The Lead Hand Who Talked to the Dead
Every ramp crew has that one Lead Hand who knows everything.
He knows which belt loader is going to break before it breaks. He knows which flight is going to be late before Operations knows it’s late. He can look at a baggage cart and tell you somebody forgot to put the brake on.
And then there was Marty.
Marty had one unusual talent.
He could talk to the dead.
At least, that’s what the crew believed.
It started one quiet afternoon shift. Marty was sitting in the lead hand’s office, wearing his communication headset, monitoring the radio.
“Zone Five to Lead,” came the call.
Marty pressed the button.
“Go ahead.”
Nothing.
Marty waited.
“Hello?”
Still nothing.
Then suddenly, through the headset came a faint voice:
“Marty…”
He froze.
“Who is this?”
A pause.
Then:
“You know who this is.”
Marty slowly removed his headset.
The crew stared at him.
“What happened?” asked Lenny.
Marty looked pale.
“I think I just spoke to a ghost.”
Naturally, nobody believed him.
Until the next morning.
Marty was back on the headset when the voice returned.
“Marty…”
“Yeah?”
“Flight 427 is going to be late.”
Marty looked at the flight board.
Impossible.
Flight 427 was showing ON TIME.
Five minutes later, Operations called.
“Lead, Flight 427 is delayed thirty minutes.”
The crew went silent.
Lenny looked at Marty.
“You’re kidding.”
Marty shrugged.
“I told you. Dead people know more than Operations.”
After that, the crew started using Marty as their personal connection to the afterlife.
“Ask the ghost if we’re getting overtime.”
“Ask him who’s stealing the coffee.”
“Ask him if Management is coming down.”
Marty would put on his headset and say:
“Hello? Anybody dead out there?”
One afternoon, the voice answered.
“Marty…”
“Yeah?”
“Tell the crew to move the equipment away from Gate 32.”
Marty frowned.
“Why?”
**“Because something is coming.”
Marty immediately told everyone.
Ten minutes later, a catering truck came flying around the corner, completely out of control, narrowly missing the equipment.
The crew stared at Marty.
Marty just smiled.
“See? I told you.”
Eventually, the story spread throughout the operation.
People started calling Marty The Ghost Whisperer.
One night, a new employee heard about his supernatural communication skills.
“Is it true you can talk to dead rampers?”
Marty nodded seriously.
“Only the ones who worked here long enough.”
“Why?”
“Because they’re the only ones who know the radio channels.”
The new guy laughed.
Marty didn’t.
Then his headset crackled.
“Marty…”
His face changed.
The new guy stopped laughing.
“Was that him?”
Marty slowly pressed the transmit button.
“Go ahead.”
The voice whispered:
“Tell the crew…”
Marty leaned closer.
“Yeah?”
“…that the coffee is finished.”
Marty removed his headset.
“Gentlemen…”
The crew looked over.
“The dead have spoken.”
“What did they say?”
Marty sighed.
“They said the coffee’s gone.”
There was a moment of silence.
Then the entire crew jumped up and headed for the lunchroom.
Marty put his headset back on.
“Anything else?”
The voice returned.
“Yeah, Marty.”
“What?”
“Put the coffee on my tab.”
Marty smiled.
“Can’t do that.”
“Why?”
“Because you’re dead.”
A long silence followed.
Then:
“Good point.”
And the headset went dead.
Literally.