Wake Me to My Dream

“Never once in my life did I ask God for success or wisdom or power or fame. I asked for wonder, and he gave it to me.”

― Abraham Joshua Heschel

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Dear Kate,

Last night I dreamed about a friend, actually the brother of a friend whom I have never met.  In fact this friend has not been a friend until very recently, though there's reason for me to know of him and him me from way back.

Anyway, it's complicated, but also very simple.

In a recent meeting, I've come to know he has a brother, a troubled brother, troubled since way back, a time when I was living in a parallel universe which never crossed path with his but could as well.

In my dream someone came to me, herself troubled, labored a whisper in my ear, "They've arrested XXX."

At first I didn't know whom she was referring to, for XXX is a very common English first name, so much so that any XXX might as well be nameless.

So I attempted to clarify, "You mean XXX?"

She was in great distress, more so for trying not to show, all to the effect, as I felt the closeness of her face sweating sorrow, to accuse me of neglect.

"No, YYY's brother, XXX."

Oh, I got it.

Got the character right, and the circumstance too, instinctively, right away, no further articulation needed from my messenger, to spare her of the embarrassment.

"Of course...of course...it'll all come down to this, sooner or later," I mumbled to me.

XXX was arrested for committing a lewd act in public, I acquiesced to my moral self.

I asked God for something in my prayer before bed last night, didn't know what then, certainly don't remember what now, and He woke me to a dream.

Yours, Alex