Remy's Choice
Cricket was excited. His dad has told him that they have earned enough money to buy their Smalton farm back. The boy was sad when they lost it and had to move with their grandma in Big City. He was sure going to miss the city. He thought he would hate it, but he grew to love it. But he couldn't wait to go back. The Country was his home. It was where he grew up. It was where he belonged. He began to run off.
"Cricket!" His father shouted after him. "Where are you going?"
"I'm going to tell Remy the awesome news you just told me, Dad!" He called back.
"You're going to run all of the way there? I can just drive you or better yet, just call him and tell him that way!""
"Sorry, Dad! I'm just too gosh darn excited! Plus, this way I can see his face when I tell him and not have to risk video chat freezing up on me at the worst possible moment."
"Well, alright. Just be home when I call."
"Will do!" Bill smiled. He sighed in content.
"I'm glad that boy is running all of the way and using his legs for once. And to just think, all it took was me telling him we're moving back to the Country. Still, it's quite a way to the Remingtons. He'll be exhausted by the time he gets there."
"I agree, Papa." Tilly piped up. Bill looked at her. "But walking is way much better for the planet compared to driving. Now, I know I will sound like a hypocrite for saying this, but you can drive me to Andromeda's. I want to see her face too when I tell her the news, And Cricket's right. A video call freezes up at the most inopportune moment…Every. Single. Time." Bill smiled.
"Okay, sweetie. Just meet me at the Kludge. I'll get my keys and we can go." Bill went into the house and Tilly went to the truck.
Cricket rang the doorbell to the door of Remington Manor. He only waited a minute until Vasquez answered the door.
"Cricket." He began. "I take it you want to see Master Remy?"
"You know it, Vasquez." He answered. Vasquez nodded. The butler called for Remy and within another minute, the child arrived.
"Thank you, Vasquez." He thanked him. "I can take it from here." Vasquez then left. Remy looked at Cricket.
"What are you here for Cricket?" He asked.
"Cuz' I have some exciting news to tell you." Cricket answered.
"That's great! What exciting news?"
"Well, you remember why we moved here?" Remy nodded.
"Sure do! To live with you grandma when you guys lost the family farm in Smalton."
"Well, now we earned all of that money back so we can move back! We are moving back! Ain't that exciting?" Remy smiled, pretending to be happy for him. He started to break out in a nervous sweat.
"That's great, Cricket! Super in fact! I'm so happy for you." Don't blow it, Remy! Don't show him your inner feelings about this. You're supposed to be happy. So, pretend that you are so that you don't upset him. Cricket noticed his sweats.
"Uh, why are you sweating?"
"Uh, what are you talking about? I'm not sweating."
"Uh, yeah, you are." Remy stopped sweating.
"No, I'm not!"
"Uh, ok? You sure were seconds ago. You okay?" Remy nodded.
"Uh-huh!" Cricket smiled.
"Great! For a minute, I thought that you were upset that I was leaving you here for most likely forever. So, my dad said to come when he calls me, so I guess I can play with you until he calls. That's okay, right?" Remy immediately nodded and the two went to his room. Cricket smiled.
"I knew you would, Remy. You would do anything for me. That's why we're best friends."
"You got it! The very best!" Oh, plese, don't blow it, Remy! You're doing good so far! Just hope that Mr. Green will never call even though you know he will. You can never stop the call, so embrace the time you have left with him!
"Cricket!" Russell said, coming into his son's room. The boys were playing video games. "Your dad called. He said it was time for you to come home." Cricket set down his controller.
"Already?" He asked. "Man, time flies when you're playing mindless video games with your best bud. Well, my dad calls for me, Remy. Goodbye!" He was about to go when Remy spoke up, standing to his feet.
"Wait!" He said. "Don't go!" Cricket looked at him.
"I have to go, Remy. I'm sorry. My dad called. Don't worry, I'm not going for a few weeks from now." Remy sighed in relief.
