The Lost Voice

Toby was 8 years old and the shyest boy anyone knew. He hardly spoke in class, always hid behind his parents, when relatives visited and when someone asked him a question, he would look down at his shoes, mumbling something no one could hear. It wasn’t that Toby didn’t want to talk; he was just shy. Every time he tried to say something, his words seemed to get tangled up inside him, trapped in his throat. Toby’s parents worried about him. His mum tried to encourage him by saying, “Go on, Toby, tell Nanny about your drawing” and his dad would add, “you’ve got such great ideas, just speak up a little.” But no matter how hard Toby tried, he couldn’t push the words out in front of people. He just couldn’t do it, as much as he tried.

One rainy afternoon, Toby’s mum suggested they do a bit of cleaning in the loft. The loft was always full of strange and dusty things, old clothes, furniture, boxes of photos. Toby liked it up there because it felt like a different world. It was quiet and hidden away, just like Toby. So, while his mum dusted the old furniture, Toby rummaged through piles of forgotten toys, knick-knacks and boxes. As he moved an old rocking horse, he found something unexpected: a battered, old ventriloquist dummy tucked away in a corner, half-covered by a moth-eaten blanket. The dummy’s clothes were worn and faded, its wooden face chipped in places and its hair, what little of it was left, was a mess of stiff, wiry strands. It looked very sorry for itself.

But even though the dummy was old, there was something about it that made Toby’s heart race. Its bright, painted eyes seemed to be looking right at him and its crooked smile looked almost mischievous. “Who’s this?” Toby asked, holding up the dummy to get a better look. His mum turned around and when she saw what Toby was holding. Said “Oh, I remember that! That was your grandad’s old ventriloquist dummy. He used to do little shows with it when I was a girl. I think its name was Bertie.” “Bertie,” Toby repeated, staring into the dummy’s bright eyes. For some reason, he felt drawn to the old dummy. He wondered what it was like to use a ventriloquist dummy throwing his voice, making people laugh, and hiding behind a wooden partner. It sounded fun.

Maybe with a dummy like Bertie, he could say the things he was too scared to say on his own. That night, after dinner, Toby sat on the edge of his bed, holding Bertie in his lap. He fiddled with the dummy’s mouth and tried moving its head from side to side. He even tried making the dummy talk, his voice coming out as a shy little whisper. “Hello, I’m Bertie,” Toby murmured in his quietest voice. Suddenly, something unbelievable happened.  “I can do the talking myself, thanks,” Bertie said, his wooden mouth snapping shut after the words. Toby gasped, dropping the dummy in surprise. His eyes grew wide, and his heart pounded in his chest. He couldn’t believe it. *The dummy had spoken!* “You can, you can talk?” Toby stammered, staring at Bertie on the floor.

Bertie rolled his wooden eyes and sat himself upright. “Of course I can talk. I’ve been stuck in that dusty old loft for years just waiting for someone to pick me up again. And it looks like you’re my new partner.” Toby was too stunned to move. How could a dummy be alive? He had never seen anything like it. “But… but you’re just a dummy. How can you be alive?” Bertie chuckled, a scratchy sound that seemed to come from deep inside his wooden body. “Oh, I’m more than just a dummy. Let’s just say there’s a little magic involved.  I was waiting for the right person to bring me back to life. Looks like that person is you.” Toby blinked, trying to process what was happening. A living dummy? It sounded impossible, but here was Bertie, talking and moving on his own.

“The real question is,” Bertie said, tilting his head, “what are we going to do now that we’re together? A dummy like me doesn’t come alive just to sit on a shelf, you know. I used to do shows with your grandad, good shows. We made people laugh, and I think we can do that again. What do you say, partner?” Toby hesitated. He wasn’t like his grandad. He was too shy to even speak in front of people, let alone put on a show. “I… I don’t know if I can do that,” he whispered. “Nonsense!” Bertie said, hopping up onto Toby’s lap. “You’ve got me! We’ll start small, okay? Just with your family. You don’t even have to do the talking at first, I’ll take care of it. All you need to do is pretend you’re throwing your voice. I’ll show you how. Deal?”

