Character Interview: Robbie from The Basement

Hi everyone and welcome to my blog! My first novel The Basement is doing okay as far as sales! I want to thank all my fans and followers because without you guys this would not be possible. I also wanted to share my new book trailer (above). International Book Promo did a great job putting it together for me and I’m proud to show it off. I love it! I hope you do too!

Today, I am going to interview a significant person in my life. I’ve come to know him very well.

I speak of a young boy who goes by the name of Robbie. He is the main character in The Basement: Robbie’s Rite of Passage. Some of you have already gotten to know him quite well, others are in the process of getting to know him, but there are still many that have never heard of him.

Whether you’ve read The Basement already or have not had the chance to yet, Robbie is a boy worth getting to know, and this interview will reveal things that I don’t even know. So there will be surprises even for me.

I expect Robbie will be here at any moment.

(The sudden resonating echo of knuckles rapping on a door.)

Oh! That must be Robbie now.

(The clicking of high heels resound on the floor as Vashti, who dressed up for the occasion, walks to the door and opens it.)

Robbie’s here! I’m trembling with excitement. He is a handsome boy with eyes that reflect wisdom beyond his eleven years, along with a bit of sorrow. He has a dulcet smile. I can tell he’s nervous because he’s tugging on his checkered shirt, and his big brown eyes have not yet settled on one spot. Hmmm, I think we should get started before he changes his mind.

Robbie

Vashti: Hi Robbie, how are you?

Robbie: Great!

 

 

Vashti: Lets have a seat and get comfortable so that we may start.

Robbie: Okay. (He looks around and sits with his hands together, rubbing them slightly.)

 

 

Vashti: Robbie, are you nervous?

Robbie: Um, yeah! (He giggles.)

 

 

Vashti: Well, don’t be nervous. I’m just going to ask you a few questions, and I want you to be as honest as possible with your answers. Your fans want to get to know you better. What do you think about that?

Robbie: That’s really cool.

 

 

Vashti: Who brought you to the interview?

Robbie: My mom.

 

 

Vashti: Oh, good! I’d like to meet her.

Robbie: I’m pretty sure she wants to meet you, too. You should go talk to her after this.

 

 

Vashti: I will certainly do that, Robbie. Now, lets get started.

(Robbie swallows hard and fidgets around a bit.)

 

 

Vashti: Robbie, do you enjoy school?

Robbie: Sometimes…um most of the times.

 

 

Vashti: When do you not enjoy school?

Robbie: Ah, there are, um, kids that pick on me sometimes.

 

 

Vashti: Why do they pick on you?

Robbie: I don’t know. I guess because I’m smaller than they are, and like, I get good grades and they don’t.

 

 

Vashti: Yes, you are an honor student. Your parents must be very proud.

Robbie: My mom is. (He lowers his head.)

 

 

Vashti: Your mom? How about your dad?

Robbie: (He shakes his head.) He doesn’t care. He’d rather I be an athlete like he was before he hurt his knee. He thinks I’m a wimp. I guess I am.

 

 

Vashti: Why, because you don’t play sports? That does not make you a wimp!

Robbie: My dad sure thinks so. He doesn’t care that I get straight A’s. My mom does care and we celebrate, just the two of us, on report card day.

 

 

Vashti: That’s very nice. How do you and your mom celebrate?

Robbie: We go to a bookstore in our neighborhood, and I get to pick out any book I want, and then we go for ice cream! (His face lights up.)

 

 

Vashti: That sounds like fun.

Robbie: It is.

 

 

Vashti: Robbie, do you think your father loves you?

Robbie: (His eyes fall to the ground, and he slumps a bit.) I guess he has to because he’s my dad, but he doesn’t like me. He wishes Nathan, Nestor or even Freddie were his son instead of me, I’m sure.

 

 

Vashti: Tell us — who are these people you mentioned?

Robbie: Oh! Nathan is one of my best friends, and he’s a very nice guy. We know Nestor from church. He’s a youth leader. All the kids look up to him. We call Freddie Spiderman because he’s the strongest teen in the neighborhood, and he does “Daredevil” stuff that no one else dares to do.

 

 

Vashti: What makes you think your father would rather have one of them as his son instead of you?

Robbie: My dad doesn’t yell at them or call them names like he does me. He puts his arm around them and pats them on the back when they do something that pleases him. I guess I never make him happy because he never does that to me.

 

 

Vashti: Tell me about Natasha.

Robbie: (He turns beet red and giggles.) What do you want to know about her?

 

 

Vashti: What is she like?

Robbie: She’s the most beautiful girl I know. She’s really smart, and she’s athletic too. She always beats me in a race. She and Barney are my very best friends. (Big grin.)

 

 

Vashti: Tell me about Barney. Do you think your father would want him as a son?

Robbie: Nah! Barney is too much like me. He’s a nerd, too! (He giggles.)

 

 

Vashti: Robbie, I’ve heard some disturbing news about something your father wants you to do. Could you tell me about that?

Robbie: Um. He… he wants me to go down to our basement at night. He thinks that if I go down there in the dark and kill the mice that nest there, I will prove to him and the neighbors that I’m a real man.

 

 

Vashti: What? You’re only eleven years old!

Robbie: I know! I told him that, but he says I have to do it anyway.

 

 

Vashti: Will you do it? Will you go down to the basement? At night?

Robbie: I have to! If I don’t, my father will go on believing that I’m a wimp and a scaredy cat. He’ll continue to call me names and embarrass me in front of my friends. I have to do it!

 

 

Vashti: Have you ever been down to your basement before?

Robbie: No, but everyone knows that there are creatures living in that basement.

 

 

Vashti: Creatures? What kind of creatures?

Robbie: No one knows for sure, but Barney’s cousin saw one. It nearly killed him!

 

 

Vashti: That’s terrible! Surely your father doesn’t know about the creatures. Otherwise he wouldn’t be sending you down there.

Robbie: He’s heard the rumors, but he doesn’t believe them. Anyway, he’s too drunk to care whether it’s true or not. I guess tonight I will find out unless my dad changes his mind. (Robbie stares straight ahead and tugs on his shirtsleeves.)

 

 

Vashti: Okay! Well, that is the end of our interview. Thank you so much for stopping by, Robbie. It was a real pleasure having you. Oh, and tell your mom to wait for me a moment while I wrap this up.

Robbie: Thank you. Bye!

 

 

(Robbie smiles faintly and walks away.)

 

 

Oh, I’m sure his father will reconsider and not make him go down to that scary basement. If not, surely his mother will not allow it, right? Of course! Robbie will be alright. Won’t he?

The Basement’s main character Robbie

Robbie’s dulcet smile

 

** The Basement is temporarily unavailable for purchase due to issues with the Publisher. It will be available again late this year.