Voice of an Angel

Disbelief

This dream felt like water. Sluggish, warm water kept my mind in a bubble. Only a few inches of liquid covered the tip of my nose, and fish in all imaginable colors floated around me. They sidled so silent; not even a single glug was hearable. The whole universe reposed.

Eavesdropped.

Until the only tone wide and far showed up. Straight into my lovely waterbed. Lover of a bit dramatic would probably compare the act to an explosion. Undersea and headfirst.
The tone became shrill and caused the first few waves.

When I was six years old I broke my leg

I burst through the water surface, gasping.
There might have been a drain under my sleeping body because all the water disappeared as soon as I rose up. The piercing tone that robbed me of my slumber was turning itself into a melody.

Next to me in the tram sat two full-blooded pensioners, including woolen camisoles and hiking poles. Everyone was able to hear their preferred radio station through the iPhone on the old Lady's lap.

I was running from my brother and his friends

Even if the music interrupted my peace, I should almost be grateful for it. Somehow, my subconsciousness managed to rouse me exactly while this one was playing, and not one of the dozens of other pop songs. On the eve of the right tram stop.
Maybe I wouldn't have been able to visit the cat library without it.

"Dear passengers," mumbled Siri's sister out of the loudspeakers in the vehicle.

I'm on my way, whispered the seductive singing voice out of the iPad.

"We're going to reach the station, New Man in a minute. Please have a little patience until the doors open automatically."

We watched the sunset over the castle on the hill

"Look at this, Hugo! Nowadays, these youngsters are even too drunk to stay awake in the morning," one of the pensioners completed the announcement.

Why couldn't I just meet one of those notorious ex-hippies? Instead of discussing strawberry fields and Woodstock, the two examples in the tram only pointed at me and shook their head to the beat of the music.

Fortunately for them, I was still too dizzy to explain that my tiredness wasn't even caused by alcohol. In fact, not even my lack of sleep was my fault. How should I've known how early X liked to wake me up as a "surprise"?

"The Florida Man pointed a laser at a helicopter and got arrested. We have to celebrate this," he had laughed through the telephone receiver. "Cimemaaaa time! We're going to meet in the library."

Yes, I was totally aware of the amount of jabberwocky that lived on his tongue, but if I had to pick my most cursed characteristic, I would choose, without a doubt, my inability to reject people.

Especially if it's X, who was always keeping me awake with his silly voice messages at 2 am. If I wouldn't like them I could have turned my phone to mute a long time ago. Clock radios were a better option anyway... If most of the stations just wouldn't be dominated by a certain musician.

I stood up and walked past the old couple as unremarkable as possible. The hope of winning their grace died as their eyebrows sunk even deeper on their face. At least they didn't have to stand me any longer. I simply passed the time until the next full braking by holding onto one of the bars.

New Man was an odd name for a stop but also the station I had been waiting for.
Fortunately, everyone in the tram had been too kind to purloin my backpack during my short nap. Or maybe the pensioners had to fight a troop of twenty thieves at once and that's the actual reason why they were mad at me.