Ghost For Jakob

                                            A Ghost for Jakob

                                            By Daryl Campbell



         Jakob takes a bath and brushes his teeth. In his favorite pajamas, a blue and white pair with a ghost on the chest, he climbs into bed. The bedroom light's sparkling off his greenish-blue eyes when Mom comes in to read a story.

         “So, what’ll the story be tonight?” Mom looks through books on a tall shelf. “What about the princess and the lions, or Orion the Great, or the one about the princess with pigtails?”

         “Nah, I want one with ghosts or monsters.” Jakob shakes his head, long strands of blond hair swinging across his face.

         “Those are best left for the daytime, not late at night when little boys are about to go to sleep,” she says.

         “I’m not little.”

         “I mean, when young men are about to go to sleep,” she corrects herself.

         “But dad tells them to me.”

         “Your dad and I’ll have a talk about that in a little while.”

         “I’m not scared, Mom.” Maybe at five or six, but he's seven now. “How about the one with the boy that wants all those jobs?”

         “That one it is.” She grabs a book and climbs into bed.

         Jakob scoots against her and rests his head on her shoulder. He yawns as she starts to read and tries to stay awake, but sleep pulls at him.

         Jakob jerks awake to the sound of clattering toys. There's light from the hall, but he can’t see who's in the room. He moves his hand to the lamp on the table beside his bed and the room lights with a click. A large boy with a red and yellow striped shirt, jeans, and a feathered hat is playing with his toys.

         "Who’re you?” Jakob asks.

         "I'm Bob," the boy answers, "and you?"

         "I’m Jakob."

         "Jakob, huh?" Bob jumps on the bed. "You wanna play?"

         "I'll get in trouble if Mom comes in."

         "Maybe we can play tomorrow night then." Bob disappears.

         "Jakob! You need to be asleep, not playing with toys!" Mom enters the room.

         "It wasn't me, Mom. It was Bob," Jakob says.

         "Bob?" She shakes her head.

         "He was here a minute ago.”

         "I need you to go to sleep. We’ll talk about Bob in the morning." She kisses him and turns out the light.

         "I'm telling the truth," he mumbles.

         "In the morning, Jakob."

         Anxious to see the ghost again, Jakob doesn’t fall asleep for a long time. Bob doesn’t return and sunlight in the window wakes Jakob the next morning.

         Jakob speaks with his mom several times, but she doesn't believe he saw a ghost. Dad thinks the story's great and agrees to tuck him in at bedtime.

         Jakob's in his pajamas, waiting for dad when bedtime comes. Dad runs into the room and jumps on the bed. He's more immature than mom and when he tells a story, nothing else is important. Jakob likes that. Dad grabs a book and starts to read.

         The story's about a princess saving her brothers from a purple dragon. Jakob enjoys the story, has heard it a hundred times.

         Laughing, Jakob turns his head to see Bob sitting on the dresser in a pair of yellow pajamas and a blue stocking cap with a pink ball at its end.

         "Dad, look! Look, it's Bob!” Jakob points.

         "Hello, Bob," Dad says.

         "But dad, don't you see him?"

         "Yeah, he's on the dresser. You like the story, Bob?" Dad asks.

         "Good story," Bob answers.

         Bob stays until the story's over, vanishing when Jakob’s dad gets up to turn out the light.

         "You know that was a ghost?" Jakob asks.

         "Sure," Dad shrugs, "but I don't believe in ghosts, so it's no big deal."

         Dad leaves and Jakob falls asleep waiting for Bob to come back.

         Jakob spends the morning telling Mom about Bob. She smiles, staring at Dad, who doesn’t understand why she’s so annoyed.

         “I said no more ghost stories,” she whispers.

         “I wasn’t reading a ghost story.” Dad stuffs pancakes in his mouth.

         Mom shakes her head. “Let’s be careful with the ghost stories. He has an active imagination.”

         “Well,” Dad swallows, “I'm sure you’ll straighten him out.”

         It's raining when Jakob’s mom comes in to read. Lightning flashes in the window and thunder echoes outside. Taking a few books from the shelf, mom climbs into bed. She reads a story about a sock saving the universe and starts one about a ribbon tree. After only three pages, Bob appears on the dresser. Jakob sees him immediately and shakes mom’s arm.

         “What is it, Honey?” She sets the book in her lap.

         “Bob.” Jakob smiles.

         “Jakob,” Mom doesn’t look, “I want to finish the story.”

         “But mom, he’s right there.” Jakob points.

