Are You There, Gabe? - A.R.C. (best books to read for self improvement txt) 📗

a photo and placed it in front of me on the table. It was a polaroid of a little girl no more than five years old. She was sitting on a rock in an open field somewhere blowing bubbles. Cute little dickens she was, I will admit but of course I didn't see what this had to do with me. "This is Abbie. And yes, she is five years old and you do have something to do with her."

"Yay, you can read minds." He ignored my sarcasm and continued."This is your test. You have to be her imaginary friend-"

"I'm sorry, what now?"

"Her imaginary friend-"

I leaned in closer to the table and tilt my head forward. "Her what?"

"Her. Imaginary. Friend. Did that cure your make believe hearing problem?"

"Um hm. I thought that's what I heard you say the first time. Not happening."

"It is going to happen if you want to make up the little time you have."

"Nope. I rather forever be walking in circles out there with the living than being some lame babysitter. Give me another assignment or let me go and I can find my own way." I got up from the chair and headed to the door.

"There is no other assignment. It doesn't work like that."

"Will then make it work."

"You

have to make it work. This is all about you, not me Gabe-"

"I'M NOT GOOD WITH KIDS, DAMN IT!"

We stood there having the most fearsome staring contest. Anthony's own had me feeling like I was rapidly vansihing out of this air but I wasn't going up in smoke without making the best effort to pierce him with my sight. "SIT. DOWN." Anthony said in a stern, solid voice. I evidently took my time but I sat back down. He kept his eyes on me the whole time as he sat and continued to talk.
He told me that Abbie, her six month old sister and their mom was having a hard time. Especially the mother, Abbetha. Abbie and Abbatha? I asked. "Her mother thoguht it would be cute to name her daughters from her name." Anthony said with a little smile. He continued the story about how the father of her children bail out on the account of blamming her for trying to trap him. Her working as an independent owner of a small business is not getting by and her mother was falling critically ill.
The all American story of hardships while I was a drunk my life and barely getting by myself. I eventually gave in to the task. "How did I die?" I finally asked Anthony. His face grew long. "That accident you kept being around at...?" I didn't ask any further. I didn't want to ask any further. My mind replayed back to all those people watching the scene on the street but I wasn't able to see it...when my focus came back to Anthony talking he was saying how I got hit by a car when I was staggering to get across the street.
"Yep, it was the Bourbon that got you killed I guess if you want to think that. But like I said this is your chance to let it go and do something meaningful and good. This task could probably benefit you. Who knows. Are you ready?"
I shrugged my shoulders and I said take me to her. The next thing I knew, the chair Anthony was sitting in, himself, and the table was gone and it was only me sitting in the slightly dark room. It was like someone turn up the dimmer and right before my eyes, in the same house I was told to enter, in the same room where I was arguing with Anthony, was Abbie playing with her tea set sitting across from me. She looked up at me with those green eyes in her white and pink Easter hat and had a face that could break through any cold stone heart. I will admit, mine was forming a little crack.
Abbie eyes remained on me for a good five minutes along with the pause of her hands in mid air with her plastic tea cup and kettle. I was afraid to move on the account of the silence and the look she was throwing at me. Her eyes grew wider and wider. It's unbelieveable how sharp and clear your vision can be when you're looking into the world that you once knew. The vibe that you see on the youth sprouting out with a glow was at the core of the body....trippy and amazing at the same time.
"OH MY GOODY GOODNESS!" Abbie wailed. She released a high pitch scream and hopped out of her chair. She jumped and clapped while I fell out of the small chair from the unexpected excitment. I heard foot steps coming up the stairs and I crawled over to her. "Abbie, Abbie wait-" I said trying to reach her but she had me a mini goose chase as I tripped over things, knocking items while she jumped from spot to spot laughing and screaming. The door opened wide and a woman stood medium hieght at the door way. Her brow was knitted together and concern was written on her face. She had the same eyes as Abbie that told me this was Abagale, the mother.

