The Next Stephen King

I got a rare opportunity this weekend to be “Mimi” for more than just a few hours. My son-in-law had to have an outpatient procedure done so I offered to watch the girls to make things a little easier. I had them drop the girls off the night before so that they could focus on getting to the hospital and not having to worry about getting the girls up early and get them to me.

Sometimes you forget how active little imaginations are.

As I was cleaning up the dinner dishes, Molly (the five year old) brought the purse she plays with at my house and announced to Pappy (The Husband Dude) that he was going to be the police and that Brooklin (the three year old) was her daughter.

THD: Ok. Did you need the police, ma’am?

Molly: No. I have to call you first.

THD: Oh, ok.

Molly (picking up the play cell phone): I’m dialing 911 because I need the police. Hello, operator? I need you to send the police. A very mean man stole all the vegetables. Ok…thank you!

THD: Hello, ma’am. Did you call the police?

Molly: Yes, I did. I was here at the store shopping when a very mean man stole all the vegetables!

Me (in the background): It’s a cucumburgler!

THD to Me:

THD: Tell me exactly what happened.

Molly: I was shopping with my daughter and this very mean man came up and shoved me out of the way. He hurt my arm. Then he just grabbed vegetables and ran!

Brooklin: He was mean!

THD: So, ma’am, can you describe the man?

Molly: He had black curly hair and he was wearing pants!

Me (in the background): THANK GOD HE HAD ON PANTS!

THD to Me:

THD: What else can you tell me about him?

Molly: He had on a shirt with flowers and he had a dog.

Me (picturing the cucumburglar):

THD: Well, ma’am, I’m going to start looking for him right away.

Brooklin: PUT HIM IN JAIL!!!

Molly: Yes. I want you to put him in jail but I don’t want his dog to go to the pound.

Brooklin: HE BIT ME!!!!

Molly: On second thought, I do want you to put him in the pound. He bit me. See? (Shows her arm.)

Brooklin: HE BIT ME!!!

Molly: And he bit my daughter.

THD: Ok, ma’am. I’ll start searching right away.

Molly: Here. I’m going to pay you. (Pulls pretend credit card out of her purse).

Me (in the background): Pretty sure that’s a felony.

So, this exchange made me think that Molly is going to grow up to write crime novels, or maybe script crime shows. She might even write mysteries. She definitely has the imagination for it. I soon discovered that Brooklin may have a future in writing as well.

I set up camp in the living room with the girls. They each took an end of one sofa and I slept on the other. Molly rolled over and went to sleep almost instantaneously. Brooklin not so much.

Brooklin: I need a night light.

Me: The lamp is on.

Brooklin: It’s weird not sleeping in my bed.

Me: Yes, I’m sure it is, but if you lay down and close your eyes, you’ll go to sleep quickly.

Brooklin: I’m scared.

Me: There’s nothing to be scared of. Mimi is right here next to you and Sissy is right next to you too.

Everything gets quiet for about two hours.

Brooklin (crying): Mimi!

Me:

Brooklin: IT’S CREEPING ME OUT!

Me: What’s creeping you out?

Brooklin: THAT!

I look to where she’s pointing. It’s a small statue of a cowboy that somebody gave to The Husband Dude. I keep it on the top shelf in the living room next to my Dad’s old kerosene lamp.

Me: The cowboy?

Brooklin: Uh-huh!

Me: It’s not real, Brookie. It’s not going to hurt you.

Brooklin: It’s looking at me.

This thing doesn’t even have distinguishable eyeballs and is literally “facing” the opposite direction, but ok. I get up and move it from the shelf into the kitchen and set it on the kitchen table.

Another few hours of peace.

Brooklin (crying): Mimi!

Me:

Brooklin: I WANT MOMMY!

Me: Mommy’s not here. What’s wrong?

Brooklin: IT’S CREEPING ME OUT!!!

Me: What’s creeping you out?

Brooklin: THAT!

I look to where she’s pointing. This time it’s the other shelf.

Brooklin: IT’S LOOKING AT ME!

Now, I realize I’m half asleep and it’s four a.m. and I’ve only had a couple of cumulative hours of sleep….but I’m pretty sure there’s NOTHING on the shelf that has eyes that could be looking at any of us.

Me: Brookie, the only thing up there is a plant. It’s not even a real plant. It’s a pretend plant.

Brooklin: IT’S LOOKING AT ME!!! IT’S CREEPING ME OUT!!!

Me: It can’t look at you, Brookie. It doesn’t even have eyes.

Brooklin: IT HAS AAAAAARMS!!!

Me:

Brooklin: I’M SCARED!!! I WANT MY MOMMY!

Me: Mommy isn’t here right now. Come sit over here with me.

She climbs onto the sofa with me and we curl up under my blanket.

Me: Let’s close our eyes and see if we can go back to sleep.

Brooklin: It has legs. It’s going to touch me!

Me: It’s not going to touch you, Stephen King. I won’t let it.

Brooklin: Who is Stephen King?

Me: Never mind. Go to sleep.

The next 45 minutes:

And….she finally went back to sleep…

Molly:

Also Molly: Good morning, Mimi!!!

Me:

I swear the plant and the cowboy started laughing at me.

I hope Brooklin dedicates her first horror script to me.