Dreams are for real
MONDAY
The shrill sound of the alarm clock caused me to wake up from a very interesting dream.
I slowly got out of bed. Washed,dressed,had breakfast and then went to work.
The conveyor belt of bottles slowly moved from one end of the bottle factory to the next. Strung out in a line and equidistant apart were Professor,Dirty Harry,Casanova and I.
The noise of the machinery and vibrating bottles precluded any conversation. The hooter sounded for the mid-morning break and we walked out from the factory floor to the staff room.
"I hate mondays," said Casanova.
"Yea. Me to,remarked Dirty Harry. Just when you are enjoying yourself and starting to chill out,you have to go back to work,it's not fair."
"The way I see it,commented Casanova,it should be five days for the weekend and two days for the weekday."
"And you would still moan about the two days that you have to come to work," said the Professor.
We all laughed.
"You are a bit quiet today Brandon! Are you ok?," inquired the Professor.
"I am all right," I replied.
That night,in my bedsit,I set the alarm clock for seven thirty the next morning. I pulled back the covers of my bed and slid under the sheets.
AUTUMN
I woke up,opened the door and serveyed the five acres of land next to the cottage. The light autumn breeze added a touch of freshness to the air. I went back inside to fortify myself for the coming days' work.
At this time of year,the main crops have to be gathered in and stored for the winter. I lifted the main crops of potatoes and left them to dry for a day or two before I stored them. I cleared the peas and beans,planted two new fruit trees and fell some mature trees for firewood.
At sundown I went to bed.
As soon as my head hit the pillow,the alarm bell of the clock rang and I found myself in the bedsit.
TUESDAY
I stopped the alarm with my right hand and went into a fitfull doze.
I snapped out of my slumber,looked at the clock and leaped out of bed.
Eight forty-five.
That gave me only fifteen minutes to get dressed,have breakfast and to be at work.
I slowed down and thought of the futility of hurrying. Needless to say,I was one hour late that morning.
"Where have you been? inquired my boss.
"I over slept," I replied.
"Don't make a habit of it," he snapped and left it at that.
I took my place along the conveyor belt and got down to work.
"You look tired," commented Dirty Harry at dinner time.
"Last night I had a very vivid dream," I said
"A wet dream," smiled Casanova.
"Not that kind of dream," I replied.
"Tell me about it," said the Professor.
"For the second night running,I have been having the same dream, or aspects of the same dream," I started.
"What's the similarity between the first and second dream?" interrupted the Professor.
"Well,I began. In both dreams I am in a cottage. No,I wake up in bed in a cottage,then I am working on the land."
"How does the dream ends?"
"It does not. In both cases,the alarm of my clock wakes me up."
"Hmm,said the Professor. I wonder what will happen if the alarm is off."
"He will never wake up," remarked Dirty Harry.
The ten o'clock news finished and I switched the television off. I set the alarm for seven thirty,put my night clothes on,yawned and eased myself into bed.
WINTER
I got out of bed and shivered as I put on my clothes. I lit a fire in the hearth and went in the kitchen to make my breakfast. The cold winter wind whistled as it sped along. I opened the door and looked outside. A light covering of snow scattered across the land,the sky thick with snow clouds.
I went out and repaired the fence in the back of the cottage. I began a new compost heap and pruned all the fruit trees.
At twilight I went back inside. The warmth of the cottage welcomed me from the cold outdoors. I made a meal and settled in a chair near the hearth,the warmth of the fire seeping through me.
I slowly fell asleep and;
"Brandon!,wake up. Wake up lazy bones. We need to start early for the harvest."
I opened my eyes,sunlight streamed through the window of the bedroom.
"Dad?" I gulped.
"How?" I began.
The alarm bell rang and I was wrenched from the double dream and into the bedsit.
WEDNESDAY
At work,I told Casanova,the Professor and Dirty Harry about my double dream.
"I have never heard of a dream within a dream," started Csanova.
