The Circle Part 2

 Some people believe that thought waves ebb and flow like the tide and that two people, who think alike, can get dragged off together in the rip currents. (Me Included.)

Like a Knight storming a castle, I burst into the bi-fold front doors with all of the energy of childhood. Hey Ry, it's time to play! I couldn't figure out why he's always so sad. He lives in a loving house with a kind old elf. What could be better?

My "home life" was less than perfect. But, I have a few good friends. When I was feeling sad, I would reach out to my friend ShaSha. She was an old Dolphin that was still young at heart. All she knew how to do was play. I swam with her at the bottom of the ocean for hours. Not beside her, of course, but inside her head. She was a sheer joy. When she was in danger from larger fish, she would always act like it was "the end" for her. But, she was playing with her tormentors. She liked it when they chased her. (like hide and seek.) So, one day I introduced her to Henry. The experience was a bit much for him. I'm going to have to try something else.

Henry is alone too much. I feel like he needs me. I like him, so I'm there! A little at a time, I introduced him to all of my friends. They were all a bit "larger than life," so I'm pretty sure Henry was a bit too shy for that bunch. I took it upon myself to befriend Henry.

I sat at the table in the kitchen nook next to him. ( His Dad had the table already set for us. His coffee cups were made of real china and had pretty pink roses on them and matching plates.) He let us have coffee even though we were both only about eight years old. His Dad would always pour me a cup with lots of cream and sugar. Then he would bring out buttered "Anything flavored" bagels. They were always sliced in half and warmed in the oven. He would always put one on a plate and set it in front of me and said, "This is for your friend Marie." I never ate mine for some reason. I just enjoyed watching Henry eat his. It smelled so good. I could taste it. I just reassured him. "It's o.k. Henry, you enjoy. I like being here with you. Your Dad is a lot of fun too."

I used to think I had superpowers of invisibility because his Dad could never see me. Henry would always have to tell him when I was around. He would hand me toys, but they would fall to the floor when I held them. At least I could make him laugh. I could also tell Henry stories. I had plenty of material because ShaSha and Besse, my other friends, took me to some pretty strange places. It gave Henry and me a lot of adventures to reenact. We played for hours.

His favorite game was always flying. We would put on superhero capes( my favorite was yellow) and tried jumping off the porches. I remember, at my house, I draped a yellow towel on my shoulders fastened by a clothespin. When I jumped off the porch, I hit my head on the bricks surrounding the flowerbeds in the front yard. I figured the only reason was that Henry wasn't there to back me up. (At that point in our friendship, travel was just one-way.)But, I was excited because I thought it was a long way. (Years later, I went to the old house. The distance from the porch to the flowerbed was a total of five feet. Laughable.)

Sometimes, we would play until Henry's bedtime. That's when I'd sing him to sleep. There are so many songs hidden in the static of the universe. Right there where everyone can hear it, but they've forgotten how to listen. Such beautiful music!

I tried to help Henry come out of his shell. (Such is life inside of my head.) I went to visit him as often as I could. I'd go every day, but sometimes my adventures took me to other places, plus I had school.

The other children's parents said they couldn't play with me anymore. At school, everyone could visibly see me, but I felt invisible. It felt like no one knew me. No one could see me at Henry's house, but I felt understood and accepted. It was warm. I think that's why I kept going over there to play, well past the time when children have imaginary friends. I loved Henry. He became my best friend.

Since Henry liked to fly so much, I started to do something about our travels together being only one way. I wanted to teach him how to come home with me, but I decided against it. His life with his father was pretty great. Also, there was no need to be there because he was starting to make friends at school. I admit, from the stories he told me, he was a little awkward. But, so was I.

I kept repeatedly hearing that I should grow up from every adult in my life. I was constantly reminded that the only friends I had were imaginary. I gave the appearance of relenting and stayed in the "real world." I stopped visiting Henry at his house, but I still dreamed about Ry for years. Soon, I forgot about the relationship, buried it, and went off to college.

Have you ever almost remembered something, but then it just slips away. That happened to me in college. I took a psychology class where I read about Carl Jung's Theory, " The collective Unconscious." The memory flashed and slipped away before I could grab hold of it.

As an older adult, I realize there's something else that's odd about this whole thing. I never realized I was an introvert trying to turn another introvert into an extrovert and by unconventional means. I wish I could remember how to get in touch with ShaSha again. She was so much fun! I should have never said, "I can fly on my own now. I'm never going out with you again."