‘The Squashbuckler Diaries’ are the daily tales of Joy Shelley’s Life in the Dream. The ‘Lost in Dreams’ books will tell the story of what happens to her at ages 6, 9, 12, 15, and so on. The diaries tell us what happens before, after, and between the books.

02E222 Girls’ Night Out, Part 3, Father of the Year

About an hour into their ‘girls’ night’, music begins to fill Justin’s dream. 

This is Amahle, no doubt. She is a singer, she writes and composes songs. And there’s music in her head, which in the dream is music we can all hear. 

This is really happy and exciting music. Were I any good at dancing, I would be moved to dance. But I am a man of thought, logic, and brain. I am not that good with my body, not with sports and not with dancing. 

A few minutes later, there are fireworks over Johannesburg. 

Amahle must be very excited about her news, then. 

The day wears on. I keep myself busy with my thoughts. 

Then the sky changes. 

This is Charlie’s sky. Charlie has appeared on Bonny’s Revenge

A few minutes later, a giant condor passes high above me and heads for the suns. The condor is how Charlie carries himself from place to place. I’m guessing he chose to go to his own dream for once, to do his own thing, since he’s not invited to the girls’ night. 

The music continues. It becomes dance music - modern dance music. I’ve never even been willing to accept that this is actually music. 

An hour later, the sky changes again. 

It’s Justin’s sky. Justin had fallen asleep and returned to his dream. 

Justin soon flies over on a jetpack. 

“So,” he tells me once he stands next to me, the jetpack having disappeared from his back. “We’re not invited.” 

“Nope.” 

“Hmmm…” he looks at the city. “Sounds like they’re really happy. I’m glad she gets experiences from them that I can’t give her.” 

I nod. “It’s interesting that so many adults were able to connect to her.” 

“She’s really likeable,” Justin says. “And she’s basically an adult the way she behaves.” 

“You should have seen the ruckus she made when she found out boys weren’t invited. She thought it was because boys weren’t as strong as girls.” 

His eyes light up. “Seriously?” 

“Uh huh.” 

“YES!” he shouts, raising his hand in victory. “YES! I did one thing right! One thing right! Yee haw!” 

I laugh. 

“Father! Of! The year!!!!” he shouts into the dream. But because he’s the Dreamer and so happy, his voice booms so powerfully, that I think they heard it all the way to Mars. The girls certainly heard it in Johannesburg. 

“Oops!” He puts his hands on his mouth. “That was awkward.” 

(To be continued…)


—Told by Grampa Walt

Listen to the episode here:

02E223 Girls’ Night Out, Part 4, Amahle’s News

02E221 Girls’ Night Out, Part 2, As Strong as a Girl