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"It's best to work with the dead than the living," Nicola told THE WEEKEND STAR.

Nicola, who works at Jones Funeral Home and Supplies Limited on Oxford Street, Kingston, says she has been preparing dead bodies for six years. For her, working with the dead is far more satisfying.

"Because with the dead, yuh put dem one place, dem nuh give yuh nuh backchat, dem just deh deh and yuh tek care a dem nicely and you're okay. But with the living now, yuh haffi talk every minute, yuh haffi give instructions, dem backchat yuh and all sorts of something," she said.

Though several persons have claimed to encounter duppies, Nicola believes that is not possible.

"I never see a duppy get up yet. If anybody tell yuh seh dem see duppy get up out of coffin, a lie dem a tell. Once you're dead, you're just dead," she stated.

Ferron Shaw, 46, who makes the coffins for the funeral home, says his job is so demanding, he often finds himself sleeping in coffins.

"Things will pop up weh yuh haffi do some extra work and suh yuh nah go leave, yuh nah go end up leave the building. So the same place where they store the dead, me sleep ova deh," he said.

Shaw further explained that people are only fearful because of their mindset.

"The mind is powerful. A weh yuh think and weh yuh believe. If you believe seh a dead man can harm yuh, yuh just a go have da fear deh. Probably because I have been doing this so long, me just get used to it, and just know seh anything a anything. If me haffi sleep in yah and di dead man in a di box deh suh me a sleep in a di box beside him. Me dweet already. Me nuh have a problem, him nuh trouble me."

Due to the nature of the job, Shaw says seeing families break down over the loss of a loved one is not something that he can ever get used to.

"Me caan get over it, up to now. Fi see when family members come in and break down. The most intense part a when dem a cry out and say the dead relative gone and dem nuh know weh dem a go do. Dat touching," Shaw said.