Joe (Peedoo)

Joe / Peedoo

"What the hell?" I realized my mouth was hanging open, but the words weren't coming out. "I mean, Uhm... So, this is your daughter?"

The... girl standing in front of me was approximately three feet tall, with dark, kinky, hair, looked like Joe must have pulled the ponytail up on top of her head in a hurry, it was slightly askew, with errant strands shooting out the sides at various angles.

"Yes. Sandy..." he said touching the girl's shoulder slightly. "This is Kelsey, a friend from work."

I had recovered slightly from the surprising appearance of Joe' daughter, but didn't know if I trusted myself to speak. "Hell-ow, Sandy. Nice to meet you. Your dad has told me a lot about you."

Sandy, awkwardly, tilted her head up toward Joe. “Really, daddy?”

“He told me how you like music and are taking piano lessons.” I stated. “He says you are a very fast learner.” 

“She is. And she has a performance this weekend. Isn’t that right Sandy?”

“Yes, for the Christmas pageant at school.” Sandy leaned back against Joes’ leg. “Why is she kneeling down daddy?” she asked quietly.

“So, she can talk to you better, honey.” Joe explained.

“Oh, should I stand up. I was wanting to be on your level so I could hear you better and you could hear me better.” I told her.

“Oh.” Sandy held her hand out toward me. “Thanks for coming to visit me.” She turned toward Joe. “Daddy, Mrs. Britten is here to pick me up now.” Now that she had dismissed me, she turned and walked into the next room.

Thankfully, Joe helped me up from my squatting position. “She’s quite self-sufficient, isn’t she?” I said, steading myself.

“Yes, she is, but, Ahem, I do need to get her into the car.” Joe smiled “I’ll be right back.” He followed in Sandy’s footsteps and disappeared into the other room.

While Joe was away, I was trying to make sense of what I saw. Sandy’s appearance was disquieting and a little startling. She seemed much like any other child except for her eyes_ they were bulging, but not. The thing was she didn’t have any. There were bumps pultruding from her face somewhat but there was, skin-flaps covering that area, not really flaps, more like, the skin just continued down her face, from her forehead across the bulges blending into her cheeks and nose areas, as if it was meant to be that way. I admit, it took me aback momentarily. For a second, I thought, I’m glad she couldn’t see my face. Then I thought how terrible that sounded in my head, like I was glad she didn't have eyes. I was ashamed of myself for thinking it, even if I would never have meant it that way.

Joe stepped back into the front room and found me sitting on the sofa, holding my hand to my mouth, with tears in my eyes.

“Kelsey, are you alright, you seem upset?” He lowered his body on his long legs to sit beside me on the couch. He took my hand in his. “Is there anything I can do?”

I looked at him, shook my head and laid my free hand on the one of his holding mine. “That’s what I should be asking you.”

“Why?” Realization, slid across his normally happy-go-lucky features. “I see. There’s really nothing you can do. She was born that way.” Joe tightened the hold on my hand slightly.

“They said, when she was born, that this type of thing sometimes happens when the genes of the mother and father are so close to being the same.” he said.

“I don’t understand, how can that be? I’ve never heard of this before.” I questioned him.

“Well, it’s kind of a long story, do you have a little time to hear it?” Joe asked.

“Sure. But you don’t have to tell me anymore, if you don’t want to. It’s not necessary.” I smiled at him.

“Do you remember when I told you I wasn’t from here, well that technically is true but not the way you probably took it.” He took a deep breath and sighed.

“I’m from somewhere else, another planet.”

“Funny, you have jokes.” I said laughing. “I thought we were having a serious conversation.” I tried to stand but Joe held me in place.

“We are having a serious conversation, I am serious. I’m telling you the truth. I’ve wanted to tell you for years, since we first met but I was afraid.” He held my gaze for a long minute and gently took my hands again in his. “I have always liked you since we first met. I treasure our friendship and was afraid I would lose that if I told you.”

After taking a long breath of my own I touched his face gently, caressing his cheek. “You really think I’m going to let a little thing like you being an alien break up our friendship?” I laughed softly. “I thought you knew me better than that.” I put my arms around him hugging him. I drew back and had to ask. “So, what planet are you from, not the Moon is it?” I laughed again; it sounded flat to my ears.

“No, but it’s close, a few hundred stars away from it.” He said smiling.

Ok, I admit, I was starting to be a little concerned. For all I know he could off his meds, I didn’t know if he took any, but maybe, he should be?

“I can show you my planet when we’re at work some night, if you want to see it. It’s easy to find. It has a little blueish aura.” Joe explained.

He was acting as normal as he usually did, what was I supposed to think; crazy or not crazy? “So, how does this story work into what we were discussing about your daughter?” I looked him straight in the eye. He didn’t flinch.

“Oh, yeah. Well, Sandy’s mother came here; to earth, the same time I did, from our planet that is, as well as others, a couple of thousand I guess…” Joe, suddenly jumped up, and started pacing.

“We met on the voyage here. You would have liked her.” He stopped and turned to face me again. “Unfortunately, this planet didn’t agree with her. The air was too thin, and she had stomach allergies to the food here.” He looked sullen.

“OMG, she didn’t… die, did she?” I asked, afraid of the answer.

“No, no, no. She went back home. She messaged me just the other day, she is so much happier to be back home.” Joe smiled. “It was sweet that you would be concerned about her.”

I must be a little bit nuts, but I started to believe him. He certainly had a well-rehearsed and thought-out story.

“So, what do they call you, On Your Planet?” I asked.

“PeeDoo” Joe replied.

“Anyway, that is why Sandy was born with her handicap. Our species DNA is so similar, it’s like if you had a child by your brother. There is always that possibility happening.” Joe paused, to gauge my reaction, I guessed.

He must have thought I was getting his point because he started telling me more about his planet and the people there.

The weird thing is, I always thought Joe was a little different, but I never thought he was, like, out of this world…