Friday, March 6th, 2009.
A Change of Seasons
My family is happy. It’s been a very long time since we’ve all been gathered like this. It’s also very refreshing to be outside, in the middle of these thin oak woodlands. My parents, uncle, and a few cousins are dancing in the middle of the area, where a circular patch of sand covers the ground. There is enough space in this grove to park a few cars and pitch some tents, which leads me to believe we are most likely camping out here. Everybody is having a good time, either dancing, singing, or just socializing. I decide to join the dancing game that’s going on in the middle. My mom playfully laughs at me while I make a fool out of myself by dancing like a drunken man, even though I did not sip a drop of alcohol.
I then find myself at home, where my entire family is still gathered, and still having a good time. I stand in my kitchen, overlooking the dinning room and the outside porch, and can’t help but feel very content to see my whole family present. This is one of those times when everybody at the party feels welcomed and loved. Everybody belongs here and it shows through their relaxed facial expressions and genuine smiles. I suddenly get a call from an old friend from Canada, who says we should meet up while I’m in town. I am now very confused, for I am in my home in the US, however this guy convinces me that I’m in town, in Canada. I ask my mom where we are and before she gives me an answer, my surroundings morph into a strange, old looking place.
My friend Andy is here, along with his huge backpack, as if he’s traveling through town or something. I realize that I too, have a backpack on my back. Andy looks at me confused. Apparently we’ve been walking for a long time, and I’ve been leading the way. Now that I stop and look around, unsure of where I am, Andy looks at me with anxiety in his eyes. His eyes don’t literally speak, but I can clearly read “Are we lost?” in them. I don’t want to scare him so I smile at him and keep walking on what seems to be a trail. The area is very gray and quiet. The ground is dark and so is the sky. We eventually arrive at a huge building that seems to pierce the sky. The hole where the building pierces seems to be leaking colors into the sky, which is very comforting. A soothing pale blue comes out of the hole to slowly fill the sky with color. The building looks like an old hotel, and behind it is a large metal framed bridge that leads to who knows where. We decide to enter the building.
On the way to the front door, I notice a pair of thin, rusty metal poles lying around on the ground. For no apparent reason, I pick them up and use them as a walking stick. Thing is, they are nowhere near efficient to be used as a walking stick, for they bend every time I put pressure on them. So as they stay solid in my right hand, they follow the pattern of my left foot as I walk towards the entrance of the building. When we arrive inside, I am amazed at the sight we are presented with. There is a dark red carpet on the floor and the walls are made of maple wood. There is wooden furniture everywhere, making the place feel very authentic. Suddenly, a maid dressed of black and white appears from behind the counter. She walks over in my direction.
Since I don’t have a pick to break the ice, I go with “Hello, can I put my sticks over here?” pointing in a corner between the east wall and a large wooden desk.
“You looked depress-ed”, she says with a thick accent.
“Depressed? I’m not depressed”, I say.
“You look very tired”, she says with a worried look on her face.
I don’t understand why she is saying this to me, and it bothers me that she seems so concerned. With great exaggeration, I then purposely make myself look very sad for a few moments.
"I AM tired”, I say, followed with a huge grin, to prove that I was only joking.
The two extremities of her mouth suddenly ascend as high as her eyes, which themselves become very reassured. She walks back towards the counter with a warm smile on.
I then leave my sticks where I originally pointed, and walk away. I then wake up…
|
|
Bookmarks