Last year her dad, Michael, told me she is all grown up now and is at university or maybe she has just finished it. That makes me feel old... but, when I re-read the tale she told me one morning when I spent the weekend with the Hutchison Family in Nikko, Tochigi-ken, Japan, well... it transports me back to when I was just learning how to write.
The following is meant to be a kid's tale, because it was created by a kid.
This one's for you, Tamala!
Once upon a time, there was a warm day in Nikko. Not too hot and not too cold. It was just one of those perfect days that exist only when you are young.
Matthew, 6, and his sisters Tamala, 5, and Veronica, 1, were happy young children who lived in Nikko, Japan.
Nikko is famous for its Three Wise Monkeys (Hear No Evil, See No Evil, and Speak No Evil) and for its Three Hutchison children. They weren't the best at anything in particular, except for being good friends with other little boys and girls, and for being obedient to their parents.
However, as there are good little boys and girls, so to are there bad little boys and girls.
While the Three Hutchison children were playing with some other good little Japanese boys and girls, a very big junior high school student came and started to tease everybody.
He was very bad. He scared all of the good little boys and girls away, including Matthew, Tamala and Veronica.
Later that night, with Veronica already asleep, Matthew and Tamala talked to each other.
"Oh, that bad boy! I wish I was bigger so I could make him stop scaring all of the good little boys and girls!" said Matthew.
"Well, I have an idea," said Tamala. "I'm going to stop eating the food Mommy and Daddy make for us. Soon I will become a ghost. Then I can scare away the bad people who want to hurt my family and friends."
Matthew didn't think that was such a good idea, but once Tamala had decided to do something, nothing could make her change her mind.
The next morning, Daddy made a big breakfast of scrambled eggs and chocolate cake with cola to drink. Matthew and Veronica piled their plates with the delicious but dangerous food. (Too much of a good thing is bad for you.)
Tamala didn't eat anything.
Her Daddy asked her to please eat, but Tamala didn't want to listen.
At dinner, Mommy made fantastic peanut butter and marshmallow sandwiches with chocolate ice cream and honey. Everybody had a good time eating all of the food. Except for Tamala. She didn't eat anything.
Her Mommy asked her to please eat something, but Tamala didn't want to listen.
Day after day, Tamala refused to eat. She became very skinny and soon turned into a ghost.
The first thing Tamala did was scare all of the bad people out of Nikko.
"Boo! Boooooooo!!"
That way no one would ever hurt or acre her family and friends ever again.
When she finished scaring away all the bad people, she flew over to play with her friends... but, they too were afraid of her. Tamala forgot that ghosts are scary creatures to everybody.
Tamala was very sad. No one wanted to play with her because she was a ghost. She began to cry. "Boo-hoo, boo-hoo."
Matthew, who loved his sister dearly, wanted to help Tamala. While Veronica watched Totoro on the television, Matthew sat next to his baby sister and tried to think of an idea.
"Eureka!!!" shouted Matthew. "Ive got it! If Tamala became a ghost by not eating, she could become a little girl again if she ate some food!"
Matthew ran to his Mommy and Daddy and told them of his plan.
Together, they made the biggest most delicious lunch ever made on Earth. (I'm not going to tell you what it was. Ask Matthew. It has HIS idea.)
Matthew then called to Tamala the ghost who was hiding in her bedroom. "Tamala! Come down, please!"
She flew down to the kitchen and listened to Matthew's idea.
With a smile on her face, she began to eat all of the food. Soon she became a little girl again.
Mommy, Daddy, Matthew, Veronica and especially Tamala were very happy. So were all of Tamala's friends.
The Mayor of Nikko gave the Hutchison family five big medals for getting rid of all the bad people in their city.
And they lived happily ever after.
The End.
Brilliant, eh? Tamala's plan to get rid of the bad people was great, but I asked her what she would do if her friends were afraid of ghosts and didn't want to play with her. Her solution is elegant in its simplicity and makes perfect sense to anyone with an imagination.
And Veronica really was watching Totoro at the time. It was the first time I had ever heard of that animated movie. I still have the theme song running through my head. And Matthew... that boy hung on to me all weekend long. He made me feel like his big brother.
What a great weekend with a great family.
Cheers
Andrew Joseph
PS - Good News! The Hutchison Family has NOW seen the story! Yay!
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