"We don't fully know or why we dream," said the Professor.
"I dream of chilling out most of the time," commented Dirty Harry.
"We don't mean that type of dreaming," retorted Casanova.
"Hey. Hold it,said the Professor. Dirty Harry has got a point here. You don't need to go to bed and sleep to dream. You can daydream. Everyone has got their heart's desire,which is their personal dream."
"I was born and raised on a farm and I have always enjoyed being in the countryside," I interrupted.
"Seems logical,said the professor. In your heart of hearts,you hanker after a simple life in the country and when you sleep,your mind is free to give you your hearts desire."
That night,I set the alarm for seven thirty and then went to bed.
SPRING
The bird songs outside the bedroom told me it was time to get up. I got dressed and went out,the weather very cool and sunny. The winters' snow had melted,leaving the soil moist,ready to be warmed by the sun.
I went back to the cottage,did my ablutions and had breakfast.
I need to get some animals on the farm. They would help with the benign cycle. Namely,the soil feed the plants,the plants feed the animals,the animals manure the land,the manure feeds the soil,the soil feeds the plants..... I would also need a mate for friendship and to help me on the farm.
There is much to do in the spring,so I got going after breakfast.
I ploughed a section of land and put in twelve rows of early potatoes. I hoed the ground around the blackcurrants,gooseberries and raspberries. Early turnips,soya beans and swedes went in a plot next to the potatoes.
I put three rows each of onions and carrots. I milled grain for some fresh flour and come sundown I was bone tired.
I moved inside,made a quick meal and went to bed.
THURSDAY
The alarm snapped me out of my dream. I rubbed the sleep from my eyes,yawned and shuffled across the corridor to the bathroom with my towel,soap and shaving razor. I came back to my room,enjoyed a leisurely breakfast and went to work.
"Did you dream about the cottage and working on the land?" inquired the Professor.
"Yes," I replied.
"Seems a shame going to work when you can enjoy yourself in the great outdoors on the farm," began Dirty Harry.
"It's only a dream farm," laughed Casanova.
"I have been thinking about what Dirty Harry said on Tuesday morning, I said. Maybe if I don't set the alarm, I will not wake up and live in the dream as I am living here now."
"Interesting,said the Professor. If that is the case,your physical body will eventually die."
"And your dream body will die as well," finished Dirty Harry.
"Not necessarily,remarked the Professor. We don't know where our mind goes when the physical body dies."
"Don't do it Brandon. Don't kill yourself?" cried Casanova.
"What have I got to live for? A sixty year old man with no formal qualifications,working in a bottle factory and living in a bedsit. Is that a life?" I retorted.
"In this past week,I can see that the dream has been more real and enyoyable to you than this life," surmised the Professor.
"Yes,except for you guys. I have enjoyed working with all of you," I said.
"I'll miss you," said the Professor.
"Me too," put in Dirty Harry and and Casanova in unison.
That night,I put the alarm clock downstairs in the rubbish bin and hurried to bed.
SUMMER
The purring noise woke me up. Jasper our cat stood on my chest. I stroked his head and the purring got louder.
I turned on my right side and gave my wife a hug. Jasper slid off my chest and snuggled between us. Outside,the cows mooed,eager for their early morning milking. Jasper jumped out of bed and made his way towards the kitchen.
"It's your turn to milk the cows," said my wife. "Later," I replied,putting my hand on her buttocks.
She giggled,pressed herself against me and gave me a long,lingering kiss.
Much later, as I was dressing, my wife said;
"Breakfast will be ready when you get back."
I went down to the cowshed and milked both cows. I carried the bucket with the milk to the kitchen and put some milk in Jasper's tray.
I took two cups from the table and filled them with milk. We sat down to our breakfast and talked about the chores for the day.
The warm morning sun bathed us as we walked out of the door.
I looked around me and gave a satisfying sigh as I went to do the first chore of the day. 24258210
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