Jimmy Sleeps

It was the middle of the night Jimmy lay in bed, everywhere was quiet except for the gentle snore coming from mommy's room. He knew if he told her in the morning that he could hear her snore, she would smile and say, "I don't snore baby. That's the cat purring you can hear," and then she will laugh and walk away. Only they both knew that Felix did not snore at all, or purr at night, for Felix was the quietest of cats you could possibly know he only cried when he was hungry. The rest of the time he was so silent you wouldn't know he was there.

No matter how hard he tried, Jimmy could not sleep. He laid on his back he laid on his front, he laid on his left and then his right. He thumped his pillows and snuggled under the blanket. "Oh, why can't I he sleep", he said to himself.

He sat up and looked at the moon, as she gently smiled into his room. Jimmy always slept with his curtains open just like Mummy, only Mummy didn't have curtains in her room. She said that when the moon came she shone like a goddess, and the energy of the moon recharged her as she slept. Jimmy didn't quite understand this but she explained that the body was made up of energy. And when this energy is used up during the day, it's like the battery in a torch that has been left on it gets dimmer, and some batteries can be recharged and, this was how the moon energy worked for her.

Although he didn't really understand what she was saying, it did not matter because he knew what she meant, as he could feel the moon as she glided her light across his bed, he could feel his body tingle as it moved across him. And in that he knew in the morning he would feel okay again. He laid and watched the moon pass across his bed. The tingle in his body felt different. And he couldn't explain it.

Then he heard Mummy's voice saying, "sometimes you just don't need to understand, you just need to feel" so he let himself feel. And as he did so his eyes felt a little heavy. And although not quite asleep he could feel himself laying down under the covers. At last, he thought I can sleep and with a contented sigh and a little snuggle, he made himself comfy on his left side, as this is how he likes to sleep.

Then he felt it, the pressure as if someone was laying down behind him, he knew not to be scared because mommy had said that sometimes spirit like to come and visit, and that with faith and trust, they will not hurt us. He had played his cloak and ball game before sleeping as well, and Mummy had said her little prayer of protection, for him so he could sleep soundly. She also said if he felt worried or scared or, all he had to do was get up and go straight to her room.

So he lay there and listened to his breathing and asked in his head who was there. As he asked an arm came across and laid around his waist, and he was gently turned to face this person, as he looked, he looked into the deepest brown eyes he had ever seen in a man's face. He knew this man, but the rest of his features were not very clear. It was as if he was looking at a picture that had been smudged, except for his eyes. He felt so safe and loved with this person holding him as if he was one of little Jimmy's favourite toys.

He asked again, who is this, whose eyes are these. A voice in his head said, "I love you," and then faded away, leaving him to wonder if for a split second he had dreamt it, but he knew he hadn't. He also knew without a shadow of a doubt that the man had been his daddy. A man who had died when he was very young, and could not remember.

Mommy didn't keep many pictures of daddy around, and he didn't like to ask because he didn't want to see her cry. She didn't cry as much as she used to these days. And when she did, she would not hide them like she used to, and he would give her a hug and wait until she was ready before talking to her.

He lay still hugging the feeling of the words "I love you to him" as he would hug his teddy when no one was looking and then sleep finally came, he let out a beautiful sigh and said, "I love you too daddy".

His final thought as he drifted off to sleep was, I must remember to tell Mummy in the morning.