BAD DREAM
HAVE YOU EVER HAD A BAD DREAM THAT MADE YOU
WAKE UP? WAKE UP IN A COLD SWEET OR SCREAMING AT THE
TOP OF YOUR VOICE? I GUESS SOME PEOPLE CALL THEM
NIGHTMARES. WELL I HAVEN’T BUT I KNOW SOMEONE THAT
DOES.
DO YOU EVEN DREAM? IF YOU DO, DO YOU DREAM
IN COLOR? SCIENTIST TELL US THAT EVERYONE DREAMS. IF I
DO I NEVER REMEMBER MY DREAMS SO I DON’T KNOW IF MINE
ARE IN COLOR OR NOT.
MY WIFE, JOHNNIE, DREAMS IN COLOR AND SHE
HAS SOME WILD DREAMS. SOME GOOD AND SOME BAD. WHEN SHE
HAS A BAD DREAM SHE AND EVERYONE ELSE IN THE HOUSE HAS
A BAD DAY THE NEXT DAY. WE ALL TIPTOE AROUND HER UNTIL
THE EFFECTS OF THE BAD DREAM WEAR OFF.
BUT JOHNNIE IS NOT THE ONE I HAD IN MIND
WHEN I TOLD YOU I KNEW SOMEONE THAT HAS BAD DREAMS. IT
IS OUR DOG LITTLE FOX. LET ME TELL YOU ABOUT HOW I
KNOW SHE HAS BAD DREAMS.
LITTLE FOX SLEEPS IN JOHNNIE’S BED ROOM.
SOMETIMES SHE SLEEPS ON THE BED WITH HER AND THE REST
OF THE TIME SHE SLEEPS ON HER PAD AT THE FOOT OF THE
BED.
SOMETIMES IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT LITTLE
FOX WILL WAKE UP HOWLING AND BARKING LOUD ENOUGH TO
WAKE UP EVERYBODY IN THE HOUSE. FOR ALL I KNOW SHE
MIGHT WAKE UP THE NEIGHBORS TOO. THIS HOWLING AND
BARKING WILL CONTINUE UNTIL JOHNNIE TAKES LITTLE FOX
IN HER ARMS AND SWEET TALKS HER. SHE HAS TO TELL
LITTLE FOX SHE IS ALL RIGHT AND SHE WAS JUST HAVING A
BAD DREAM.
IT HAD BEEN A WEEK SINCE LITTLE FOX HAD
WOKE US UP WITH HER HOWLING AND WE WERE ALL SLEEPING
SOUNDLY. THEN ABOUT THREE O’CLOCK IN THE MORNING SHE
HIT HER HIGH NOTE WITH HER HOWL.
I JUMPED UP OUT OF BED STILL HALF ASLEEP
AND RAN FOR THE DOOR OF MY BED ROOM. I THOUGHT THE
SMOKE ALARM WAS GOING OFF AND I WAS GOING TO GET EVERY
ONE OUT OF THE HOUSE. I FORGOT THE DOOR TO MY BED ROOM
WAS CLOSED AND I HIT IT GOING FULL OUT. I BOUNCED BACK
AND SAT DOWN ON THE FLOOR.
“WHAM”
THIS MADE LITTLE FOX HOWL EVEN LOUDER.
JOHNNIE JUMPED UP AND GRABBED HER PISTOL, THINKING
SOMEONE WAS TRYING TO BREAK IN. SHE RAN OUT INTO THE
HALL AND TURNED ON THE LIGHT. BY THIS TIME LITTLE FOX
HAD QUIT HOWLING AND FOLLOWED ALONG BEHIND HER TO SEE
WHAT WAS GOING ON.
JOHNNIE OPEN THE DOOR TO MY BEDROOM AND
FLIPPED ON THE LIGHT. SHE SAW ME SITTING THERE ON THE
FLOOR WITH BLOOD COMING OUT OF MY NOSE. “WHO HIT YOU,
WHERE ARE THEY?” SHE WANTED TO KNOW AS SHE WAVED HER
PISTOL AROUND.
LITTLE FOX CAME IN BEHIND HER AND STARTED
LICKING MY FACE, AS IF TO SAY IT’S ALRIGHT NOW WE ARE
HERE.
“PUT THAT GUN DOWN BEFORE YOU SHOOT ME.” I
MANAGED TO SAY. “ THERE’S NO ONE HERE BUT ME. I JUST
RAN INTO THE DOOR AND MADE MY NOSE BLEED.”
“WHAT DID YOU WANT TO DO THAT FOR?”
“I DIDN’T WANT TO DO IT I JUST DID. NOW GO
AWAY.”
JOHNNIE SAID SHE WAS GOING TO THE KITCHEN
TO MAKE HER A CUP OF COFFEE SHE WAS TO STRESSED OUT TO
GO BACK TO BED RIGHT NOW.
I GOT UP OFF THE FLOOR AND GOT A WASH RAG
AND WET IT WITH COLD WATER AND HELD IT TO MY NOSE
UNTIL IT STOPPED BLEEDING. THEN I WENT INTO THE
KITCHEN AND GOT A BIG GLASS OF COLD MILK, THE JAR OF
JIF PEANUT BUTTER AND A SPOON. I SAT DOWN AT THE TABLE
WITH JOHNNIE AND TOLD HER I WAS TO STRESSED OUT TOO TO
GO BACK TO BED.
AFTER A LITTLE WHILE I ASKED JOHNNIE,
“WHERE IS LITTLE FOX? DID YOU LET HER OUTSIDE?”
“I DON’T KNOW WHERE SHE IS.”
WE BOTH JUMPED UP FROM THE TABLE AND RAN
INTO JOHNNIE’S BEDROOM. THERE LITTLE FOX LAY ON
JOHNNIE’S BED WITH HER HEAD ON THE PILLOW SOUND
ASLEEP.
“WELL I’M GLAD SOMEONE CAN SLEEP BECAUSE
I’M WIDE AWAKE NOW AFTER TWO CUPS OF COFFEE.”
I TOLD JOHNNIE THAT I DIDN’T FEEL LIKE
SLEEPING EITHER. “SO WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO NOW?”
“WHY DON’T YOU COOK US SOME BREAKFAST?” SHE
ASKED.
“OK, BUT I’M NOT VERY HUNGARY AFTER ALL
THAT PEANUT BUTTER I ATE. I’LL COOK YOU SOME BACON AND
EGGS.”
“WHY DON’T YOU MAKE A PAN OF BISCUITS TO GO
WITH THE BACON AND EGGS?”
“OK”
SO WE SAT IN THE KITCHEN UNTIL PLUMB DAY
LIGHT AND LITTLE FOX SLEEP IN JOHNNIES BED AND HAD
SWEET DREAMS THE REST OF THE NIGHT.
NOW I ASK YOU AGAIN, HAVE YOU EVER HAD A
BAD DREAM THAT WOKE YOU UP IN A COLD SWEAT, SCREAMING
AT THE TOP OF YOUR VOICE? IF YOU HAVE, THEN YOU KNOW
HOW LITTLE FOX FEELS.
THE NEXT TIME LITTLE FOX HAD A BAD DREAM,
THINGS WERE DIFFERENT. OUR GRAND DAUGHTER AND HER TWO
KIDS WERE HERE AND WHEN LITTLE FOX STARTED HOWLING ...
OH! NO THAT’S A WHOLE NOTHER STORY FOR A DIFFERENT
TIME.
................................................................................................................... |
BY LOREN
MOORE
|
COPYRIGHT
2003 |