I will tell you a story

I will tell you a story; in fact this is my story. Probably, you are not going to believe me. Well, I will tell you that it doesn’t matter whether you believe or not. Sorry, but I have no proof to show you this is true; that this really have happened to me. So, I hope you trust me just because of faith. I know it will be difficult, and soon you will understand why it’s going to be hard for you to believe me.

My name is Lorenzo. Nowadays I worked as a school teacher in the city, but that doesn’t matter. The important thing is my past. Where am I from? I am from a house in Buenos Aires. I was born there, in the house; a beautiful one; with a beautiful family inside. Everything was perfect, and I was such a happy boy those times. I played with my friend every day. We were inseparables. Well in fact he was more like a brother for me. We lived together in the same house. In fact it was his house, because I lived with him, with his family. The point is that his family didn’t know about me. They didn’t know I was there living with them in the same house. For them I didn’t exist. They didn’t even see me, or hear me.

At this point you may think I am crazy. Yes, I know that it could seem that way, but I am not. Let me try to explain you why this family couldn’t see me, except for my friend. Oh I forgot to tell you my friend’s name! His name was Leonardo. Leonardo was a special boy. I didn’t mean with this that he was sick or that he had a problem. He was special because of the way he behaved, the things he thought and liked, the way he talked…He was an extraordinary boy, and he was my friend. I loved him so much! And as I was saying he was special. He had this power of imagination. He could entered to a complete new world with his mind. He could imagine things that no other children could imagine, not even adults. And all his family was so worried about him. Yes, families tend to worry about things they shouldn’t be, and not worry about the things they should be. His family thought that he was strange; that he was not common; that he was “abnormal”. I asked myself what’s wrong with being different, with being strange. Why people want to be all the same? I loved my friend, and I loved the fact that he was different. Luckily, his grandma was very proud of him, and she encouraged him to imagine, to read, and to play with his mind. She was a good woman, and the only person who understood Leonardo.

But I was about to tell you why he was so special. Surprisingly, he created me. It’s hard to believe, I know, but it’s the true. I was made by him;  in particular by his mind. I had already said that he had this power, and that he could imagine amazing things. Well! He could imagine me, and his dream made true. I just appeared one morning in his bedroom, and he was there, sit on his bed, watching me, with his big blue eyes. ‘Are you Lorenzo,’ he asked me. I don’t know why but I knew exactly who I was and why I was there. I explained to him that I was his imaginary friend, that he had created me with his mind, and that I would exist till he no longer believed in me. In some weird way he understood everything perfectly, and he didn’t ask me anything.

When he created me Leonardo had seven years old, and he made me as a boy of his same age. For some years we were the best friends. We were together every single day, and we spent our time doing marvelous things. We shared everything and we loved each other. Of course that Leo had a life and he had to go to school and to spend time with his family, but in general I went with him to everywhere (nobody but him could see me). Sadly, there were some problems with his family because sometimes they watched him talking on his own and they thought that he was crazy (crazier than they had thought before). And the other big problem for Leo was that he had no real friend. He could not make any friend at school, or in the neighborhood, and his sister loved him but she didn’t know how to interact with him, since they were very different. So, his family was preoccupied for him because of that too. The only person who was not worried was her granny. She was a special person like him. And she didn’t worry about him because she knew that Leo was a happy boy. Despite everything she was able to feel the happiness of her grandson.

As the relation with her grandma was very special, and they understood each other, Leo decided to talk with her about me. ‘You’re completely out of mind,’ I’ve told him. ‘You can’t expect she’s going to believe you. She is a good woman Leo but she won’t believe the fact that I exist.’ Leo was so sure about telling her grandma about me. Nothing of what I said to him could change his mind. I was afraid of what would happen. I considered many possibilities of the actions his grandma could take when she knew about me. However, it had no sense to think about that. I had to wait, and I could do nothing to change the fact that Leo would talk to his grandma.

Unexpectedly, her grandma believed him. I was there when he was talking to her about me, and she seemed to believe him. It’s true that maybe she lied to him, and that she could understand that he thought he had an imaginary friend who was real, or that she didn’t want to hurt Leo, since she was the only person in the family who understood him. However, I don’t know why but in that moment when I was watching at her face I can tell you that she actually believed what Leo told her; that she believed that Leo had created me;  and that for him I existed. I even thought in one moment that she could watch me. I could feel his eyes in my eyes. I can’t explain why but in some inexplicable way I may say that she was able to sense me, as Leo could.

