It was a Monday morning, near the end of February.
Whisper had been back nearly a full two months and things had never been better. There had been some crappy weather for the past week or so, but this was a beautiful, sunny day, so I decided that I would make a trip to Corner Brook.
Jessie, Bobby and I had written a few songs and were anxious to start recording them, so I decided that I would drive to the city and get some new strings and as always, saunter around my favourite stores.
.
Whisper and I had our breakfast, as usual, which meant the cats got a second breakfast, and then I told Whisper I had to go to Corner Brook to pick up some groceries and some new guitar strings.
.
She got so excited. "Are we going now?"
.
"We?"
.
She looked sad. "I understand if you don't want me to come."
.
I knelt in front of her. "Are you able too?"
.
She nodded, her eyes wide with excitement. Her face literally glowing.
.
"And no one will see you?"
.
She shook her head.
.
I jumped up and grabbed my coat, from the back of the chair. "Then let's go."
I no sooner had the words out of my mouth, then she disappeared.
When I opened the front door, she was sitting in the passenger's seat, in my Rav4.
.
"Come on, Daddy," she was yelling.
"You are so slow."
.
I got in the car and put on my seatbelt, turning to her, "Put on your seatbelt, too," I joked.
.
She looked at me seriously.
"I don't know how, Daddy."
.
"Well," I reached across.
.
She looked at me, a huge, exaggerated, smile on her face.
.
"Funny girl," I snickered, as we pulled out of the driveway.
.
On the way to Corner Brook, she stared out the window, like she was seeing the world for the first time. Her hands on the window, little gasps coming from her now and then, as something caught her eye.
.
"Having fun?"
.
She turned to me quickly and nodded, but just as quickly, looked back out the window.
"I have never been in a car," she said excitedly, watching the scenery go by.
"It goes so fast, Daddy."
.
"Really? You were never in a car?"
.
She shook her head and turned to me, standing on the passenger's seat, hands on the dash, looking out the front windshield.
"No, Daddy. I only remember seeing one before."
She turned to me quickly, "I have never been out of Maynard's Rock. This is the first time I have been anywhere."
She turned around and looked out through the back window.
.
"Well Jenny, welcome to the world."
.
She turned and looked at me strangely. "Why did you call me Jenny?"
.
"Well, I thought..."
.
"No Daddy," she sighed, "you named me Whisper and that is my name. Whisper Templeton."
As she finished, we came to the crest in the highway. I turned to the right and below us, spread out in a small, bowl shaped valley, was the city of Corner Brook.
.
Whisper gasped, "It is soooooooo big. Oh my Daddy. I've never seen anything like this. There must be a million people living here."
She was jumping up and down on the passengers seat, giggling.
"Maybe even a billion people."
.
"Not quite, my love."
Corner Brook had a population of just over 20,000, but compared to Maynard's Rock, I guess it seemed like a huge city.
.
"Well there must be a lot. Look at the huge buildings."
She turned and saw the government building.
"And look at that building. It must be a mile high."
.
I smiled.
The government building was 10 stories high, but compared to even the biggest buildings in Maynard's Rock, it must have looked gigantic.
.
I explained to her what the building was and then pointed at the first building we saw.
"Those are called shopping malls. That one over there is where we are going."
.
I was pulling into a parking space when Whisper jumped through the door and started running toward the mall. She stopped in front of the mall doors and stared up at the building.
.
"Something else I will have to get used to," I sighed.
I was still not used to her sticking her head into ovens, which she still continued to do, now, not even bothering to open the door.
But at least she did not emerged with her hair on fire, although I often did see a little flame puff up.
.
The mall experience was exactly that, an experience.
.
Whisper was always within view, but one second she was by my side and the next, she was on the second level, waving down to me.
She could be holding my hand and suddenly she would float up to the buildings ceiling to look at the lights or some mall decoration.
It was amazing watching her.
But I did get a few strange looks, from some people.
And more than once, people would stop by me, wondering what I was looking at.
.
"Looking for ghosts," I would joke.
Most didn't find it funny, but I was being honest.
.
I went into the music store to get my guitar strings.
.
Whisper let out a long gasp.
"Look at all the guitars and stuff, Daddy. Are you going to buy all of it?"
.
I laughed.
"No."
.
The young man behind the counter stared at me.
"You don't want the strings now?"
.
I smiled.
"I will take them. Sorry."
I pointed to the earphone in my ear.
"I was talking to someone."
Luckily, I always kept me earphone and speaker hooked to my cell, whenever I was driving.
.
Whisper was now near the far wall, where the tambourines were.
One fell to the floor.
.
"Oooooops. Sorry Daddy."
.
The young man looked to the wall.
"What the ...?"
.
"Can I have one, Daddy? They make a fun sound."
.
"Just a second," I said to the young man.
I walked over and picked up the tambourine.
"Is this the one you want," I whispered.
.
She nodded, excitedly.
"Please?"
.
"Okay," I whispered.
I looked up at the other percussion instruments.
"I know I am going to regret this," I laughed.
I grabbed marachas, chimes, a triangle, cymbals and even a mini xylophone.
.
The young man laughed.
"You didn't have to buy that because it fell on the floor."
.
"I have a daughter that would just love this stuff."
.
He smiled.
"You sound like a good Dad."
.
"He is," Whisper yelled, as she floated up on the counter.
She hugged my neck.
"I love you, Daddy."
.
I remembered where I was.
'I love you too.'
.
She disappeared.
.
I paid for the merchandise and the young man bagged it all for me.
.
At that moment, Whisper decided to float along the wall of guitars and strum every one. The look on the clerks face was unbelievable.
.
He looked toward the wall, pointing.
"Did you hear that?"
.
Whisper was by my side, holding my hand.
"Hear what?" I asked, as we left the music store.