Daisy’s Friend

Wind blew past the fields with ease, in the summer time in rural Missouri. Each day that went past, felt as fast as her Father was when he illegally sped down the interstate 44. Though as young as she was, she would not know of this detail.

You see this girl, Aged Eight, was named Daisy. Now, unfortunately for Daisy she’d been caught by her parents the previous night, eating, and partially somewhat destroying, her younger brother Kyle’s birthday cake.

Her mother caught her exclaiming,

“Damn it Daisy, you dang’ sure are grounded!”

Conversations with her mother would frequently end this way, usually with Daisy replying with

“Okay Mom I understand…”

The next day, Daisy had to stay indoors whilst her family went to go for a meal together at her favourite restaurant, leaving her alone for a few hours.

This had an effect on Daisy, but only up to a certain point because she had a secret. Whenever she was by herself, she would talk to her imaginary friend Robert.

Daisy loved spending time with one of the many friends she had. Robert was special, though.

He was the first.

Coming out, probably from hiding underneath Daisy’s bed or something like that, Robert, who was dressed in very smart attire, greeted with a simple “Good afternoon Daisy”.

She hugged him tightly, greeting him with a smile of her own.

All throughout their time together this pair would get up to all sorts of trouble. Daisy would make Robert play with her dolls, whilst she begrudgingly approached football, from which Robert seemed to specialise in.

You see, an issue she had, though, was that every time one of her family members would return,

Robert would disappear, which she couldn’t verily understand. But she’d make sure that she would misbehave a lot so that she could see her friend often.

One instance she’d set the rug on fire, maybe next, steal something from her brother as a joke. She also loved learning new insults, such as

“Zoogly Boogly”, to which her family would respond

“Zoo…what?” and this she found particularly hilarious.

Unfortunately, Daisy had to, however, face a crisis. She had to get older. She noticed that Robert would not see her as frequently as he once used to. Once in a while she would look for Robert, but even after unlocking her playtime with him, could not find him. Even after doubling down on her efforts to get grounded, she simply could not find her friend.

She’d often find herself saying things she didn’t like saying, such as, “Typical”. or

“I should’ve known”.

Sadly, and suddenly, Daisy found herself as a 22 year old young woman, on her way to work. The country born gal’ was now a city dweller. New York City had a certain charm to it and it helped Daisy to forget about her family. She never quite understood why so many people hated the City when to her it seemed just right.

Her job, working in a bar, allowed her to rise the ranks, and now she could proudly boast that she was a manager. Earning a higher income, she could now buy a better place to live than her current apartment.

Many hardworking shifts that she would pull, indeed pulled her furtherly away from childhood. She’d even picked up some of the dialect of the local area, amusing her but annoying some of her friends back home in Missouri when visiting.

One night, training a new member of staff, being halfway trying to show him how the bar worked she was not prepared for what was next. About to pass the new worker a glass, she turned around. When she could see someone that she felt she recognised, she stood there for a minute. And another. The poor member of staff floated there awaiting instruction.

Later on she saw the same person once more, walking on the opposite side of the street to her. In fact, she couldn’t seem to shake this person, which highly agitated her.

The next day, after walking into her workplace, she saw the person once more. Moving her way through the busy bar, she candidly approached him whilst he was at the table.

“Who exactly are you and why do you keep following me?” she asked with unease.

“You know who I am Daisy, it’s Robert!” he beamed.

“Who now?” She said,

“I don’t understand”.

After thinking about it in her head she started to remember. Her face goes pale.

“Y-you were imaginary….”

“Was I?” Robert replied smiling.

“How is this….possible?” She managed to push out.

“So you manage this bar now huh? And in New York? Why’d ya come here?”

“It reminded me of where I wanted to be…I love city li-why am i still talking…what are you?” she scrutinized.

A pause.

“It was you…your accent. But you weren’t real, you were made up?”

“How are you here?!” she baffled.

She could clearly see that her co-workers were struggling with the amount of people squeezed into a very long line. Two of the waitresses had to run around like headless chickens whilst the worker behind the bar, who lest be said did not have the best training the previous night, would just stare at customers.

Realising all this she finished her remarks to Robert.

“This isn’t over.”

She writes him a note. It’s the details of her apartment.

“Talk with me later. Please.” she begged.

He then nods in agreement. She hated having to leave the conversation like this but had little choice.

Later at her apartment, she sat in her living room. Half awed and terrified, she opened the door to Robert. After sitting down and gathering her thoughts, she asked the question once more. “How Robert?” How are you even here?”

Annoyingly he replied with “I’ve been here, with you. For two months”

She didn’t quite understand.

“But what does that mean? Oh Robert…” Daisy sighed.

He then doubled down on the statement.

“No, I've literally been here with you. In New York.”

He notices that she looks at him strangely, perceiving her emotion.

“Oh no I mean I’ve been living nearby…I didn’t mean that I’ve been living in here” he laughs nervously.

“Robert, am I dead?” she asked with a level of humour and unease she knew only Robert would understand.

“No, you’re alive. You always have been. So have I”.

“Then what the hell happened when I was young?!” she worriedly asked.

“You were my imaginary friend?”

“You were Robert?”

This all started to get too much for poor Daisy.

But then it hit. The truth.

“Daisy I…I just got out of prison.” He claimed whilst scratching his head.

Daisy simply then fell into disbelief.

“Why?

How?”

“How could you possibly have…”

“Because I was caught stealing from homes across America.” He announced.

Daisy, regrouping her thoughts, suddenly realised…

She gasps. “Robert! No way!

She looked at him as if to ask about her own family home, to which he nodded.