After Leo’s birthday number twelve he started to worry about me and our relation. He knew that I would disappear if he stopped believing in me. He was now twelve years old and he had new responsibilities: a new school because he had to start the high school; a lot to study; and a new social life with real people. He realized that he was changing; that he was not anymore a little kid; and that sooner or later he would stop believing in me. He was sad because of that, and I noticed it. I tried many times to talk about this with him, and to try to explain him that it was okay the fact that someday I would disappear. I understood my destiny. It was my nature. However, he couldn’t understand and he couldn’t deal with the idea of losing me, and in a way to feel guilty about that. Because he would feel like that if I disappeared; it would be his fault. And I think that he didn’t want to forget me and every memory of me during those years. He knew that if I died, his memories of me would die as well.  

Well…here comes the sad moment of the story, at least for me. One day I saw Leo particularly worry. He didn’t want to talk with me. He seemed so sad, and I tried to ask him what was going on many times, but he didn’t answer. He didn’t answer any of my questions. I felt bad too, because I didn’t know what to do, and I started to think that maybe Leo wanted to forget me; that maybe he even had started to forget me. Of course I knew that the day would arrive, but it’s like death for humans, even when they all know that they are going to die, they are afraid of it. So yes, I was afraid of dying, and I didn’t want to leave the world, to leave Leo. And I didn’t have the possibility of believing in God, or Heaven, because I was just an imaginary friend. I had to accept my death and it was hard.

By the end of that terrible day I was in Leo’s bedroom and he was there too. We didn’t talk. He was on his bed and I was sat on a chair. We were both sad. He stood up and came to the window, and then he looked at the sky. He was there for a long time. I stared at him. Then I heard him cry and then I came close to him. ‘What’s up Leo? Please answer me.’ He didn’t say anything; he just turned around and gave me a hug. We were embraced for a long time, and we both cried.

The things that happened the next day are difficult to narrate, mainly because I don’t want to do it. I don’t want to remember that day. It was the worst day of my life. The day before, after the huge with Leo, I went to sleep and I was sure that I wouldn’t wake up anymore. The thing is that I woke up, and when I woke I was on Leo’s bed, but he was not there. I upset and started to search him, but he wasn’t anywhere in the bedroom. When I was about to stand up, Leo’s mum entered into the room, turned on the light, and looked at me. ‘Come on honey! It’s time to go to school. I left your breakfast in the kitchen.’ Then she kissed me on my forehead and left.  

I was shocked for a time. I didn’t understand the situation. I couldn’t believe Leo’s mother could see me, and treat me as his son. I couldn’t find any reasonable explanation for that. I didn’t move; I just stayed on the bed. Leo’s mother came back and asked me if I was alright, and I couldn’t answer. She worried about me and asked me again. With much effort I said to her that I didn’t feel very well and that I would prefer not going to the school. She accepted that but said that she would call a doctor. I just nodded. That day I couldn’t understand anything, and I don’t remember very much of what happened.

The time passed and I seemed to be Leo. He didn’t appear again, never again. I had to get used to my new life, and it was very hard for me. I missed Leo very much, and I didn’t understand what had happened. However there was one person in Leo’s family who knew something about this. As you can imagine that person was Leo’s grandma. She seemed to know that I was not Leo, and she seemed to remember the real Leo. One day his grandma saw that I was very sad and she said that I should not feel guilty for him, and that it was his decision. I didn’t know what she referred by using the words “him” and “his”. Probably she referred to Leo, but I couldn’t understand how she could know about what had happened, and when I tried to ask her she just feign misunderstanding. So I couldn’t find an explanation and I didn’t understand anything.

I didn’t understand anything till one day I found a letter under the mattress of Leo’s bed…

Dear Friend,

                                 I don’t want to lose you. You are and were very important for me. I don’t want to forget you but I know that I will stop believing in you, and I can’t do anything to avoid that. But at least I can try to change this.

                                This night, while I was looking at the sky, I made a wish. I wished you transformed into a real boy, even if I have to give you my life.

                                 I don’t know if this is going to happen or not, but maybe it is. If I could create you, maybe I can transform you. I believed in the power of imagination yet.

                                 I’ve decided to write this letter in case you transform into a real boy and I die. If that happens please don’t feel sad about me, because this is what I want, and this is my decision.

                                   Well my good friend that’s all. Remember that we are going to be friends forever, doesn’t matter what happens.

                                   I love you. Good bye.   

                                               Leo.