"Abbie, what is going on here? What are you doing to your room?" Abagale said as she walked in half way to inspect the disaster. Abbie stopped jumping but hopped in place. "My Kid Pal! It came to life! It grew right before my eyes and-and-IT'S ALIVE! YAAAAY!" Abagale looked over to where I was sitting at and I looked over there as well. The doll layed there limp with a simple shirt and jeans sewed on it along with a dumb smile and brown yard as the hair. If that's the upgrade they did for the *Raggady Ann and Friends collection, somebody needs to go back to the drawing board. The plainest doll I had ever seen for a child.
My attention went back to Abagale. She just stood there looking around the mess and taking in what Abbie was blabbering about. She looked over my direction and held her gaze. Oh no, she sees me. A stranger in her daughter's room that's mess. That's right ma'am, I'm chasing your daughter and trying to kidnap her. Call the cops so it can look reeeal good on my record along with the questionable record I have somewhere in ghost town

. I thought to myself.
She walked over to where I was splayed frozen on the floor. I felt the anger in her foot steps and just when I thought she was going to grab me by the coat and get violent, she bent over and picked up the hat that Abbie was wearing-right where my hand was, two inches from it.

"Abbie, is this your Easter hat? I told you this hat is not to play with. You're going to get it dirty and wrinkled."

"But mom, it's a special tea party. Poppers just said she decided to take our advice and go on that tea cake diet that we suggested." Abbie retorted while pointing at her stuffed pig that was sitting in one of the little chairs. "I was happy for her because I already have a backyard exercise plan to do. I told her it was either that or she goes under the knife."

"You better not have scissors in here Abbie. I told you about distroying your toys and playing with sharp objects."

"Yeees, I know." Abbie replied rolling her eyes and letting out a big sigh. "That's why I convinced her to go with the backyard plan instead so I won't get in trouble."


"Ok then. Clean this mess up. Dinner will be ready in ten minutes." Abagale inspected the room one more time, shook her head, and then exit the room with the hat in her hand. Once the door closed, Abbie walked over to the doll cautiously and picked it up. She exmaned it throughly turning it over and back. Flipping up the hair and blowing it. The she dropped the doll and started walking around the room slowly. When she seen me still on the ground hand still in reach for nothing, a smile exploded on her face. "There you are!" Her excitment was growing again and I came to life alarmed. I grabbed her and covered her mouth.

"Abbie, listen to me very carefully. I'm going to count to three and when I get to three I want you calm, cool, and collect when I remove my hand. Is that clear?" Abbie nodded her head in agreement while her eyes grew bigger with anticiption. "1...2...aaaand..." I lift my hand slowly away from her mouth. "3."

There we were. Having a staring contest once again which was creepy for me since I can see things happening on the facial expression that she can't see. "Goodness be the goodies of happiness!" She retorted. YOU ARE real and here in my room. Mommy's not tricking me." She went over to the table and started to clear it off. She collected her tea party set in her arms and then walked over to her toy box to dump them carelessly in it.
I watched her as she picked up the chair that I was sitting in and slid it under the table. She grabbed her stuffed animals and put it back on her bed, she picked up the books and the other items that fell and put them back. When she was done, she hopped on her bed and sat there facing me. "So, now we can talk." She gave me a full smile that revealed the cutest baby teeth I had ever seen. I got up off the floor and walked over to her.

"Wow, you sure know how to clean up your room. I don't remember any five year olds that can do that as soon as they're told."

"You know how old I am? The box didn't say that you do that."

"What box?"

"The box that you came out from. It said 'Kid Pal is the REAL deal for a REAL friend to have. You came to life but it didn't say you would know about me. Cool!" She started bouncing her bottom on the bed.


"Ok, here's how it's going to go. You are going to be calm around me. Not so much excitment because I can't stand it and I can't take it. That's going to be rule number one."


[to be continued]

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Publication Date: 12-19-2010

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