Toby looked down at Bertie, still unsure. But there was something about the dummy’s cheerful, confident attitude that made Toby feel a little braver. Maybe… maybe this could work. Maybe, with Bertie’s help, he could finally speak up, without feeling so scared. “Deal,” Toby said quietly, nodding. So, over the next 2 weeks, with the help of his parents, who were so delighted that Toby had found something to spark his interest, helped him bring Bertie back to life. His dad did all the woodwork, painting and making sure all the moving parts worked. His mum, made new clothes for Bertie and did his hair. Finally, Bertie was ready and Toby began to practice a routine with Bertie. Over the following evenings after school Toby would practice.

A month after finding the dummy, one evening, after dinner, Toby gathered his family in the living room. He was nervous, his hands trembling slightly as he held Bertie, but the dummy whispered, “You’ve got this. Don’t worry, I’ll do the talking.” Toby’s parents and little sister sat on the couch, looking curious. They had never seen Toby perform before and his mum gave him an encouraging smile. “Ladies and gentlemen!” Bertie announced in his squeaky, raspy voice. “Thank you for coming to the greatest dummy show in the world, starring me, Bertie, and my very talented partner, Toby!” Toby’s parents exchanged surprised looks, but they clapped, amused. Toby didn’t say a word. He just moved his lips as little as possible, pretending to throw his voice. But Bertie did all the talking.

He told jokes, made funny faces and even did a little dance on Toby’s lap. Even did a costume change.Toby’s family laughed and clapped and Toby couldn’t help but smile. He had never been able to make people laugh before, not like this. “You’re a natural,” Bertie whispered to Toby between jokes. “See? Nothing to it.” When the show was over, Toby’s mum hugged him tightly. “That was wonderful,  I didn’t know you had it in you.” His dad smiling proudly, said “You’ve got real talent. That was really impressive.” Toby blushed, feeling a warmth in his chest he hadn’t felt before. It felt good to make his family laugh. And for the first time in his life, Toby didn’t feel shy. He felt confident, like maybe he really could do this, it was a good feeling.

Over the next few weeks, Toby and Bertie practiced even more, every day after school. Bertie taught Toby how to move the dummy’s mouth just right, how to time the jokes and most importantly, how to keep his own lips from moving while Bertie “talked.” At first, Bertie did most of the talking, but as they practiced, Toby started to get better at pretending to throw his voice. One day, after a particularly good practice session, Bertie said, “You’re getting the hang of this, kid. I think it’s time we take this show on the road.” “On the road?” Toby asked, confused. Bertie nodded. “We’ve been practicing in front of your family, but it’s time to show your friends what we can do. Trust me, they’ll love it. Besides, you’re ready for a bigger audience.”  

Toby’s stomach did a nervous flip. His friends? Performing in front of his family was one thing, but in front of his friends? What if he messed up? What if they laughed at him, not with him? “I… I don’t know if I can,” Toby said, biting his lip. Bertie gave Toby a reassuring smile. “You’ve already done it once. This will be just like before, but with a few more people. You’re good, Toby. You just don’t know it yet.” Toby thought about it for a moment. He had been practicing a lot, and Bertie was right, his family had loved the show. Maybe his friends would too. Maybe, if Bertie was there with him, he could do it. “Okay,” Toby said, taking a deep breath. “I’ll try.” A few days later, Toby invited some friends over to his house for a “special surprise.”