"Oh, that's good." He said.
"Yeah." Cricket added. "I wouldn't tell you that I would be leaving tomorrow. That would be silly." Remy laughed nervously.
"So silly!" He agreed.
A few days later, on the day before Cricket's move back to the Country, Remy and Cricket were playing video games in his room again when his dad came into his room to say that Cricket had to go home and pack. Remy looked at Russell.
"Dad," He began telling him. "…since the Greens are moving back to the Country, how about we have them over for dinner as their last one here in Big City?"
"That's a great idea, son." Russell told him. "But we don't just want to spring this on them all of a sudden. They might have dinner plans alread…"
"No, we don't, Mr. Remington!" Cricket said to him. "I'll go ask my dad right now." With that, Cricket left the room. Remy sighed with relief. Good thinking, Remy. Now I only hope that Mr. Greens agrees and he and the rest of the fam comes over.
"Thanks again for inviting us here." Bill thanked Ressell as they all were at the long table, eating dinner.
"Don't thank me." Russell responded. "It was all Remy's idea."
"Yeah." Remy stated. "I figured since this is your last night here, we treat all of you guys to something special. It's also a big thank you to Cricket for becoming my friend." Cricket turned to him.
"Awweee, don't mention it, buddy. I thank you for becoming my friend as well." Remy smiled.
"Awwwweeee, of course."
"Now that we're done eating," Bill said when everyone was done with their meals, and getting out of his chair. "It's time to go home to pack."
"Yeah." Alice agreed. "I'm in my seventies, so I need my beauty sleep." The Greens all headed for the door.
"Wait!" Remy shouted. They all stopped and looked at him. "Please, don't go. Not yet."
"Remy," His mother said to him. "They have to go so that they can get packing."
"Not without…my speech."
"Speech?" Russell questioned. "Son, what are you talking about?"
"My speech to Cricket, going down memory lane of all of the times we had together."
"Ooh!" Tilly said, intrigued. "This'll be good, reminiscing on their friendship! I wonder if I should do the same to Andromeda later."
"This better not take long, Creamed Corn." Alice said.
"Why does Alice call our son Creamed Corn?" Reshida wanted to know. "I feel like that's offensive."
"Shhhh!" Vasquez shushed her. "Master Remy's about to talk. I want to hear this." Remy cleared his throat.
"Cricket Green," He began. "I am blessed, so very blessed that you became my friend. We have done a lot together as friends. We launched a chicken into space, wait, did the chicken actually go into space?" His friend shrugged.
"I have no idea." He admitted. "I like to think that it was a success and it did." Remy smiled at that.
"Yeah, I do too. Anyway, you helped me and all of our friends stand up to those Cyber Knight bullies, we rode on a roller coaster with a wild bear that we befriended, you went to my violin concert where I won third chair, you made me stand up to my parents, and so many more awesome things. Thank you for finding me." Cricket sniffed back tears when the speech was done.
"That was beautiful!" Cricket said. Vasquez was crying too.
"And that last bit about Cricket finding Master Remy." He cried. "Very deep and emotional!" Alice rolled her eyes.
"Oh, brother!" She looked at her grandson. "Can we go home now?"
"No!" Remy shouted at Alice. "Cricket can't go home now. Oh, but you can."
"Why, thank you, Remy." She looked at Bill. "Let's go, son."
"No, Ma." Bill told his mother. "We're not leaving without Cricket." He looked at Cricket. "Say goodbye to Remy, son. We have to leave."
"Sorry, Mr. Green." Remy said to him. "But we still need to do stuff."
"Do what, Remy?" Cricket wanted to know.
"Stuff like…stuff like…" Come on, Remy. Think of something, will you? Say the first thing that comes to mind.
"Face it, Creamed Corn." Alice stated. "You just want Cricket here because you don't want him going back to the Country."
