Whistlestop Read Free Page A

car,
started the motor, and drove out of the lot, heading home. After a
few blocks, the voice spoke in his right ear, “Please don’t go to
his house, Jeremy. He is not as he seems.” Jerry ignored it. A few
blocks later, the voice said, “Now do you remember me, Jeremy?”
Still he acted as though he could not hear. The car was on their
street when the voice implored, “Please say you remember! Please
say my name!” Jerry ignored it still.
    After a moment, Jeremy asked, “Why
aren’t you answering him, Dad?”
    Jerry slammed on the brakes and pulled
over to the curb. “You heard that voice?”
    “ Of course, Daddy, I heard
him talking to you last night in the kitchen too.”
    “ Is that the Jeremy you
were talking about?”
    “ Yes. Do you know him
too?”
    Jerry clinched his eyes and tried to
remember. “I don’t know.”
    “ All is truly lost then,”
the voice said.
    “ Do you know his name,
Son?”
    “ Of course I do,
Daddy.”
    “ Please say my name, baby
Jeremy.”
    “ I’m not a
baby!”
    “ I apologize most humbly,”
the voice said. “What is my name, Master Jeremy?”
    “ Jeremy Bumblebee
Mistcatcher Whistlebop!” The voice laughed and soon Jerry was
laughing along.
    “ I don’t think this is
funny!” Jeremy complained.
    “ We apologize with our
whole hearts, Master Jeremy,” the voice said. “Your attempt was
most honorable; although I’m afraid you made a few mistakes. Would
you care to say it, Old Master Jeremy?”
    “ This isn’t possible,”
Jerry said. “This was all childhood games I used to play when I was
lonely. We’re dreaming all of this.”
    “ That is likely true, but
this dream yearns only for his dearest friend to speak his name,
and then I shall leave you two to decide how you will deal with
this. Do you remember?”
    Tears streamed down Jerry’s cheeks as
his old memories flooded back into his mind. He remembered the day
his grandfather was murdered. Almost immediately thereafter, his
father took his family and moved to San Diego, where they lived
now. For several years, Jerry had no friends, and his family tried
to lie low, although Jerry never understood why. His imaginary
friend was all he had. He spent his life knowing his memories were
lies he told himself to avoid his fear of being alone. One day, his
father told him the danger had passed, and he was allowed to return
to school and meet new friends. As time went by, he lost the need
for his secret friend, and grew up. But now, something had changed
and all those memories were as fresh as the day his grandfather
died right in front of him. “Your name is Jeremiah Beetleweed
Mosscatcher of Marblehead, Whistlestop.”
    The voice was laughing and humming a
little tune. Jeremy started humming along, but Jerry was not
pleased with the situation. After a moment, Jeremiah said, “What is
wrong, Master Jerry? Are you not pleased that I have returned?”
Rather than respond, Jerry climbed out of the car and sat on the
curb, holding his head in his hands.
    Jeremy sat next to his father and put
a hand on his knee. “What’s wrong, Daddy? Why aren’t you happy that
Jeremiah is back? You said he used to be your friend.”
    Jerry sighed heavily and replied, “I
know it’s hard for you to understand, but having an imaginary
friend is okay for children, but as an adult, I should be over that
phase of my life. Does that make any sense?”
    “ Dad, Jeremiah is not
imaginary; he is as real as you and me.” Jerry looked up and stared
at his son. “You remember the mess in my room yesterday? I didn’t
do it, it was Jeremiah. Imaginary people don’t move stuff
around.”
    “ Fred did say that he heard
a lot of noises coming from the house yesterday after you guys left
for the bus stop. You really think that he did it?”
    “ Jeremiah likes to get
attention, and sometimes he likes getting me in
trouble.”
    “ Maybe I should just ask
him.”
    “ Sorry, Dad, but when you
got out of the car, he told me he would not