A Dream

My dreams started on the 22nd of October, the day after my grandfather's passing. Night after night I would have visions of a young nurse in a military field hospital. From the period attire, it is a World War II-era hospital. I can make out her features plain as day. She is strikingly beautiful.

I watch her perform her duties in my dreams night after night, treating the young wounded soldiers in her care. I am in great admiration of not only her beauty but her dedication and sense of duty.

I have to wonder why I am having these dreams. Who is she and why is she appearing in my dreams I am single and long for someone, but why am I dreaming of her? She is obviously before my time in history. I am confused. My grandfather was a World War II veteran. Is that the connection? But why. I don’t know about my grandfather’s service in the war. He refused to talk about his experiences.

She is not my grandmother. She doesn’t match any of the pictures of my grandmother from that time, nor did my grandmother ever serve in the war. My grandfather and grandmother never met until after the war.

The dreams continue. Only she seems to take a particular interest in one of her patients, a young army soldier under her care. They seem to fall in love. She tells the soldier that her name is Kimberly. His face however is always obscured and I do not know his name. Does he represent me? What is she trying to tell me? And Why?

I became determined to find out who she was. I searched military records extensively, but could never find a nurse matching her image by the name of Kimberly in the archives. Disappointed, yet the dreams continue. Only now I start to see images of a home appearing to be in the New England region of the country.

Further dreams, I can make out an address on the home's mailbox. After extensive research, I discovered a home in New Hampshire matching that very address and appearance. Being an artist, I drew a picture of the young nurse from my dreams and decided to travel to the home in New Hampshire. Hoping that they would recognize the image and help me solve the mystery.

I arrived at the home with anxious anticipation and rang the doorbell. A young lady, beautiful and familiar answered the door. I apologized for bothering her and told her of my strange dreams. In desperation, I showed her the picture of Kimberly that I drew. She stared at the picture with amazement. Where did you get this picture, she asked me. I told her that I drew it from my dreams. Her name is Kimberly and she was a Field hospital nurse during World War II, Possibly in the European theatre.

I asked the young lady If she knew if a nurse by the name of Kimberly ever used to live here. Yes, she told me. That is a picture of my grandmother, but her name is not Kimberly. Her name was Carolyn. My name is Kimberly.

Wait here, she told me as she retreated into the house to retrieve something. She returned to the front door hiding a picture in her arms. I have been having dreams too about a young handsome soldier that my grandmother took care of in World War II. I also drew a picture of him. She told me that his name was Johnathan.

I think that I now understand, I told her. That is a picture of my grandfather, but his name was George. MY NAME IS JOHNATHAN.