"Creamed corn strawberries!" All of them looked like he was crazy. Remy facepalmed himself. Why did I say that? That was so stupid! Creamed corn strawberries, really? Is that even a thing? "I mean, how about a board game or two? And we can make creamed corn strawberries?" Remy facepalmed himself again. Stop it with the creamed corn strawberries, Remy! It's not a thing and it's not going to happen.
"I don't know what creamed corn strawberries will taste like or if they're even a thing." Cricket began. "But I'm game."
"Me too." Tilly agreed with her brother. "I'm game to always try new and unique foods. If strawberries can be dipped in chocolate, there can be creamed corn strawberries." Cricket looked at his dad.
"Dad?"
"I guess staying a little while longer won't hurt." Bill said. The kids cheered. Alice sighed.
"We're never going home, are we?" She asked no one in particular.
They ended up staying for four more hours. They played a board game, Remy and Cricket acted out a play on all of their adventures, they took lots of pictures, and they all had creamed corn strawberries to Remy's surprise. Bill looked at his watch.
"Okay, Cricket." Bill said to his son. "We all had our fun…"
"I didn't!" Alice piped up.
"…but it's 11:00." He looked at Remy. "Sorry, Remy, but we really need to get home."
"No!" Remy shouted. "We still have to…we still have to…"
"Remy," His mother began. "…they stayed here long enough. You can't force them to stay. This isn't funny anymore, actually it wasn't funny to begin with."
"So, say goodbye to Cricket, son." Russell said to Remy as well. "And the other Greens so that they can leave. Vasquez will help you get into your onesie, and then you can get to bed."
"No! We still have to…we still have to…" But Remy couldn't think up any more excuses, so he burst out crying instead. This had everyone concerned, especially his parents and Vasquez.
"Aw, Remy!" His mom said.
"I'm sorry, everyone!" Remy sobbed. "I was being very selfish. Mrs. Green was right. I don't want Cricket to leave and go live in the Country. He's my friend and I don't want him going away forever, forgetting all about me and his time here."
"Forever?" Cricket questioned out loud. Remy nodded.
"Didn't you say forever?" Cricket shook his head.
"I don't remember saying that." Remy stopped crying.
"That's weird. I could've sworn you said that you would leave me forever."
"Maybe that was your subconscious talking." Tilly suggested. "You know, having you think that he was saying something in your head, when in reality he said something different because of your fears of losing him forever."
"I think that makes sense."
"It's okay to miss us, Remy." Bill stated. "In fact, we'll miss you too. My son made a good choice when he picked you as his friend."
"I did too when I picked Andromeda as a friend, right, Papa?" Tilly asked. Bill looked at his daughter and smiled.
"You sure did, sweetie."
"Even if she does believe in alien nonsense and whatnot." Alice said, under her breath so no one could hear.
"What was that, Gramma?" Tilly wanted to know.
"Nothing! I said nothing!" She looked at Remy too. "As much as I hate to say it, I'll miss you too, Creamed Corn."
"I'll miss you too." Remy said to her. "But aren't you staying with Gloria?"
"Yeah." Alice admitted. "But I'm not going to hang out and play with a ten-year-old. I'm sorry, but I'm not going to do it even if you pay me."
"But isn't Gloria like in her early twenties or something?"
"Yeah, but she never launched a chicken into space or befriended a bear…I assume."
"Awe!" Cricket marveled. "You remembered Remy's speech and our skits."
"Yeah, yeah, whatever!" Cricket looked at Remy.
"Anyways, Remy, I may be leaving you, but that doesn't mean it'll be goodbye for us. I'll always come back and visit." This got Remy excited.
"Really?!" He questioned. Cricket nodded.
"Of course! Why wouldn't I visit my best friend?"
"And I'll visit Andromeda." Tilly stated.
"We'll be back." Bill promised. "For Thanksgivings, Christmases, and other occasions. We may be in the Country, but we'll never forget this place and all of its wonderful people."
"That's right!" Cricket agreed.
