Dream

[thomryng]

Today on the way into work, I saw a huge white rat rooting around the bushes. But this is supposed to be about what woke me up last night.



It started, appropriately enough, with cyclometh saying, "So tell us your dream, Fuckchop." He was sitting on my couch, which had somehow migrated to a spot near the front door.

It was a party, of sorts. I was sitting on the floor of my apartment, only it was too bright and the carpet was white and the furniture was was three shades lighter. Sitting with me on the floor were gremliness, wolfelounge, and Jeanine Nitz, an old Borders co-worker that I haven't seen in years.

As I begin to talk, jaynefury comes up to me and says that I've had a phone call and a visitor has arrived. I'm to meet him on the corner.

I get up and leave my apartment, only the door leads to a sort of industrial park or warehouse district. I cross a long parking lot and go through what appears to be a short airport terminal. On the corner, just beyond sliding glass doors, I see my grandfather.

I'm smiling as I rush up to see him. As we start walking back to my apartment, I ask him what he's doing in town.

"I just flew back to drop off your father, so I thought I'd drop in for a visit." Now this makes zero sense, as my dad lives in suburban Illinois, my grandfather is from Chicago, and I'm over in Tacoma, Washington.

We talk for awhile, inconsequential pleasantries. He mentions to me that he wants to get a haircut while he's here - no, he wants his hair shaved off and put into a ziplock bag. Rather odd, I think.

We get back to the apartment, and my grandmother is there outside the door, looking frail and tired in a wheelchair and crocheted shawl. He doesn't see her, and I pass her by as I might a statue.

I show him around the apartment. mskoi waves as she ducks into the bathroom as we pass. The door is painted black with swirly designs in yellow and white.

I introduce him around and suddenly realize that other than myself, my grandfather, and cyclometh, everybody at this party is female.

There's somebody I'm trying to introduce, but I can't remember her name. She's got dark hair in a 1920's style bob and round glasses. I finally say to her, "well, this is my grandfather Louis Janowski, won't you introduce yourself?"

We reach the end of the tour in my bedroom, where jaynefury is putting some towels in the laundry. Apparently somebody spilled a drink. I introduce them, and they chat for awhile. She gets him to laugh, a rarity.

Finally, she turns to me and says, "You know, your grandfather is pretty sprightly for somebody's who's supposed to be dead."

And then it hits me. He is. Has been. How could I not remember?

I woke up quite suddenly, afraid and lonely.