A Dream

Written on June 8th, 2013

from the paradise beaches of Koh Phi Phi

// I am walking down a leaf-covered path shadowed by palm trees. In a distance I hear the sound of drums and deep chanting in native tongues. I come across a young girl sitting on the concrete steps to her house. She asks “Can you help me? Please can you reach high and grab one and my father will pay you $200.” I look up. Antique globes hover above us covered in old world maps in exquisite detail. Suddenly I have a lanky, wooden stick that just reaches the one she points at. A smile crawls across her face, she bows, and repeatedly thanks me. “Look here is father now,” she whispers. I turn around as a parade marches towards us. A man in all white approaches me and begins to thank me for my service and pays me the promised money. I cannot accept this. A task so simple regardless of how valuable the globe was it was not my prize to possess.  Within a flash I’m in the front line of the parade. Colors swirl in my face, the beat of the drums consumes my thoughts, and the liveliness of the strangers overpower all my emotions and I’m left smiling, and laughing, and crying as a love I’ve never felt before rushes over my body. This is the happiest I’ve ever experienced. I throw my hands to the sky and move to the music around me and as my eyes meet the sun I suddenly lose everything. It’s dark again. I hold my breath trying to find that moment and like the world has knocked me off my feet, I gasp for air, open my eyes, and find myself in a dark room, a familiar place, out of breath snapping back to reality to realize I’m late for work. // I experienced this dream whilst traveling and I often think about its meaning and connection to my life. Inspired by one of Paulo Cohelo’s novels, I began to retell the dream on paper. Sitting on a gorgeous Thai beach on the island of Koh Phi Phi, I scribbled away at this short excerpt that may make its way into my own novel someday.Viktoria