"Okay, son." Russell began. "Now say goodbye for real." Remy and family waved goodbye to the Greens.
"Bye, Greens!" He said. "I'll never forget you, especially you, Cricket! Sorry for keeping you guys here four hours after you guys were supposed to leave!"
"That's okay, buddy!" Cricket responded as he and the rest of his family waved back. "I would have done the same thing!" He saw his family all looking at him and stopped waving to look at them. "What? You know I would.
On the car ride home, Cricket was thinking long and hard. He would miss Remy like crazy. He wished there was a way for Remy to come along. He then thought of an idea. Maybe he can…for a little while at least, then Cricket can show him what living in Smalton is like. He looked up front. He was very sure that his father would object, but he had to at least try.
"Dad," He began. "I was thinking. I don't think Remy ever lived in the Country. Poor kid probably doesn't know what it's like. Now you'll probably say no, but I have to at least try. Can Remy tag along with us, please? At least for a little bit, just to see what it's like and the joys of the lifestyle?" Bill sighed.
"Son," He started. "I like where your head's at, but…" But just then his favorite Country song came up on the radio and he got excited. "YES! County Streets, I love this song!" He turned up the volume and started to sing along as his mother was now annoyed. Cricket smiled.
"Yay! Thanks, Dad! I'm going to call Remy as soon as we get home to tell him the great news!"
Cricket called Remy as soon as he and his family returned home.
"Hey, Remy!" An excited Cricket said when Remy finally answered. "Guess what I did?" Cricket heard Remy's yawn over the phone.
"I was about to go to bed." Remy told his friend over the phone. "So can you be quick or wait for the morning?"
"This can't wait." Cricket heard Remy sigh.
"Fine. What is it?"
"I asked my dad if you could tag along to the Country with us and you would never believe what he said."
"Did he object to it?"
"That's what I thought too, but no. He said yes when I asked if you could come." Remy perked up.
"What?! Really?! You're serious?"
"Yes, I am. Well, I asked just as Dad's favorite country song came on the radio, so he could have responded to that instead. But I'll say that Dad said yes to you coming to make me feel better."
"Yes! This is the best news ever! I'll go anywhere as long as I'm with you; lightning strikes, or any shade of blue."
"I knew you would be excited, even going so far as using complex wording that no ten-year-old would think to say, but I guess that proves how smart you are. Anyways, I'm excited too. If your parents ask, just say it'll be…." He couldn't come up with the words. "It'll be…"
"Like a study abroad program?" Cricket smiled.
"I don't know what that is, but, sure. Tell your parents that."
"I will, but…uh, can I tell them in the morning?" He saw that Vasquez had entered the room. "Vasquez is here to help me in my onesie and tuck me in."
"Sure. But be sure to tell them."
"I will." After both boys said their goodbyes, Remy hung up the phone.
"Who was that, Master Remy?" Vasquez wanted to know. "It's almost midnight. Who would call you at this hour?" Remy turned to his bodyguard.
"That was Cricket."
"Cricket? What does he want?"
"I suppose I can tell you now." Vasquez was confused.
"What do you mean?" The bodyguard took off Remy's glasses for him and began to help him in his onesies.
"Cricket invited me to come to the Country with him and his family. It'll be like a study abroad program. I will learn what country life is like. It'll be good for a city kid like me to learn all about it and get out of my comfort zone." The bodyguard looked disappointed.
"Oh. So, you're going?" Remy nodded as he poked his head out of the onesie.
"Yep! Don't worry, I'll tell Mom and Dad in the morning." Vasquez stood up.
Be cool, Vasquez! Vasquez thought to himself. Don't let a kid that he knew all of his life see a grown man cry! He gave him a thumbs up. "Super! I'm proud of you!"
"I am glad that you are so chill about this, Vasquez. I thought you'd be letting a kid witness a grown man cry right now."
"What? Me? Never! I'll never do that."
