by JRP Taylor
Quite exhausted from the day’s activities, Ryan settled down to sleep early that evening. It was now half past nine. It was not long before he fell fast asleep.
He was dreaming about racing cars and video games, nothing out of the usual, until he suddenly felt a warm breath upon his forehead.
Then he heard a very gentle beautiful whisper to his left ear. “Come with me son,” a calming male voice said, and as Ryan tried to open his eyes he gained the sense that he was travelling very quickly, flying as fast as a rocket deep into a strange world he knew nothing of.
He was no longer certain that he was still dreaming, but neither was he sure that he was awake either.
Then, just as suddenly as his light-speed trip had started, it began to end. The whole journey lasted just a matter of seconds.
He finally opened his eyes expecting to be back inside his bedroom, but there he was, sat upon the hook of a crescent moon, high, high above the world below him.
Next to him sat a man holding a fishing rod, and every so often he would say to himself, “I’ve got one, there it is, caught it this time son…”
“Who are you?” asked a very sleepy and confused Ryan. “Well, that’s a long story. I’m not sure where I should begin,” the gentle man replied.
“Am I dreaming?” asked the boy. The man went on to tell Ryan his own story.
“I was a soldier a long time ago, and I died fighting in a war a very long way from home and away from my family. As I lay there looking up at the sky, wondering what would become of me, I heard a voice say to me, “Do not fear, for it is not for you to be frightened. I thank you for your service.”
The voice had continued he explained. “Those who die selflessly fighting for the freedom of others cannot die, they are not forgotten.” The man explained further whilst Ryan sat quietly and patiently listening.
“I have travelled in the dream worlds of children ever since, and I saw what you did today, and that’s why I am here inside your dreams too.”
“Am I really dreaming?” again enquired Ryan. “Well that would be telling, wouldn’t it?” the man still trying to catch other children’s dreams with his fishing rod replied, adding, “If you believe you are dreaming, then dreaming you are, but if you believe in the truth of your dreams then you are no longer sleeping.”
The boy was, unsurprisingly by now, very confused. “So if I jump off this moon what will happen to me? Will I fall to the ground or will I wake up?”
“Try it and see,” and with just these four little words the man patted Ryan just hard enough on his back to make him fall forward and off the moon.
As he fell, faster and faster toward the earth below, he could see his house, his garden and even Thumper the dog sleeping on the door step after scoffing down this evening’s supper.
Momentarily he could even see his mother, Tanya, sat in front of the television watching her favourite late night soap drama whilst knitting him, in secret, his new football scarf.
Suddenly he stopped, as if caught by a parachute. There, mid-air, he found himself caught by a fishing hook stuck in the back of his pyjamas and being reeled back up towards the moon again.
“Glad you made it back young man,” laughed the kind figure. “Did you enjoy the trip?”
Ryan hadn’t felt scared at all. He had actually enjoyed the fall and knew deep down inside that he would not come to any harm.
“So who are you then, and why are you here in my dreams?” he asked. And again a rather vague reply was returned. “Consider me to be a Dream Angel, that’s the best way. It’s quite a bit more complicated than that but that’s the easiest way for children to understand.”
“Did God send you - have you come from heaven then…?” the boy interrupted.
“You can call it anything you like, and you can believe in anything you like,” said the Dream Angel. “There are many ways to get there, but you must be good and you must always be kind. I’m here only to show you the direction. The rest is up to you.”
The Dream Angel explained that he would visit the boy five more times during the week ahead, and including tonight’s visit that would make six appearances in total.
On the seventh night he would rest and watch. “Watch what?” asked Ryan. “Well I don’t know because it hasn’t happened yet,” the Dream Angel chuckled.
Ryan awoke and found that it was now quarter to eight on Sunday morning. His mum was still sleeping so he, as usual, helped to tidy the house before going out to play football on the green.
He put the washing machine on, washed the dishes, walked Thumper and even made his own bed (the last bit was indeed most unusual). He left a note on the kitchen table that read, “Gone to play football with Asan and the others. Back at lunchtime. I made you some toast and here’s a glass of orange, love you xxx.”
Given the rush to do his chores this very morning and his need to get out of the house as quickly as possible, he quite forgot all about the strange dream he had had.
He returned at twelve fifteen, worn out and very tired, but happy.
“Who won today?” asked Tanya. “We did of course,” laughed Ryan. “Listen son,” she said, “I’ve made you a present, I finished it late last night. I hope you like it, it’s a…?”
“It’s a new football scarf you’ve knitted for me, red and white for my favourite team, Nottingham Forest, isn’t it? You’ve even included the oak tree logo too! Oh Mum, that’s …”
Overcome with excitement and until now he had quite forgotten all about last night. His mum interrupted him mid-sentence. “How on earth do you know that?” she asked Ryan. “It was a surprise, I kept it secret, and I even hid it so you wouldn’t find it…”
“I dreamt about it Mum,” he said. “I was sat on the moon last night watching you make it.”
His mother didn’t argue, she knew he must have seen her doing it somehow. Perhaps he had woken up during the night and peeped through the door without her knowing. However, it didn’t matter. As long as he loved the scarf and was happy with it, she was happy too.
Today was the last Sunday of the month and that meant that they would visit Grandma and Granddad in Warwick for Sunday dinner and then go to Dad’s grave.
Tomorrow, Monday, was a Bank Holiday, and there was no school – they would be staying over-night in the town.
“Grandma’s putting dinner on the table at two,” said mum, “And then we are all going to see Dad at five.”
Grandma was very excited about the family dinner she was preparing today. She was a fabulous cook and today she had gone vegetarian. She had prepared something very special for the family, and very proud of it she was too. It was the first ever nut roast she had ever made!
THE GOLD STAR KID
Six Visits