They all gathered in the garden, sitting in a circle on the grass, waiting to see what Toby had planned. Toby’s heart pounded in his chest as he held Bertie, trying to ignore the butterflies in his stomach. “Relax,” Bertie whispered. “You’ve got this.” Toby nodded, though he still felt a little shaky. He took a deep breath and stood up in front of his friends. “Um, hi, everyone,” he said quietly. “Thanks for coming. I, um… I have a dummy show to show you.” His friends exchanged curious glances. They had never seen Toby do anything like this before. Some of them knew how shy he was, and they weren’t sure what to expect. Toby sat down, propping Bertie up on his lap. He swallowed hard, his mouth was very dry and then started the show.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” Toby said, trying to keep his lips still, “welcome to the greatest dummy show you’ve ever seen!” Bertie took over, cracking jokes and making funny faces, just like they had practiced. And before long, Toby’s friends were laughing and clapping along. Toby relaxed a little, letting Bertie do the work and soon he was even adding a few of his own jokes to the mix. By the end of the show, Toby’s friends were cheering and asking when they could come see another one. “That was awesome, Toby!” one of his friends said. “I didn’t know you could do that!” Toby blushed, feeling proud. “Thanks,” he said, his voice a little more confident.  “It’s just… something I’ve been practicing.” “Yeah, well, you’re really good at it,” his friend replied.

For the first time in his life, Toby felt like he had done something special, something that made people notice him in a good way. He wasn’t the shy, quiet boy hiding in the background anymore. He was Toby, the ventriloquist. As the weeks went on, Toby and Bertie started doing more and more shows. They performed for family, friends and even at Toby’s school talent show. Every time, Bertie did most of the talking, but Toby’s confidence grew. He wasn’t as scared of people anymore and he loved making them laugh. One evening, after another successful show at a friend’s birthday party, Bertie turned to Toby and said, “You’re getting really good at this, you know. You don’t even need me to do all the talking anymore.”

Toby looked at Bertie in surprise. “But… you’re the one who makes the show funny. I can’t do it without you.” Bertie shook his head. “Oh, you can. You’ve been learning how to throw your voice this whole time. I’ve been helping you get used to being in front of people, but now it’s time for you to take over.” Toby felt a lump in his throat. “But… what if I mess up?” “You won’t,” Bertie said kindly. “You’ve got what it takes, Toby. You just needed a little push to get started. And now, you’re ready.” Toby was quiet for a moment. He had come a long way since he first found Bertie in the attic. He wasn’t as shy anymore, and he loved performing. But the thought of doing it without Bertie scared him. Seeing Toby’s hesitation, Bertie smiled softly.

"I’ll still be here, you know. But from now on, it’s your voice people will hear. You’re ready for this.” Toby nodded slowly. “Okay… I’ll try.” The next week, Toby decided to do a small show for his family again. This time, he didn’t ask Bertie to do the talking. He moved the dummy’s mouth, but it was his voice coming out. “Ladies and gentlemen,” Toby said, keeping his lips still just like Bertie had taught him, “welcome to the show!” He performed the entire routine on his own, telling jokes and making Bertie “talk” without any help. His family clapped and cheered and Toby felt prouder than ever. After the show, he looked down at Bertie. The dummy’s eyes were still bright, but he wasn’t moving or talking anymore. “You did it, Toby.”

Bertie whispered quietly, though this time, his mouth didn’t move. “You didn’t need me this time.” Toby smiled. “Thanks for helping me, Bertie. I couldn’t have done it without you.” "You are very welcome," replied Bertie. From that day on, Toby kept performing, becoming more confident with each show. Bertie was still part of the act, but now it was Toby’s voice that made everyone laugh. He wasn’t the shy, quiet boy hiding behind his parents anymore. Thanks to Bertie, Toby had found his voice. And while Bertie no longer spoke on his own, Toby knew that the dummy’s magic was still there, hidden beneath the wooden smile, just waiting for the next shy boy who needed a friend to help him find his voice. Who ever that boy was, he was going to be a very lucky boy.

Footnote: What Toby never knew and what Bertie kept a secret, is who his Great grandfather was, his grandfather was, none other than……. well, that’s another story, mind you, you could always ask Bertie.