THE IMAGINARY FRIEND
By Kelly Hashway
Copyright 2011 Kelly Hashway
Cover design by Heather DeRobertis
The Imaginary Friend
Samantha watched Tracy biking through the park with her new friends. She was happy for Tracy who had just recently come out of her shell and started hanging out with some girls from school. But Samantha missed Tracy. They’d been best friends for as along as Samantha could remember. And now, Tracy barely had time for Sam.
“You did a great job with her,” said a brown-haired girl on the swing next to Sam.
Sam jumped. The swing had been empty a minute ago. Where had the girl come from?
“I think you’re ready to come with me now,” the girl said.
Sam wrinkled her forehead. Who was this strange girl? And what was she talking about? “I think you’re mistaking me for someone else,” Samantha said, trying to be polite.
“No.” The girl shook her head and smiled. “You’re Samantha, Tracy’s,” she paused, “imaginary friend.”
Did she just say imaginary friend? Sam stopped swinging. She wasn’t in the mood for practical jokes. “Listen, I don’t know what kind of prank you’re trying to pull, but I have to go get Tracy.”
Sam hopped off the swing and started walking away.
“It’s no prank, Samantha. You’re an imaginary friend. My name’s Jessica, and I’m here to take you to the Land of Imagination until you’re needed by another child,” Jessica called after her.
Sam stopped. She turned back to Jessica, not knowing if she should feel sorry for this girl or be angry with her. All she knew was that she wanted to get far away from Jessica—whoever she was. “I’m supposed to meet up with Tracy,” Sam said, hoping it would make Jessica leave her alone.
Jessica looked toward the bike path. “Does she know that? She seems pretty wrapped up with her friends over there.”
Sam swallowed hard. Tracy hadn’t even acknowledged her since she’d arrived at the park. Sam tried waving to her, but it was like Tracy looked right through her. Sam wondered if she’d done something to upset Tracy.
“She can’t see you anymore,” Jessica said.
“Why not? Did I do something? Don’t her new friends like me?” Sam asked.
“No, I mean she really can’t see you. The other girls can’t either. You’re an imaginary friend. Tracy was the only one who could see you. But now that she doesn’t need you anymore, you’ve become invisible to her, too.” Jessica sounded sincere, like she was trying to protect Sam’s feelings, yet Sam still felt angry with her for saying these things.
“That’s enough," Sam said. "I don’t know why you’re saying this stuff to me, but I’m not going to listen to it anymore.”
Jessica stepped closer to Sam. “I’m not trying to upset you. I came here to help you move on—to explain how our job works.”
Sam closed her eyes and shook her head. She didn’t want to look at Jessica. She just wanted her to leave.
“I can prove what I’m saying is true,” Jessica said. “Answer one question for me, and then I promise I’ll leave you alone if that’s what you want.”
Sam opened her eyes and sighed. “Fine, one question.”
Jessica’s expression was completely serious. “When’s your birthday?”
It was a simple question, and it should have been easy to answer. But Sam didn't know what to say. When was her birthday? She could remember Tracy’s birthday parties each year, but she’d never had one herself. How old was she? She assumed she was the same age as Tracy.
Jessica gave Sam a sympathetic smile. “You don’t know, do you?”
“I—” Sam couldn’t answer. It didn’t make sense. How could she not know her own birthday?
“It’s okay. I can help you.”
Sam walked back and slumped down on the swing.
Jessica sat in the swing beside her. “How long have you been with Tracy?”
Sam thought hard. The first memory she had was the bus stop on Tracy’s first day of school. Tracy was so scared she was hiding behind her long blonde hair. Tracy and her family had just moved here, and she didn’t know anyone yet. She was really shy. Sam walked over and said hello, and they’d been best friends ever since.
“Since kindergarten,” Sam said in a small voice.
“We consider the day we meet our charges to be our birthday.”
“We? You mean imaginary friends?”
“Yes. We help kids who need us.” Jessica nodded in Tracy’s direction. “Tracy needed you to help her see the good in herself so she could reach out to others and make friends.”
