This story tells of a young girl’s transition into a new adopted family after some traumatic events. To help her cope, an imaginary friend named Gooberhunter acts as her guide, leaving her letters that address her hopes and fears.
As stated, this is a work in progress because there is more that I’d like to do with it. Aside from editing and adding to the written part of the story, I would like (when time permits) to create some more illustrations for it that would show more of the story that is not explicitly told in Gooberhunter’s letters.
1.Dearest Margo,
He will not hurt you anymore. And through my influence a new family has found you. Your new mother is a good one – not a stripe of violence in her coloring. I can tell she loves you already. Don’t be confused by blood – the mother you knew will always be that, but this one is too, and better able to be. When you go to bed tonight, listen to the crickets. They will help you sleep.
Love, Gooberhunter
2.Margo,
You must try to listen to your mother more. She has many things to teach you and only makes you do things out of love. Remember when you dreamed I’d gone from you and you woke her? How she helped you make a potion to bring me back? She did not doubt you. She knew the importance of the potion. Please try to remember her feelings. She cries sometimes when you can’t see. Meanness is hard on her.
I was in the woods today and had a talk with a nuthatch. Talking to nuthatches is quite difficult because they are so focused on foraging that their responses do not often make much sense. When he stopped paying attention to me completely I just watched him for a while. He repeated the same action over and over – descending the tree branch headfirst then taking flight to land on the underside of a higher branch and descending again, combing the bark for boring insects. The tree stretched her limbs, shook her leaves out, and radiated contentment. The woods are a good place to be.
Sweet dreams tonight
Love, Gooberhunter
3.Dear Margo,
I am happy to see you taking so much interest in drawing and painting. Keep doing this – you are doing exactly what you’re meant to do.
I think you should apologize to the boy on your bus. Alex. That was his favorite book, one of the things he values highest, and you threw it out the window onto the side of a road. You may as well have burned it because he’ll never get it back. I understand how angry you were at him for asking to peek up your skirt, but he asked out of innocence and he has learned his lesson now. He is not a bad person and neither are you. It would be good for you to be friends. Show him your sweet side.
Love, Gooberhunter
4.My Margo,
A sad thing will happen soon. It is time for it to happen and it’s not because of anything you did or did not do. Know that you are loved and that I will be with you. Your new family will help you. I am sorry because I know it will hurt you, pretty girl, but even I cannot prevent it.
Love, Gooberhunter
5.Margo,
It’s alright to let go of your sadness. Your mother has gone from you, but she told me to tell you she loves you and is proud of her life because of you. I don’t think I should have to tell you this – you should already know. So please burn it onto your memory. She doesn’t want you to be sad and if you stop being sad it doesn’t mean that you’ve forgotten her. Sometimes it’s good to just feel earth under your feet. Walk around barefoot. Think of concrete beautiful things: an elephant’s great flat ear, pollen stuck to the legs of bees, wild growing blueberries, pale birch bark, the star shape inside an apple.
Love, Gooberhunter
6.Dear Margo,
When I was young I used to have nightmares too. I had the same frightening dream several times. It started out with my sister and me having a tea party on the carpet of our bedroom. We’d laugh and pour orange soda in the porcelain cups, but the part of me that was outside the dream was scared because I knew what was about to happen. Always the same – the sun suddenly went down, a wind picked up, and it started storming. There’d be a flash of lightning that illuminated a figure at the window – a slobbering rabid wolf with deer antlers. It snarled and charged the window. We knew it wanted to eat us and we could see the glass beginning to break. I always woke up when it finally burst through the window. I’m not telling you this to scare you – I just wanted to show you that everyone has frightening dreams. You’re not weird or broken. Try to see what your dream is showing you about yourself.
Your parents are getting you a bike for your birthday. Don’t let on that you know. They like to surprise you.
Love, Gooberhunter
7.Dear Margo,
There will be a meteor shower tonight that you can see if you go to the roof of your house – you’ll have to be above the treetops. Ask your mother to take you up. You’ll be amazed. It’s like nothing you’ve ever seen before. Hold your mother’s hand. She will like that. It’s so easy to make her happy. You think she’s always mad at you, but you’re not really paying attention. Sometimes she has to be tough with you – don’t hold it against her.
A spider that lives in your room asked me about you today. She wanted to know if she’d built her house in a safe place or if you were likely to squish her. I said I’d ask you not to. Will you let her be? She only wants to do her small work in a corner. She’ll eat the other bugs that come in and she promises not to crawl on you.
Love, Gooberhunter
8.Happy Birthday my Margo,
I would like to be you today just for the pleasure of eating cake. Even though yours is called a Devil’s Food cake, chocolate is definitely not a food for devils. Personally I’d like shortcake with whipped cream and fresh strawberries. Enjoy!
Love, Gooberhunter
9.Dear Margo,
You are too much in your head. I tell you about the fascinating small things in the world and still you’re not paying attention. I told you, he will not – cannot – hurt you anymore, and you must trust me. Become an observer – talk about what you see. If you look long enough you’ll see things that others don’t have the privilege of seeing. Listen too. Have you ever heard a moth’s wings beating the air? Or watched a candle burn? Or looked at the shapes made by wood grain? Try these things, and do not dwell on the voices in your mind that say such hurtful things.
Love, Gooberhunter
10.Margo,
You’re shy. And you’re afraid to speak up, but you should tell your teacher that you want to join the musical strings program. Try Cello. I know you want to, and even though you were supposed to have enrolled by Tuesday, they will still let you join. Don’t think that you can’t do it.
Love, Gooberhunter
11.Dear, Dear, Margo,
You have not been thinking of me much lately. Don’t worry – I’m not sad, I’m proud of you. I’ve been traveling. I love this earth so much – everything fits together and everything grows! Have you been looking like I told you to? Is the shape of a leaf not amazing?
Love, Gooberhunter
12.Dearest Margo,
You’ve lost so many teeth! Congratulations. You’re right, there is no tooth fairy. It is your mother who leaves the dimes beneath your pillow. But it’s nice that you humor her.
You’re growing up and you don’t need me anymore. I’ve been called to keep another girl company. You can always talk to me, but I won’t be upset if you don’t – I can tell that your attachment to me is already fading. It’s okay if you forget me.
Pay attention. Be kind. Attempt to understand as much as you can. Don’t stop learning. I will see you in your dreams if you look for me in the woods when the moon is like a smiling mouth.
Love, Gooberhunter
As Juliet’s agent, I am excited that she is experimenting with storytelling. This seems to me a very natural progression of her thoughtful and engaging commercial illustrations. You can see more of that work at her online portfolio.