Once upon a time...Rupert the Tiny...
I love writing, and I love storytelling. When my own children were growing up, I would fabricate stories which I thought were entertaining. One of my fables involved "Mr. Bill" (probably inspired by the character in SNL) who lived in our Volkswagen's ashtray. As soon as my kids were seated and secured with seatbelts, "Mr. Bill" would greet them in his tinny, scratchy voice to complain to them about my keeping him stuck in the ashtray all day long. (Of course, I played the ventriloquist and took on "Mr. Bill's" vocal chords.) Mr. Bill not only complained but managed to insult me, making comments about my waistline, my driving, and my choice in clothes. Of course, my kids found him to be hilarious, because he got away with saying things about their dad that they would not dream of saying to my face. For better or worse, my children still remember Mr. Bill and the many adventures he shared with them while on the road.
Later, my poor grandchildren were also exposed to my silly fabrications. A similar character by the name of "Rupert" lived in our SUV's air-conditioning vents. With a voice--surprisingly similar to the former "Mr. Bill"--he spoke to my oldest granddaughter about travels, foods, and recent neighbors that had moved into his neighborhood. Since Rupert was my right thumb, he often came into the house to join us in conversations that included his own stories about his neighbors who resembled dinosaurs, elephants, and crocodiles.
Needless to say, I miss those times. My kids and grandkids have outgrown those stories.
I'm hopeful that they will be able to enjoy visiting the settings that I write about, or at least experience vicariously some of those places. Maybe they will learn to appreciate the fiction that I'm publishing as much as they enjoyed the spinning of tall tales when they were growing up.
Great story!