Oasis
Did I ever tell you about the time I met a Dreamer on the Bridge of the Broken?
Tonight, like most nights, I was walking alone. Bracing the cold desert wind. Searching for a dream I lost somewhere in the past.
The night sky above was cloudless, giving the Moon an unobstructed view. The desert sand below was restless, trying to swallow me whole every time I took a step.
As I heaved and puffed toward my destination, the Moon watched on like a mute spectator.
The Moon knew me. It knew all my secrets. It was there when I met the Dreamer on the Bridge of the Broken.
The Bridge of the Broken is where everyone goes to take the leap: The Leap of Death, to be precise. Unlike the Leap of Faith, it’s more literal than metaphorical.
But before I could take this leap, a stranger barged in, unannounced.
“When you were down, you had nobody around to pick you up. Right?”
I turned to find a mysterious looking man, who eyed me with curiosity.
“That’s why you are jumping, isn’t it? It hurts so much more than it heals.”
“Who are you?” I finally asked after a frustrating spell of silence.
“Me? I am a Dreamer. During daylight, I live out my unremarkable life like everyone else . But at nighttime, I slip out the backdoor to hunt for unrealized dreams in the dark.”
“Dreams?”
“Unrealized dreams, yes. Get down from that platform and I’ll tell you a story.”
I didn’t know why but I had the sudden urge to listen to his story. The Dreamer nodded approvingly as I got down. He gestured for me to sit down next to him and then started narrating his story.
“So here’s what I do. Everybody has dreams, right? Not the ones you have when you are asleep, but the ones that keep you awake and alive. You know what I’m talking about?”
I thought it over before I said, “Like ambitions?”
“Spot on! So, as a Dreamer, I could sense those dreams. Especially the ones that are gasping for their last breath. The ones that don’t stand a chance to be realized in this lifetime.”
“It all sounds a bit too…”
“Absurd? I know. But humor me. Here’s the best part. Once I catch hold of these dreams, I.. uh… how do I say it? I transmute them from their metaphysical form to a physical form. They become something you can see, touch, and feel.”
“How is it that even possible?”
The Dreamer shrugged. “We live in a world built on broken rules. What difference does it make?”
I wasn’t convinced but that didn’t hinder my curiosity. “These physical dreams… What do you do with them?”
“I don’t do anything. I let the owner of those dreams decide what to do.”
“What happens though when I hold my physical dream?”
The Dreamer smiled the kindest of smiles. “Good question. You will find what’s been missing in your life right now — the will to live.”
My eyes lit up and I couldn’t hide my desperation as I asked, “Can you transmute my dream?”
“I already did. How else do you think I managed to get you down? Your soul is lighter now with the deadweight of your dream gone. And before you ask about its physical location, give me a minute.”
He closed his eyes and got lost in a deep reverie for sixty seconds that lasted a lifetime.
“It’s in the middle of a desert. Your dream… is now an Oasis.”
“An Oasis? In the middle of a desert?”
“Why are you repeating what I just said? Anyway, for you to get there, you need to let your soul guide you. It will find its way to the missing piece.”
I didn’t know what else to say or do but nod. The Dreamer then stood up, bid me farewell, and walked off into the dark, never to be seen again.
So, here I am, in a desert. Walking alone. Bracing the cold desert wind. Searching for a dream I lost somewhere in the past.
I followed wherever my soul led me, but there wasn’t an Oasis in sight. All I did come across were mirages, lying in wait to fool me. And the unreachable walls of the horizon on all sides.
As my body went sore and my soul ached to find its missing piece, I whispered to myself once again, “Oh, what a curse it is to dream!”
Check out my other stories: https://medium.com/A.K. Lazarus