         Mom turns her head and sees Bob. The ghost, in an orange sleeper, startles her. Books fall to the floor and her screams fill the room. Bob starts screaming too. It's scary, Bob floating off the dresser and mom tossing blankets and pillows. Lightning flashes, the room goes dark, and the house shakes when thunder rumbles past.

         “Dad!” Jakob screams. “Dad, hurry!”

         Someone runs into the wall outside the room. A flashlight clicks and light shines in as dad fumbles through the door.

         “You okay?” Dad searches the room, but doesn’t see anything.

         “Bob! Bob scared mom!” Jakob shouts.

         “Honey, Bob's not even real. He can’t hurt you.” Dad hugs mom.

         “It was a ghost!” She jumps when the lights come back on. “I saw him!”

         “He’s not here anymore.” Dad shrugs.

         “I saw him!” Mom picks up the books and kisses Jakob.

         After a few minutes, Jakob's mom and dad tell him goodnight and shut off the light on their way out.

         Bob doesn’t come back until late that night. Jakob wakes and turns on the light to see Bob on the floor with a wooden puzzle.

         “Wanna help?” Bob doesn’t look up.

         “Sure, but we need to be quiet. I don’t want my mom getting mad or scared.” Jakob gets up and closes the door.

         “She did get a little scared,” the ghost laughs.

         “So did you,” Jakob says, “and I was too.”

         “Let’s get this done.” Bob changes the subject. “Quietly.”

         “So, why are you a ghost? Why are you here?” Jakob asks.

         “I don’t remember how I became a ghost, but I’m here because I was looking for a friend. I thought you’d be a good one.” Bob starts to float. “I like the stories.”

         “Me too.” Jakob snaps the last piece of the puzzle into place. “Wanna play with some toys?”

         “Sure.”

         The two boys play until early in the morning and Jakob falls asleep on the floor before Bob leaves. There's toys all around when mom wakes him for breakfast.

         “I was playing with Bob last night,” Jakob says at breakfast. “That’s why the toys were out.”

         “I don’t care for this ghost, Jakob.” Mom shakes her head.

         “You saw him, Mom. You believe in ghosts and you saw him.” Jakob's sure.

         “I believe in them, yes, but not a ghost of our own. Finish your breakfast and we’ll talk about it later.” She gets up from the table.

         “He’s my friend,” Jakob tells her.

         The day passes without much talk about Bob. That night, Jakob brushes his teeth and is in his pajamas waiting for a story. Mom comes in first, getting a book from the shelf and climbing into bed next to him. Soon after, dad enters wearing a pink shirt, black shorts, and a cowboy hat.

         “My turn to read,” he tosses the hat on the dresser and gets the book from mom. “Ah, I like this one.”

         The story starts with a princess getting a tower from her dad on her birthday. When it gets to the part about lions, Bob appears at the end of the bed, clapping his approval. Jakob’s mom jumps, but dad keeps reading.

         “Read another,” Bob says when the story ends.

         “I think we need to do something about the ghost.” Mom says.

         “He’s not really there.” Dad gets up and grabs another book. “He’s not real, so he can’t hurt you.” He waves his hand through Bob’s body.

         Jakob and Bob laugh.

         “But he’s right there.” Mom points.

         “Has he hurt anyone?” Dad asks.

         Bob and Jakob shake their heads no.

         “No, but I can see him.” Mom answers.

         “A figment of your imagination. I see him, but he's not real. He doesn’t bother me.” Dad opens the book.

         “You’re not making any sense. There’s a ghost in the room, but since you don’t believe in him, he can’t scare you.” She frowns.

         “Right.” Dad shrugs. “You believe and he hasn’t done anything to you. Jakob believes and they’re friends. What’s the problem?”

         Mom and dad go into the hall and talk for a few minutes. They're quiet, but Jakob knows they’re talking about Bob. He's a little worried, mom usually gets her way and he doesn’t want Bob to leave.

         “I think we’ll give Bob a chance.” Mom climbs back into bed.

         “Ready for the next story?” Jakob’s dad waives the book over his head.

         “Yes!” Bob claps.

         “I am,” Jakob answers.

         The story starts with a little boy getting ready for bed. It’s not a long book and Bob and Jakob laugh all the way though. Even Mom giggles a little.

         Standing on the bed, Dad reads the last sentence in the book. “When the

story's done, Jakob’s mom gives him and Bob a kiss, turns out the light, and says goodnight.”

         “Again, read it again.” Both boys say.

         “Maybe tomorrow.” Jakob’s mom gets up from the bed. “Young boys,” she pauses, “and ghosts, need to get to bed on time. Goodnight.” She kisses Bob and Jakob and turns out the light.