Dodie and Me (standard:non fiction, 1834 words)
Author: Dianne	Added: Jul 18 2004	Views/Reads: 3264/2335	Story vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
The storm was getting worse by the minute, and Eugene had been gone all day ! The search was on in the community, to find my brother, Eugene. I knew that he was safe, because my friend Dodie told me he was. And Dodie was always right about everyth

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Everyone was excited that Eugene was home! My Mama shouted, “Where was
he? “  “ He was down at Miss Susie’s house, “ the man said.  “She knew 
that she had to get him out of the rain, so she brought out cookies and 
milk on her porch.,  Then she just waited, and kept Him there, because 
she knew that someone would be coming by to take him home.” Dodie and 
me were laughing. I said, “ We tried to tell them that Eugene was o.k., 
but they wouldn’t listen to us ! “ “ That’s o.k. “ Dodie said, “ They 
just don’t understand us, they just thought we were being silly, that’s 
all; it’s alright, everything is going to be o.k. I promise!“ 

I remember when we would go over to visit our friend Mr. L and his
family. His wife was Named,” Winifred! “ Dodie and me loved her, but we 
thought her name was funny! Dodie and me would sit in the corner, and 
laugh and laugh, “ Winifred! “ Dodie always made me laugh, when things 
weren’t going well. We didn’t like Mr. L because he always laughed at 
us. We didn’t know why he laughed at us, but Dodie said, “Don’t worry 
about it, he just doesn’t understand us.  Sometimes Mr. L would say 
stuff like, “ There ain’t no Dodie! “  I would get real mad, and 
scream, “ He is too real; he is right here beside me, and he is eating 
supper with us! “  I said, “He knew that you wouldn’t want him here, 
and he knows that you don’t like him!“  Mr. L would just laugh. He just 
thought it was funny when I got mad! I’d say, “ You just don’t Know, 
Mr. L, Dodie is with me all the time.“ I don’t think my mama and daddy 
thought it was so funny. 

One night, when we were at Mr. L’s house, (Dodie didn’t want to go, but
I made him go because I wanted him with me, like I always did.) Mr. L 
jumped up and said, “ I am sick and tired of hearing about Dodie! “ 
Let’s go and lock him up in the closet!“ I screamed and kicked as he 
locked Dodie up in that closet! “ I cried and cried; I was just a 
little girl, and I couldn’t make him stop! Mr. L was Big! Dodie was 
Gone, and I was so sad. I remember my mama talking about how sad I was 
after that day. I guess that I just blocked everything out because life 
was not the same without Dodie, and he was gone ---- 

I remember hearing stories about what a sad child I was, after that day.
I didn’t color anymore because Dodie wasn’t there for me. I didn’t want 
to color anymore. And I felt all alone. I couldn’t talk to my brother 
Eugene because it wasn’t fun anymore without Dodie. And anyway, Eugene 
couldn’t talk to me. I did talk to Eugene, sometimes, but it just 
wasn’t the same. Nothing was the same because Dodie was gone. 

When I was five years old, the most wonderful thing happened! I was at
my grandma’s house. It was cold, and I was in her big feather bed all 
snuggled up under the covers with my cousin Frances. I was glad that 
she was with me! My Aunt Rene came in and said,  ”Dianne, you have a 
new little baby sister! She’s beautiful, “ she said, “and her name is 
Sandra Joyce!“  I was so happy! My cousin and I laughed and giggled 
under the covers. We talked and talked, and I told her that I hoped my 
new little sister would be able to talk to me when she got old enough. 
I was so happy when that day came. Now I could have her to talk to, and 
she could talk to me! But, we never talked about Dodie because he was 
gone, gone forever--- Epilog   All my life I have heard stories about 
Dodie and me! When I was growing up, I listened as my mama and daddy 
and family members told stories about my friend Dodie and me. It was 
always funny to them that I talked about Dodie. As I got older, I 
listened, and people just thought it was, “So cute!“ Dodie was referred 
to as, “My imaginary friend.“ So it just became “One of those childhood 
stories!“ 

Before my mama died, she spent several years in very poor health. 
During that time while she was confined to her bed, I would go over to 
her bedside and take her hand and say, “Mama, tell me about Dodie and 
Me, “ and this sweet smile of hers would come on her precious face as 
she began to tell me another story. 

Since I have become an adult, I have seen programs on T.V., and read
stories about children having imaginary playmates. I remember a sense 
of relief when I first heard about it. I realized that I wasn’t the 
only one. Other children had imaginary playmates too. 

Recently I have thought of Dodie as never before, and I know that he was
sent to me when I was a disturbed little girl to help me deal with very 
difficult times. After all, I had a brother who was injured at birth 
and was called “retarded “ because his brain had been injured when he 
was born and he couldn’t talk. But he had his own way of communicating 
with me. 

As I look back on my childhood, I know that Dodie was very real then.
But the time had come for him to move on, as it was for me. It was time 
for me to get ready to start to school and I was a big girl by then.  
And, besides that, I had a little sister who could talk to me and I had 
her to talk to. I know now that Dodie was sent to me as my guardian 
angel. 


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