A Friend from the Other Side

Scattered raindrops pelted the windowpane. Joey believed he could count them as they hit the glass. He held his pinky out and called one, then two, three, four, and five. He stopped at five. That was as far as he could count. So, with nothing better to do, he went back to wish for a play pal. He used to play Hide-and-Seek with his brother Timmy. But one day Timmy went to heaven, and never came back.

Now it was getting dark outside. All at once lightning and loud thunder ripped open the clouds. Torrents of hail and rain plummeted down from the sky. The rumble from above rattled the big ranch. Joey closed his eyes, but as soon as the racket was over he opened them wide. He liked to watch the funny mushroom-like water-thingies that bounced up as the drops stroke the flooded ground.

"Get away from the window, honey!" Joey’s mother hollered from one of the bedrooms.

"Okay, Mom!" Joey yelled back, but remained kneeling on the sofa watching the downpour. Joey hated thunder, but liked lightning a lot. He loved it when the sky cracked open in many places at once. Too bad the cracks closed too quickly and he could not see what was behind.

Suddenly it got as dark as night, and Joey saw his reflection on the glass. He smiled and his reflection smiled back.

"Hi," Joey said, waving his hand.

The kid on the other side also waved. "Hi!" he said. "Can I come in and play?" he asked.

"Yeah, come in!" Joey replied, excited by the prospect of a playmate.

He came in and Joey laughed a happy laugh.

"Wow! You look just like me. Are you my brother?" Joey asked.

"No, I’m your friend and my name’s Joey," Joey’s friend replied.

"But, I’m Joey!" Joey yelled, somewhat angry.

"Okay, let’s both be Joey," the second Joey quickly suggested. "What do you want to play?" he then asked.

They wanted to play Hide-and-Seek. But neither wanted to be it. So Joey got a better idea. "Let’s have some milk and cookies," he said, and without waiting for his friend's reply, ran into the kitchen. A moment later he came back with a heaping plate of chocolate chip cookies. Then returned to the kitchen and poured two glasses of milk. He started walking out of the kitchen with a full glass in each hand. He walked slowly, so as not to spill the milk.

"What are you doing, Joey?"

His mother’s voice startled him. He dropped both glasses. The plastic containers did not break, but the milk splashed all over the kitchen floor.

"I’m sorry, honey. I didn't mean to scare you," his mother apologized. Then she noticed the two glasses. "Why two glasses, Joey?" she asked.

"One for me and one for my friend," Joey said, looking straight at her waist.

"What friend?" she asked, a little annoyed. Then she decided to play along. "Oh, your friend. Go keep him company. I’ll bring the milk after I clean up a bit." She shook her head in mild disapproval as Joey walked out of the kitchen.

"And what’s your name, young man?" Joey’s mother asked, looking at the pile of cookies in the plate.

"His name’s Joey. Can you leave us alone now, Mom?" Joey said, politely.

"Of course, dear," Mrs. Ryan said, shrugging her shoulders before walking out of the living room.

"You know what, Joey? I don’t think your mother believes I’m real," Joey’s friend said.

"Race you to my room! Last one in is a rotten egg!" Joey shouted, ignoring his friend’s last remark. They dashed down the hall, both trying to be first in the room.

Joey’s room was a zoo of stuffed animals. They were all over the place. Some standing, others sitting and some others laying on his bed.

"Do you have any toys that aren’t stuffed?" his friend asked, making a wry face.

"Yeah," Joey said and opened a chest brimful of cars and trucks and balls and puzzles and games and who knew what else.

"Wow! I’ve never seen so many toys!" Joey’s friend exclaimed.

"Yeah, but I have no one to play with," Joey said, with a sad face.

"What about me?" his friend protested.

"But you don’t like my toys," Joey replied.

"Not your baby toys, but I like your cars and trucks," Joey’s friend retorted.

Joey smiled the biggest of his smiles. "Come on!" he yelled.

They each grabbed a truck and loaded it with Joey’s favorite stuffed toys. Down the hall they ran with the rigs in tow.

Then they carelessly dumped the pile of plush toys out the kitchen door.

On the race back to his room, Joey almost bumped into his mother.

"Where’s your friend, honey?" she asked.

"What friend?" Joey shouted over the rumbling of the empty dump truck.