I have had dreams before, but none as extraordinary as the one that changed my aspect of things. It changed them so greatly, it changed the way I live my life.
I awoke in a small room. There was nothing special about it, just a simple Japanese furnished room. There was a small dresser in the corner, a blooming cherry branch in a vase sitting on top. I began to stand when I noticed a folded paper card perched next to where I had lay. I picked up said card, the note inside was scribed in Kanji. Somehow I was able to gather “There is a wardrobe for you in the top drawer of the dresser. Get dressed and go to the plaza.” I set the card down and went to the dresser. Inside there was a beautiful midnight blue kimono with koi stitched into the fabric. I eagerly got covered because, after viewing the kimono I realized that I wasn’t wearing anything.
As the day began, I made my way to the plaza. Walking down the stone paved pathway, I came across a couple enjoying the nice weather. I walked up and we exchanged salutations, I then asked them if they could tell me where the plaza was. They told me that it was in the middle of the village, and that I would find it if I continued down the path I couldn’t miss it.
I continued down the path and made it to the village. It was a small village with no more than two dozen buildings. I could see the gigantic old sakura tree that marked my destination. While I walked to the plaza there was a large amount of commotion, ‘must be a festival.’ I thought to myself. People were preparing fireworks, food, and games. Everyone I walked by greeted me as if I had lived there my entire life, and somehow, I felt like I belonged there.
When I entered the plaza, all was quiet. It was more like a garden than a plaza, there was a small brook trickling lazily under the sakura tree and emptied into a koi pond with a few lotus flowers gliding across the top. The air smelled of cherry blossoms, and freshly cut grass. Near the base of the old tree there was a girl sitting on a blanket in the grass. She was dressed in a light pink kimono that extended over her hands. Her hair was in a pony-tail with her bangs undone. She was quite beautiful, just sitting there, leaning on her arm watching the stream. She looked around and gazed at me kindly with her bright green eyes; I knew then that this was the one who has summoned me here. “Good morning Maku-Chan.” She said
I replied, “Hello. Would you happen to be the one to summon me here?” She started to unpack her basket as she replied, “Yes that was me.” She had made two Bento boxes for a picnic brunch. “Now, Come. Sit. Eat with me.” She smiled as she held out a bento out toward me. I accepted the food and sat next to her. “Your favorite.” She said shyly and hugged me. I felt my face turning red, and she giggled. I could feel my affection for this girl growing by the second.
We ate the food and I lay back, hands behind my head, to watch the clouds and the sakura tree. Then the girl got a sad, conflicted look on her face. With her knuckle over her mouth she asked, “If I try something, would you reject me?” By this point I was thinking, ‘DAMN she’s adorable! What’s the harm?’ I then said, “No, of course not. Do whatever you like” and smiled at her. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, then held it as I felt the weight of her head settle onto the left side of my chest and her body slide next to mine. I wrapped my arm around her and squeezed a little, and she let out a loving sigh.
We laid there together for what seemed like hours, just the two of us; the sounds of the wind and the stream the only commotion around us. We talked back and forth every now and then, but mostly just watched the cherry petals float down toward us after being shaken from the sleepy sakura tree.
It was early evening by the time we realized how long it had been. She sat up, rubbed her eyes, yawned, then; our eyes met. “Maku-Chan…” she said, swinging her leg over me so that she was straddling my abdomen; she looked beautiful with the silver moonlight flowing through her ebony hair, and a lovely look in her emerald eyes. I reached up to touch her cheek; she closed her eyes as she put her hand on mine. Then she leaned down, close to my face, “I love you…” We kissed. I heard the fireworks of the festival in the distance as the dream faded away. ‘No! Don’t do this! Don’t take me away! I want to stay!’ those were the last thoughts I had before the dream ended.
When I opened my eyes, I was in my own room. I sat up, looked around, and cried. When I arrived at breakfast I still had tears streaming down my face. “What’s wrong?” my Mom asked. “My happiness died.” I replied flatly.
I hadn’t been truly happy until that dream, and I haven’t been happy since.
