Playful Soul

My mother once owned her own cleaning business called Jemm Residential. In spite of its name, we had specialized in commercial cleaning as well. From February of 2003 to July of 2011, the business experienced exponential growth, as our clientele expanded from the town of Baltimore, Ontario where we resided, to customers throughout neighboring communities and even larger cities throughout Ontario. My mother was also highly superstitious and together we shared many mutual interests in the paranormal. Her fascination with the spiritual world originated very unexpectedly during what at first felt like another typical work day in May of 2003.

It was around two that afternoon when my mother drove to a quaint country house in Baltimore, as she had called the homeowner the previous night and made arrangements to clean the house. After the homeowner gave her a brief tour around the house and departed, my mother immediately began working. After an hour or so had passed, it was time to start cleaning the basement. My mother had a rather restless personality. I spent a total of eight years working for the business and I can always remember her energetic and focused demeanor.

While diligently performing the task at hand, my mother focused intensely on completing the basement in a timely manner, as she was eager to begin the next task. While dusting the counter tops, she abruptly became overwhelmed with an incredibly unsettling sensation. It felt as if someone was standing directly behind her, staring at her intently. Beside the staircase was an antique oak wardrobe. The door to the right was open slightly.

Soon afterwards, my mother had cleaned the entire house and met the homeowner at the front door upon his return. After mentioning the strange experience to the homeowner, he explained that the house was indeed haunted. The spirit was apparently that of an eight year old girl who tragically died many years earlier. The cause of her death was never revealed. The homeowner mentioned that she loved playing hide and seek with guests, who reportedly had similar encounters. My mother speculated that the exuberant spirit had decided to play with her by hiding in the wardrobe by the stairs.

My mother's encounter was one of the reasons why I became so enthralled with the paranormal. This incident became the topic of many of our conversations right up until her passing in August of 2019. I owe a massive debt of gratitude to both her and my grandmother for helping to develop my captivation towards the spiritual world.