"Cool. But just so you know, no matter how old you are, it's perfectly okay to cry, Vasquez. It's a normal emotion, so I won't judge. You just do what you have to do." Vasquez teared up at this.
"Cool. Good to know."
The next morning as Vasquez said a good morning to Remy, he told him that he already informed his parents about last night.
"I'm sorry, Master Remy." He said. "I know you said that you would do it, but I just couldn't keep it in any longer." Remy smiled.
"That's okay, Vasquez." Remy stated. "I'm not mad at you. Now, I don't have to tell them if they already know." He then frowned. "Now comes the hard part, waiting to hear what they think about it." Vasquez gave him two thumbs up.
"You can do it, Master Remy! I believe in you so much that I'm giving you two thumbs up instead of one." Remy didn't sound thrilled.
"Gee, thanks, Vasquez. Now help me get ready." Vasquez frowned at his young master's tone, but helped Remy take off his onesie, Remy put on his glasses, and Vasquez helped him with his morning routine.
"Remy," Russell spoke to his son, his wife by his side. "We know what Cricket told you. Vasquez told us."
"I know what Vasquez told you and Mom, Dad. So, can I please go?" Please say yes, please say yes! I really want to go. I'll do anything you and Mom want, just plese, let me go with Cricket and the other Greens. Please, please, please! "Your mother and I talked and we decided to let you go." Remy couldn't believe it.
"Wait, what? I was so busy pleading to you guys in my head that I didn't listen. Did you say I can go?" Remy's parents nodded. Remy cheered. "Yes, thank you, Mom and Dad! Thank you!" He ran to hug them. "I love you guys!"
"We love you too." Reshida said to him. "We're so happy that you want to learn all about Country life and how it differs from your own. It'll be like traveling to a different country with culture shock."
"Exactly. Playing Harvest Sun just isn't enough. I need more." Both of his parents were confused.
"It's one of Master Remy's video games he got on his tenth birthday." Vasquez told them. Russell then looked serious.
"Son, we'll let you go on one condition." He told him.
"Yes, Dad? I'll do anything for you guys!"
"We want to hear about your time there, so we want to video chat you every Sunday on what you have learned that week." Reshida said. "Understand?" Remy nodded.
"I will, Mom."
"But first, ask Cricket if you can connect online to chat with us." Remy nodded again.
"I will do that too."
"And I'm going with you." Vasquez piped in. "The Country will be foreign to us both. Who knows what kind of dangers there will be out there." Remy thought about this for a second, then looked at his bodyguard.
"If you don't mind, Vasquez, I think I'd like to go on my own." Everybody was shocked, especially Vasquez.
"What?!" Vasquez wanted to know. "But, Master Remy. You won't have any protection. I have to go with you."
"Vasquez is right." Reshida told her young son. "Who will protect you? Your father and I will never forgive ourselves if something bad happens to you. Won't you please let Vasquez take you?" Remy shook his head.
"Sorry, Mom, but I made up my mind. I'm ten years old, no longer a baby. I'm a growing boy. I can't rely on my bodyguard all of the time. As much as it hurts, I need to get hurt from time to time. Does that make sense? And don't worry, Cricket and his parents and sister will be there. They know about Country life and its dangers. They'll make sure I'm safe. I trust them with my young life."
"We trust them too, Reminald, but…"
"Our son's right." Russell stated. Vazquez and Reshida looked at him now.
"What are you saying, Russell?" His wife wanted to know. "Are you hearing yourself right now?" Russell looked at her.
"I do, Reshida, but it's like football. You can't win every game. You have to lose sometimes. That's how you learn and how you can improve in life. He also needs to get hurt at times. It's not sparkles and rainbows. I know, those are like a lot of sports, not just football, but I like football, so I'm going to compare it too." Remy sighed.
"Oh, Dad, you and football." He said. "But, whatever it takes to get Mom and Vasquez on board I guess."
