Kapitel 2: A Shade of Grey
I pushed the door open and greeted my parents before walking to my room and closing the door behind me. I had told them that I would be skipping dinner tonight too because I wasn't in the mood to eat, not to mention that the food that was on the table won't be enough to feed me anyway.
I placed my homework in front of me and kept looking at it. I squeezed my mind to find something to write but in vain. No matter what, I couldn't convince myself to accept one of the known jobs. It would have been a good thing to write whatever, but Mom always said lying was a bad thing.
Leaning my head on the table and playing around with my pencil, pushing it up the slanting desk and catching it again with my finger. I mentally listed every job I knew and wondered if I could fit in it. Farmer, the last time I went to help Dad in the fields, I ended up bedridden because of heat stroke.
Medicine, I could never bear looking at blood, I've always fainted when I see it profusely pouring when someone is injured.
Business? I would no doubt cause more losses that way.
Working with machines and gears, it sounded complicated for my simple mind who could barely catch up with the math teacher.
Art...
My finger stopped and the pencil fell with a clunk to the ground. My mind snapped back to reality.
Before I knew it, it was midnight. My parents went to bed and I was the only one awake. I opened my window and looked up at the black night sky. It was so wide and beautiful that it helped me forget my problem for a second. I lost myself in nature's beauty and thought back at the past.
At some point, all the kids in my class didn't have Dreams, we were happy with only playing around and doing the things we love, only worrying about today and not bothering about what could be in the future. But one after the other, each one of my friends got a Dream, until finally, I was the only one left.
I remembered all of that while star gazing and didn't snap out of it until I heard that very familiar voice. " Dreams! Dreams! Who wants a Dream?! Dreams! Dreams! Who wants a Dream?!"
It was the Dreams' old man. He finally appeared with his skinny silhouette and bent back, leaning on a cane of wood to walk with one hand and grabbing a very big bag that was hanging on his shoulder with the other. He kept yelling. " Dreams! Dreams! Who wants a Dream!"
This old man was the source of the Dreams. He has been there for as long as I can remember. No one remembered exactly for how much time he had been around or when he actually appeared.
But Dad told me that he first came to this village when he was still a boy. And as far as he could remember, the old man had always been... so old. His age is one of the seven mysteries.
I leaned on the sill and watched him as he walked in front of me. The old man would usually pass by this village and sell Dreams for us. Who knows, maybe he goes to other villages and sells Dreams there too.
Once this old man first appeared in the village, Dad said that the people weren't very interested in his Dreams. But he kept coming every night and repeating the same line. Some of the wealthy decided to give it a try and bought some Dreams. Soon after seeing their efficiency, a lot of the lower classes followed after them, hoping that their children could have a better future.
Dad was the only kid without a Dream back then because grandfather believed he didn't need one. He used to tell him that as long as he had a piece of earth and his arms, he didn't need any Dreams.
But soon grandfather fell sick, and the small piece of earth that he had once owned was sold in order to buy him the medicines. But they couldn't do anything for his aged heart.
I still remember my grandfather begging for forgiveness from my father in his last moments. Telling him that he was sorry for depriving him of a small Dream.
After my grandfather was buried, Dad decided to share a piece of his past with me and told me that once ago, he wanted to be an engineer. But now, he is working as a worker on the land his father once owned.
Mom's story is not better. When the old man came, and when the poor families started to get Dreams for their children, mom was the only daughter among six sons. She too wanted a Dream, she wanted and craved a very pink and shy one. But her father told her that she wouldn't get one, that he would be only able to buy Dreams for his sons, and that she didn't even need one since she had her brothers to rely on.
But now, her parents are gone, and her brothers each parted in their own journey through life. And she was to stay and struggle through poverty here in this village filled with Dreams.
I thought about all that as the old man passed in front of me. I thought that it wasn't fair at all. For some to be able to get Dreams and others not for multiple reasons.
Suddenly the man tripped and fell down and his rhythmic calls were cut off. I kept watching him as he struggled to stand up before I finally gave in to my heart and went to help him.
I got out and was surprised by how dark the place was. That's right... We're the only ones here. So why does this old man bother himself to come here anyway?
I helped him to his feet and walked him to a nearby tree before letting him sit down there for a bit of rest.
" Thank you for your help, young man," he spoke out. " but can I ask for another favor? Could you please bring me some water and a piece of bread, I'm very thirsty and starving."
I kept looking at him for a few seconds before going back to the cottage and coming out with a glass of water and a small piece of bread. " We don't have cold water and this piece of bread is all that's left from dinner," I told him.
" That's fine, I don't mind it," he said as he took the glass and the bread from me. When he finished his very poor and simple meal, he looked up to me. " What's your name, boy?"
I thought for a second, should I tell him? We were always told to not give our names to strangers, and it was always associated with stories of kidnapping, death and horrible witches. But the Dreams' old man is not a stranger to the village. Finally, I decided to tell him. " Yume... My name is Yume..."
" Dream, huh?" He eyed me for a moment before speaking. " Do you have one?" I blinked twice, not getting what he was speaking of. " I mean a Dream, do you have one?"
I shook my head and the old man rubbed his very long white beard. " I see, then you don't have a one..." He reached for his big bag and opened it. He gestured to me to get closer and I did so. When I peeked inside it, my eyes widened when I saw the many multicolored small balls of fur there. They were all sleeping peacefully. " Choose one."
" But I don't have the money!" I exclaimed.
" Don't care about it, just choose one." I looked inside again, at the beautiful red, pink, blue, yellow, and green colors. They were all so cute and very beautiful, they made my eyes sparkle and my hand extended t grab one. But it stopped, I couldn't choose.
" Sorry, I can't," I told him. " I don't know what I want to be, that's why I can't pick a Dream, at least not now." What if I picked the wrong one, what if it ended up... I swallowed at the thought of me harming one of this cute things.
The old man rubbed his beard again before closing his bag. " I see, then maybe I can make a deal with you," he said as he reached into his pocket and took out something. He opened his very old wrinkled hand and showed that thing to me. My eyes widened and my mouth dropped open when I saw it. A grey colored small ball of fur was sleeping peacefully. " A grey Dream!" I murmured with an amazed tone.
" It's the uncolored Dream."
" Uncolored Dream?"
" Dreams without colors. To simplify it for you, a Dream that doesn't know what type of blessings it should be giving."
" Then what's the use of it?"
" It has no use, that's why no one buys it. I can't sell it like this but I can't get rid of it, that's cruel."
" And why are you showing it to me?"
" This Dream can help you, and you can help it. The uncolored Dream can obtain a color if it is raised well. Take care of it until it gets a color and I will come to get it from you in exchange for any Dream you want. I'm sure after you will take care of it, you will have an idea of what kind of Dreams you should get."
" And what if I don't get an idea of what I want to be?"
" Oh you will son, I'm the Dreams' old man, and I know you will. So, what's your answer?"
I thought about it, I may get a Dream after all. That was too tempting. Refusing such deal is almost impossible.
Finally, I nodded at him. The old man had a grin across his face and patted my shoulder. " Then I shall trust you with it son, take good care of it. And don't forget that Dreams-"
" Grow with affection, love and hard work. They're linked to your feelings so be honest with them. And don't forget that a Dream is the same as a baby," I continued for him. The old man's grin seemed to get wider and he finally placed the grey Dream in my hands. It shifted slowly in my palms and gave a loud yawn.
" Then, I shall take my leave now," he said as he stood up and reached for his cane before leaning on it and walking away, repeating his usual call. " Dreams! Dreams! Who wants a Dream!"...
Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
-- Power-
Rangliste 
-- Power-
Stein