Believe in Curious Dreamers

The Next Day at school Chapter 20

Cheetoe: Mr. Perry can I talk to you after class about somethin?

Mr. Perry: Sure, Cheetoe.

Cheetoe: Ight, thanks.

Mr. Perry: Okay class, you guys have a test today after lunch, so be prepared for it, enjoy your lunch.

(The end of class)

Mr. Perry: Okay Cheetoe, what did you wanted to talk to me about?

Cheetoe: I wanna to talk to you about a dream I had last night that I think affected my conscious state.

Mr. Perry: Okay, let us sit down at these desks over here.

Cheetoe: I don't know if this dream could be somethin that could affect my current life, or if this dream gave me a lot of messages, I just wanna know what you think about it.

Mr. Perry: Okay, talk to me.

Cheetoe: I want your perspective on this dream.

Mr. Perry: Okay, tell me about this dream, Cheetoe.

Cheetoe: Last night I heard two or three gunshots from my room.

Mr. Perry: Aw geez, I'm glad you are okay, is your mother okay?

Cheetoe: Yeah, she good, but at first I thought I was dreaming, but my mama heard em too cause it was so loud, it was around 6:00 am when that happened, so I went back to sleep, and I had a dream reflecting them gunshot moments. 

Mr. Perry: Okay.

Cheetoe: In the dream I was waking up in my bed, and after hearing the gunshots, my phone camera was on, it had this automatic app where it can take quick snapshots by itself of people who enter yo backyard, the phone can be on the inside of your house and still will take pictures of people on the outside, that’s how the device works in the dream.

Mr. Perry: How interesting.

Cheetoe: So, I got up and looked at my phone, and it showed a boy in the background, but I couldn’t make out his image, so my camera blew the image up so I can see em clear, and it was an image of a young light skinned boy with small dreads in his head, so I got curious about who shot around my crib and I was eager to find out if these shootings has somethin to do with Quetip and Shonte’s disappearance, so I was walking around the blocks looking for this boy in the photo, and I saw em riding his bike up a street, and I stopped em and asked em, “do you know anything about the shooting last night? I’m trying to find out who was the person who shot around my area.”

Mr. Perry (nods): Okay.

Cheetoe: When I asked the boy that question, he just froze and avoided the question, I’m thinking that maybe somebody forced em not to snitch about the shooting.

Mr. Perry: Right.

Cheetoe: So the boy just took off, and all of a sudden there was this skinny dark-skinned dude with a black shirt on holding a rifle and he started shooting at me.

Mr. Perry (moves back in the chair): Wow.

Cheetoe: And I was running so fast in the dream that I can’t even run like that for real, the dude almost shot me and I ran fast to my house, and the door was locked and I rung the bell, and my mama opened the door, she knew it was somethin wrong with me, she asked “what is going on?” I was scared to tell her about that situation, but I did anyway, so I said some dude is after me with a rifle all because I was asking who was involved in the shooting last night that could help me find my friends, my mama go say, “boy, you can’t be doing that, you can really get killed like that, that’s being nosy Cheetoe,” and that was it.

Mr. Perry: Wow, that dream has a lot of symbols reflecting your current life like you said, you kept thinking about that shooting last night have you?

Cheetoe: Yeah, I was scared.

Mr. Perry: See, what you worry during your conscious state of mind, that can affect what you are going to dream about, and you were scared in reality, and that fear affected your brain and body and it all triggers having a nightmare of your biggest fear and what to face in reality, nightmares warn us to be aware of what is going to happen in our waking state. 

Cheetoe: So you sayin that nightmare can happen in reality?

Mr. Perry: Well, if you seek to find your friends that way for real, it all can lead to a bad outcome, your mother was right in the dream that if you go around town asking questions about a shooting that involves a gang, fortunately, there would be the worst that could happen to you, and I know in reality you wanted to help the cops find your friends, did you?

Cheetoe: Yeah I did.

Mr. Perry: And that worries you, what you dream you can possibly face in reality, I know you are really upset that your friends are missing, and you really want to find them, but it is best to let the detectives take care of that, that is what they get paid for, and my advice is to be patient, I wish I can help find them but I cannot because I can get in a lot of trouble that can affect my teaching, patience, is what matters.

Cheetoe: Ight, I understand, (shakes his head) it’s just hard doe, you know?

Mr. Perry: I know, it is hard, but be strong and try not to worry yourself so much.

Cheetoe: I know, thanks for the advice Mr. Perry, and your perspective on my dream.

Mr. Perry: You’re welcome anytime.

Cheetoe: And awe, are you still going to perform that dream experiment even though Shonte and Quetip ain’t aroun?

Mr. Perry: At first I was thinking about not going with the dream experiment, but later I thought that well, Shonte and Quetip would want us to go on with the idea of performing the experiment, so yeah, it is still on. 

Cheetoe: Okay, Mr. Perry.

Mr. Perry: But I changed the date to this Saturday instead of just waiting to do it after Christmas break.

Cheetoe: That sounds good Mr. Perry, I can’t wait.

Mr. Perry: I know, and I will go over the activity with you guys Wednesday.