Charlie looks at us as he opens the door to Joy’s cabin.
“We’ll be with you,” Suzy says. “Come on.”
He goes in and Suzy and I follow. Master Mind remains on the deck.
Joy is asleep in her cot.
Charlie touches her shoulder, and she opens her eyes wide and the knife under her pillow is in her hands, aimed at Charlie.
Suzy gasps. “I forgot that was there,” she whispers.
“Charlie!” Joy lowers the hand with her knife. “You’re okay! Are you okay?”
Charlie nods. “I’m okay.”
“We waited for you for so long! Are you sure you’re okay?”
Charlie looks down. “I’m sorry, Joy.”
She sits up. “For what?”
“I woke up and I remembered. I remembered what I had to do and I remembered your dad’s phone number.”
She’s listening intently and so are we.
“In the morning I asked my Mom if I could call him and she said I couldn’t and she didn’t understand and she didn’t believe me because… because she thinks you’re my imaginary friend.”
“Mmm hmmmm.”
“So I spent the whole day asking kids in class if there was a phone I could use. But just one kid in class had one and he wouldn’t give it to me. So… So when I came back from school and it was time to call your Dad, I waited for my Mom to go to the bathroom, and I used her phone without permission.”
“Okay.”
“And then, uh, and then I called your Dad. And he answered. And he didn’t believe me.”
“I know, Charlie. He told me.”
“And he got angry at me even when he told me he wouldn’t get angry. And he really yelled. And he was so angry.”
“Uh-huh.”
“And I just knew he’d be so angry when we met again. And I thought how angry you will be too when I see you that I couldn’t make him remember. I’m so sorry! I couldn’t do it! I couldn’t make him remember you!”
Joy touches his hand. “You think it’s your fault.”
“It is my fault!”
I open my mouth to explain to him that it’s not his fault, when Suzy touches my hand and shakes her head. I stop.
“It’s my fault, Charlie!” Joy says. “It’s my fault no one remembers me! It’s my fault I was born like this and not even my Dad can remember me! You are the only real friend I have! And you are the only one who can remember me! You’re the only one who is so okay he’s okay!”
“You’re not angry at me? I tried to not fall asleep all night because I didn’t want to see how angry and your dad were!”
“You were so brave! You had an adventure! I’m not angry!”
Charlie looks up, desperation in his eyes. “My teacher’s trying to wake me up. Your dad isn’t angry at me?”
“No,” she says simply. “Goodbye. Don’t be afraid to come back!”
“Okay,” he nods and vanishes.
Joy puts her knife under her pillow and puts her head on that pillow. “He’s a good friend,” she tells us. “Good night.”
“Good night,” Suzy and I both whisper. Slowly, we leave the room.
—Told by Grampa Walt