The Moon Keeper

The Moon Keeper

By Paul McCann

 

Jimmy Brookfield had always been a loner after being put into a foster home as very young child . Growing up was tough as he was criticised for the things he did and accused of the things he never did . So one day he decided to run away and live on the moon .

He sat down and wrote a note that said .

“ Dear all –

I’ve been so de- materialized by destructive words that criticise  that I’ve  gone to live on the moon , I’m living on the moon all by myself , so don’t try to find me or worry about my health and if I never come back, it will be a day too soon . In case you’re wondering  

I’m away up high in my new home and quite content so leave me alone because there’s no room for two now away up high here on the moon  Furthermore I’m feeling much better now , no one’s on my back and if you don’t respect what I’ve done  then I really don’t care anyway cause I’m away up high living here on the moon.So goodbye to you and everyone , I’m away up here where the earth is blue and moon is too and I’ve got a dish and a spoon and know a cow that jumped over the moon .

'Yours truely

Jimmy Brookfield

, He left the note where it could be found and walked out the door with nothing but one thought in mind  , Find a boat to catch the rising of the moon  . Jimmy had always noticed that the moon came out of the sea at night and decided if he got close enough before it did he could jump on to it and catch a ride away up high  .

That evening Jimmy walked down to the docks and hid himself away inside a lifeboat of a ship . He waited there and then heard the ships engines start and soon was on his way .

Late that night Jimmy creeped out quietly from the lifeboat and lowered it into the open sea . Then as he jumped inside he started to row towards the horizon . Sure enough it didn’t take long and the moon rose out of sea with Jimmy and the lifeboat for compony .

As Jimmy walked around the surface of the moon he found an old shed and inside there were all kinds of things . As he rummaged through some of the boxes a voice said

“Hello there is there something in specific you’re looking for ?”

“I beg your pardon .What ., ah who said that “

Jimmy asked .

“Here do you know I have waited for so long to have a visit from someone . .”

Came the reply .

Jimmy spun around and saw a man standing there with the biggest smile you ever saw  .

.”Well mister look at me . “

Said Jimmy who spun around with one leg in the air like a top .

The stranger laughed and said .

“I’m the keeper .“

Jimmy replied .

“Right I’m sure you are  “

The stranger made his way around the shed and opened up some cupboards  and said . .

“I am the keeper of lost things that come to the moon . Like balloons and kites . Bits of paper . lanterns with candles . A dish and a spoon  even a cow who tried to jump over and landed in my front yard .“

Jimmy was excited and responded .

“Once I lost a balloon and kite that flew away with the string broke “

“Can you remember wjat they looked like ?”

Said the moon keeper.

 “There something special  mister . “

Said Jimmy  who took three steps closer and with extreme concentration he thought for a moment about every day he went without TV and chocolate . He thought about all thd carried on .

“The balloon was red and pear shaped with a smiling face on it and a message that said don’t ever let me go anf the kite had a picture of a  frog sitting on a rainbow and the words your dreams can come true written on it.”

“Ok I’ve got those , they’re the room over here .“

said the keeper .

The moon keeper rushed off to the corner and opened up another door and said .
“Go have a look and see if you can find them .“

Jimmy walked in through the door . On the other side he discovered another world . Children with kites and balloons chased by the wind that blew , there was a rainbow path that went to a distant castle .

The castle had a sunset behind it that shimmered in a the purple light of endless sky .  

Some of the children there ran past Jimmy and said ,

“Hurry up then or you’ll not get in “.

Jimmy ran with them along the rainbow road to until  they were all inside the Castle . Once inside a crowd of small children surrounded Jimmy and said ,

“The moon keeper told us that it’s your turn to get a wish .

So tell us what do you want ? “

“I just wish I could have a Mum and Dad who loved me .“

“Granted .“ they was the reply

All the children starting playing ball and Jimmy joined in 

A big door opened up in the castle wall and all the children started laughing and pointing  .

“What’s in there ?“

Jimmy asked .

“That’s where everything lost is found .“

They said .

Jimmy immediately ran over and in he went through the door .  On the other side of the door he stood in a room filled with balls of every shape size and colour . There were balloons, bits of paper , a dish and a spoon a cow , coins , kites, keys and toys . There was letters and cards and hats  , coats , umbrella’s  . There was everything you could ever imagine that had been lost at some time or another . Jimmy just stood there and sighed when sitting there side by side was his red balloon and rainbow kite  . He went over and picked them up . Then from out of nowhere a ball rolled over to him .Jimmy lifted the ball and as soon as he did that  he found himself back again inside the lifeboat on the open sea ,

Up above the full moon shone down , A red balloon was tied to the little boat and inside the boat was a kite and a ball with the words

Come back anytime I’m always here waiting .

In the morning Jimmy was rescued by a ship on the open sea .

When the ship retuned to shore Jimmy was met by many people and TV cameras with everyone asking him how he managed to survive the ship that had sunk .

Overnight Jimmy was a celebrity and welcomed into a very rich family who had heard Jimmy had no parents . So his new Mum and Dad loved him dearly and sent him off to a good school where he made lots of good friends .

Over the years one thing never changed and that was the red balloon and the kite . It was Jimmy’s request that they would be placed in box never to be opened and that’s the way it was and no one ever asked why . Jimmy kept the secret of the moon keeper until he passed away and the box was opened with the story of his journey inside  .

The End

By Paul McCann