My imaginary boyfriend

2 : Friend in imagination

Chapter 2

Friend in Imagination

I woke up earlier than usual the next morning. I didn't know why I did. Maybe because I felt a little weird when I had someone sharing the bed with me. It might sound a little bit exaggerated but I really felt that there was actually someone sleeping beside me. Even though I couldn't touch him and he seemed to be just invisible air that couldn't even make any crease on my bed sheet, I could really sense that there was someone lying beside me. I had been used to having somebody sleeping next to me though. Dad usually shared my bed when I couldn't sleep at night because I had been so scared of ghosts. It was normal for me as a little child to be scared of darkness and he was always the one who helped me surpass my fear.

Well, the reason I'm telling you all that is just because I want to let you know that I actually was accustomed to having someone laying beside me at night but everything changed after dad passed away. I can't refrain myself from the surprise of how fast it disappeared. Not long after my dad passed away, my accustomization of having somebody sharing the bed went with him too.

However, back then I had been used to sleeping alone and that might have been the reason why I woke up so early that morning.

I saw Klong sitting beside my bed right after I woke up. I didn't know when he usually got up in the morning on a daily basis. Judging from his expression, I thought he might have gotten up before his usual time as well. Maybe he was not used to sharing the bed with me either.

"Good morning, Klong."

"Good morning, Phai."

"Let's brush our teeth and take shower, shall we?" I asked.

He shook his head "No. Do you forget that I can't touch anything?"

"But you're not gonna take shower?" I asked, innocently.

Klong also innocently concerned "Can't I skip it?"
"No." I insisted. "If you don't, you'll be smelly."

"How are you so sure that I'll be smelly?" He didn't back down.

"Well, I can see you. Though I can't touch you, I might be able to smell you."

Klong paused. Seemingly, he agreed with me. At least it was only me in the world, perhaps, who could actually see him. Even though I couldn't touch him, I might have actually been able to smell him -- just like how I could sense that he was laying down beside me last night.

"Then, I will walk through the shower with you. OK?"
He suggested and I nodded.

"OK. It's good to have somebody with me in the shower."

I must confess that I hated it when I needed to close my eyes while washing my hair back then. Well, just like any other child, I was afraid of seeing a monster in front of me after I opened my eyes. Jeez! Don't laugh! I bet each and every one of you had this very same idea in mind when you were little.

"You watch over me while I'm washing my hair. OK?" I also added that I was afraid of a monster standing in front of me while I was closing my eyes and washing my hair. He nodded, strongly affirmative.

"OK. I'll watch over you. There won't be any monster getting to you while you're doing it."

After I finished showering and getting dressed, I told him to wait for me inside my bedroom and I would return to him once I had breakfast with mom. I didn't have to go to school even though it was Monday. My mom and I had just moved to this area and there were many procedures for us to do before taking me to school. Mom's plan for the day was for me to stay home.