"And the same goes for children. They're growing on us every year. We have to let them, and let them experience the world on their own, including the hardships. After all, we won't be there with them every day of their life. We have to leave this Earth at one point."
"I suppose you have a point, Russell, even though what you said was a little dark to say in front of a kid." Reshida said with a sigh. "But Remy's our baby boy." Russel wrapped an arm around her.
"I know, Rashida. I'm worried about him too. It'll be hard, but he has to take risks, even if it's far away from us. He has to learn about this cruel world. And he knows about the concept of death. He wrote a book, planning all that he wants to do in life, even predicting his own death." He looked at Remy. "Son, no offense, but that is a bit creepy."
"I know it was, Dad." Remy said. "And maybe I'll be right about it, maybe not. Who knows? At least I'll be ready for it." Reshida looked at Remy. "Alright, Remy. You better go pack up." Remy cheered again. He then saw Vasquez trying hard not to cry. He went over to him.
"Oh, Vasquez." He said to him. "I'll miss you too. I'll miss you all. It'll be weird not waking up in a mansion after today, but I can handle it."
"It's not that, Remy." Vasquez said. "It's just that I won't know what to do every day without you."
"Oh, well, what do you normally do when you're not protecting me?"
"I guess I'll have more time for my hobbies now."
"Then you can do those."
"I suppose."
Remy called Cricket the moment he got to his room.
"You haven't left yet, have you?" Remy wanted to know.
"Never fret, my friend." Cricket told him over the line. "I would never leave without knowing that my friend could come along. Wait, your parents said you could come along, right?"
"Yup! They agreed on the condition that every Sunday I have to report to them what I have learned that week."
"That's awesome news, bud. Uh, Vasquez isn't coming along, is he?"
"Nope! I convinced him to stay behind and I could handle whatever harms the Country throws at me. I told you that you and your family will be there to protect me." Remy heard his friend's sigh.
"Oh, that's good. No offense to Vasquez or anything, but he can be, how can I put this?"
"Overprotective sometimes?"
"Exactly! He needs to let you take risks now and then. Allow you to experience pain every now and then. Know what I'm saying?"
"I sure do. I told him and my parents the same thing."
"And they were cool with it?"
"Well, my mom was still a bit nervous until my dad made a football metaphor."
"Oh, your dad and football."
"I know, right? Anyways, once I'm packed and everything, Vazquez will take me in the helicopter to your house."
"Sounds great, buddy. Can't wait!"
"I can't wait either, I'm nervous and excited at the same time."
"You're a city kid and have been all of your life with rich parents and his own bodyguard. It's expected to be nervous, but I promise you, you will fall in love with Country life."
"I'm sure I will. Oh, and before you hang up, my mom wants to know if your Country house has good enough Wi-Fi." After getting his answer and bidding their goodbyes, Remy hung up the phone. The boy then went off to pack.
Remy looked up at the helicopter once he was in Cricket's backyard and waved to his bodyguard. Vasquez waved back and drove the helicopter away.
The boy couldn't believe that he was really about to do this. He has never been without his parents or Vasquez for weeks on end before. This was going to be new for him, his parents and Vasquez. Well, his parents were oftentimes busy with their lawyer jobs, but he'll know that they'll still miss him. This will be hard for him, but he had to prove to his parents and Vasquez that he could do this without them. He was confident that he'll come back home safe and sound. With a deep breath, he walked out of the backyard.
"Remy!" Cricket said with excitement as soon as he saw him approach him and his family's truck. "Are you ready for the adventure of your life?"
"I sure am!" Remy stated. "I am so ready for this! I even brought along my Bintendo Twist Plus to play in our downtime."
"Ok, you get in the back of the truck, and we will be on our way momentarily."
"Okie-dokie!" And with that, Cricket ran off to finish getting ready while Remy got in the back of the truck.
The boy looked out at his surroundings. In just a short while, he'll leave the city that he lived in all of his life, and venture into new territory. Although he was somewhat terrified, at the same time, he couldn't wait.