Sam couldn’t help smiling as she watched Tracy laughing with her new friends. It was good to see Tracy so comfortable being herself around other people. But was Sam really responsible for that?
“What do you mean by charges?” Sam asked.
“That’s what we call the kids we help. Tracy was your first charge.”
“My first?” Sam’s head was spinning.
“Your job here is done," Jessica said. "Tracy doesn’t need an imaginary friend anymore. But soon another child will come along who does need you.”
“Another child? But does that mean I can’t see Tracy anymore?” Sam asked, choking on the words. She couldn’t imagine life without Tracy. In fact, she couldn’t remember life before Tracy.
Jessica nodded. “Unfortunately that’s how it works.”
Sam felt her eyes stinging.
Jessica put her hand on Sam’s shoulder. “You should be proud of yourself. Tracy is happy now, and it’s because of you.”
Tracy’s image blurred. Sam could barely see her through her tears. She felt like she was losing a part of herself. “It doesn’t seem fair. Why do I have to lose my best friend?”
Jessica gave her a sympathetic smile. “This is the hardest part of our job. But you have to think about all the other kids out there who are going to need your help. You’ll be doing a good thing.”
Sam turned to face Jessica and a tear trickled down her cheek. “How many friends have you lost?”
Jessica shook her head. “Not lost. I don’t think of it that way. I’ve made hundreds of friends over the years. Believe me, it’s worth it.”
Sam looked at Tracy. She was leaving the park with the other girls. She hadn’t even waved goodbye. She didn’t seem sad at all. Sam took comfort in the fact that at least Tracy wasn’t hurting. She wouldn’t want Tracy to feel the way she was feeling right now. “Will she remember me?”
Jessica nodded. “For a while. But over time, the memory of you will fade. She won’t be sad though. Our charges have a much easier time letting go than we do.”
Sam wiped her tears with the back of her hand. She knew Jessica was right. Tracy would be fine on her own now. But what about Sam? Now she was the one who needed a friend.
“What now? How do—” Sam took a deep breath, finding it difficult to say the words, “imaginary friends move on?”
“I’m going to take you to the Land of Imagination. It’s where we live while we’re waiting for our next charge.” Jessica smiled. “You’ll like it. We can hear the thoughts of children when we’re there. Soon enough, you’ll hear a child who needs you. It’s almost like the child calls on one of us specifically. It’s very personalized.”
Sam understood that. She and Tracy made the best of friends. She could see how Tracy had needed her in particular. Yet she didn’t remember ever being in the Land of Imagination before.
“Did Tracy call me? Why don’t I remember the Land of Imagination? I had to have been there.”
“Imaginary friends are created. We don’t start off in the Land of Imagination. We’re created by a child who really needs us. Once we fulfill our duty to that ch
ild, we go to the Land of Imagination to wait for our next charge,” Jessica explained.
“Tracy created me?” It seemed impossible, but it explained why Sam couldn’t remember life before Tracy.
“Yes. She made you to be her ideal friend. That’s why you approached her and said hello. She was too shy to say hello to any other children at that bus stop. She needed someone else to initiate the friendship. So you did.”
Sam couldn’t believe it. She owed Tracy so much. She wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for Tracy. But she’d never get to thank her.
Jessica seemed to be reading Sam’s thoughts. “You helped her just as much as she helped you. It was an even trade. She’ll live a happy life with lots of friends because of you.”
Sam still wanted to thank Tracy in some way, but she guessed she’d have to settle for knowing Tracy was happy.
“If you really want to thank Tracy for creating you, then do what she meant for you to do. Be an imaginary friend and help as many children as you can. It’s the best way to repay her.”
Sam nodded. Jessica was right. It wouldn’t be easy to move on, but she’d be an imaginary friend—like Tracy wanted. She said a silent goodbye to Tracy and got off the swing. “I’m ready to go,” she said.
As she followed Jessica out of the park, Sam wondered who her next friend would be.