The Dream Puzzle -5
Marco considered carefully his words before he spoke.
"Chet, I don't really have an answer for you on that one. I mean, I've seen some things I can't explain."
"It's alright…..just, uh, will ya forget I said anything? Please?"
Chet wouldn't make eye contact with Marco and Marco knew that he had embarrassed his friend. He tried to think of something to say to keep Chet talking; to open up to him. Marco knew that Chet needed to clear his head before their next run or the outcome could be very different than the apartment fire.
"Chet, what have you seen or heard….or whatever?"
"Nothing, man…nothing, just…..I just need some sleep that's all." Chet started to pick at his pant leg again; a nervous habit Marco had noticed before.
"I'm just…well….I had a really strange dream the other night and it kinda….I don't know…spooked me a little, ya know?"
Marco considered Chet's statement as thoughts of his own dream returned.
"So, when did it happen? Here while you were on shift?"
Chet refused to make eye contact with his friend. He was afraid he had crossed some boundary from which he might not be able to return. But, he had already opened the door so he knew he had to keep on going. He hesitated momentarily trying to get the sequence together in his mind before he relayed his story.
"Marco, I know this had to be a dream but I swear, it was just so real. I mean, I saw this guy…um, ….shit, man." He exhaled sharply before continuing.
"Marco, last shift I was having trouble sleeping, you know, and I rolled over in bed and…I saw this guy standing over your bed. I mean, he was just standing there kind of bent over at the waist and leaning down like he was looking at you…..well, I mean he was looking at you because when I raised up on one elbow to get a better look at him, he looked up at me…well, his beard shifted up anyway so I knew he was looking at me and then he was gone. I mean, you rolled over in your sleep and then, he was just gone…and I looked everywhere in the station but no one was here and…" Chet realized he wasn't making any sense. He moved to a sitting position and rested his elbows on his knees. He was afraid to look up at Marco. He didn't want to see the look in Marco's eyes and he sure didn't want to hear what Marco had to say. He deeply regretted his decision to say anything. He leaned his head further down and ran both hands through his dark curls.
"Chet,…..what did this guy look like?"
Chet chuckled nervously. He felt like Marco was just trying to be nice or something. "Marco, look….it's ok. I know it was just a dream and I'm making a mountain out of a mole hill so…" He was cut off by Marco's next statement.
"Chet, please…..I'm begging you to be honest with me ok? I REALLY need to know what this guy looked like?"
Chet heard the emotion in Marco's voice and couldn't understand why. "He, ah…he was wearing a loose fitting white shirt and he had kinda gold colored curly hair and a gold colored beard."
"Chet, what did his face look like? His eyes, nose…..what did they look like?"
"Marco, look, man, don't make fun of me, alright?" He stood abruptly and started to walk to the latrine but Marco grabbed his arm tightly.
"Chet, I am NOT making fun of you and I have my own reasons for asking….please, what did his face look like?"
Chet was more than a little freaked out by his friend's reaction to all this. Marco wasn't looking at him. He was staring at the floor. But Chet could feel his hand shaking as he gripped his arm tighter and he could hear the anxiety in Marco's voice. Shit Marco, you did see him didn't you? "I don't know, man. I couldn't see his face. Even when he looked up at me all I could see was his beard. His face was in the shadows."
Marco began to shake uncontrollably as he continued to look at the floor. Chet stood completely still; unsure of what was happening at the moment. Marco's grip loosened on Chet's arm and then slid back down to his own lap. Tears he couldn't explain were flowing down his cheeks as he realized that ninety percent of his own dream puzzle had just been completed. "Dulce Jesús, realmente sucedió."