While looking through some old papers recently, I stumbled
upon an essay written by my mother for a college English class in 1976. Rather than writing about the essay, I’ve
decided to copy it in its entirety below.
A FRIEND LIKE FREDDY
This is
the story of a friendship. It all began
one Christmas morning about five and a half years ago when Adrian, who was five
years old at the time, was opening her gifts.
She picked up a strange shaped package and shook it, as people do, but
it didn’t make a sound. She squeezed
it. It was soft and squashy. And since she couldn’t guess what was in it,
she opened it quickly. And there was
Freddy –well, actually his name wasn’t Freddy yet. It took Adrian about fifteen minutes to
decide that!
His fur
was tan and white and he had brown ears and tail and big brown eyes. He was about twelve inches long and had a
little black nose and black belly button.
His ears stood up nicely and he seemed to be smiling sadly at Adrian and
begging to be loved. Adrian thanked her
big brother Nick for the gift and then hugged Freddy. And that was when it all began—the friendship
of Adrian and Freddy that has lasted all these years.
That
Christmas night Freddy went to bed with his new friend, Adrian. They cuddled up in bed and were soon fast
asleep—it had been an exciting day—as Christmas days usually are.
Freddy
began going places with Adrian—rides in the car, visits to Grandma’s house, and
shopping. He usually ended up tucked in
a shopping bag or in Mom’s big purse so he wouldn’t get lost.
The
following summer, Freddy went on his longest trip—all the way across the
country to Albuquerque, New Mexico. It
took three days of riding and staying at motels before they got there. Freddy and Adrian traveled far that summer
and had their first airplane ride on the way home.
Through
the years, Freddy has also gone on picnics and to slumber parties and has never
gotten lost on these trips. But he has
gotten lost a few times—in, of all places, his own house! One he was wedged down so tight between the
bed and the wall he was hard to find.
Another time he got mixed up in a basket with some other animals and
when bedtime came a frantic search by some members of the family finally
uncovered him. At bedtime, Freddy must
be around.
Freddy
and Adrian have shared many good times but there was one bad time when Adrian
got sick during night and Freddy didn’t get out of the way on time! That meant a bath for Freddy at midnight and
the next day he had to hang outside, by his ears, on the clothes line until he
was dry.
Freddy
doesn’t look exactly like he did five and a half years ago. But then everyone changes as they grow
older. His ears are drooping and his fur
is squashed down. His body is a little
limp and flatter than it was—but maybe that’s what happens when you sleep with
someone bigger that you are!
But
Adrian doesn’t mind the changes. After
all, she doesn’t look the same either.
She and Freddy are still friends.
Freddy is someone to talk to when no one else is around; someone to hug when you’re alone in bed; someone to cry on when you’re feeling sad and
someone to play with when you feel like it.
Everyone should have a friend like Freddy.
