs to make room for more residents but none of that crossed my mind at that time. When we walked through the double doors onto fourth floor, there were no lights but only the moon when the clouds weren't in the way. We slowly walked passed rooms until she turned and smiled at a door. She said, "That is my room!" I opened the door to see an old bed in the corner and still no lights working.

The woman walked to the bed, sat down and looked out the window. I apologized for the lights but she didn't care, just that window. Before I left I asked her why she looks out the window so intensely. She smiled, placed her hand on her chest and told me her husband was coming for her and she just wanted to be ready. I smiled, said goodnight, closed the door and headed back for my things.

A year later me and my uncle were walking around downtown Anoka when I happened to look over my shoulder and saw that same old woman! I waved and she waved back. My uncle and I crossed the street and when I looked back to introduce them, she was gone. I didn't think much of it until we walked into the history center and right away a picture caught my eye. The owner noticed how hard I was staring at the picture and began telling me about it.

It was back when the work house was the old asylum and the woman in the picture was Mary. Back when the asylum opened, her husband dropped her off and promised to return the next morning for her, but never showed. The records showed that he moved out of state and married another woman 3 days after dropping off Mary. Mary sat by her window, waiting until her death. She was buried in the asylum's cemetery that is now in front of Anoka High School for all that ground belonged to the asylum.

I felt horrible! How could someone do that?! Once I found out her last name, I went to her grave site and placed flowers on it. I still do it to this day on her birthday. Even though I see Mary everywhere. She was with me when I got in car accident that almost claimed my life, she was the first face I saw when I woke up. She shows before any bad things are about to happen around me so now I take her warnings very seriously. She has become my guardian angel.

My uncle said she decided to be there for me because I was there for her. In a place that patients only got 2 minutes with people a month, to her having someone spend about half hour was a gift from God. I take great peace in knowing Mary has my back and that I have given her peace as well.