The Future Meets the Past

This dream feels different, it’s looser, unclear in comparison to my previous dreams. Reality is too strange for me to misinterpret the situation around me.

I stand in the backyard. It’s unfamiliar to me. Grass and a chain link fence made from wire, coated in a green material to prevent rust. The yard is sloped up and the fence sits high above me, I can’t see the top. It may be hidden amongst the invisible trees or just shy of where my gaze is set.

In front of me there is an animal, my animal. If it were a dog it would make sense, although I feel as though it was a cat, or even a rabbit of some sort, I don’t understand why. Its presence however was irrelevant to the current situation.

In the fence there was a hole, maybe the size of an average beachball, nothing crazy, but it defeated the purpose of fencing in any pets. Although I don’t believe I was worried about the hole. I was more intrigued maybe. Not knowing what the animal in my possession was, may mean I simply didn’t care about it, in which case it was definitely a cat.

On the other side of the fence now I seen a face. The face of a large chocolate lab. It was so large it almost looked like a St. Bernard wearing a labs skin. It seemed intrigued by me, as I was by the hole in the fence. It was also hesitant, and untrusting.

Then his owner came to the fence, and just stood there with his hands in his pockets, not talking. He had loose pants on like joggers or slacks, a hoodie on, or maybe just a crew neck. His eyes were deep and concentrated, his hair was cut neat. Only now while I try to recall this part of my dream do I draw a resemblance between this man and the pictures of my grandfather when he was young. I don’t believe that was him though, the dream didn’t make that a clear component. An ironic statement given the ambiguity of dreams.

The dog was now on my side, or I was on his. He laid on his side as most dogs do and panted to himself naturally. I tried to approach him, but he wouldn’t let me. He growled whenever I put my hand out. I had an insatiable urge to be his friend though, I wanted to own this dog. I wanted a companion.

I left the garden by a gate, tall with straight planks forming a door that is meticulously curved at the top, representing great stature, wealth even. I re-enter the gate. The dog wags his tail and looks like it wants to play now. I go to it, he doesn’t become irritable to my presence or my ambition to pet him down.

Then I’m in an apartment. Specifically the kitchen, or at least a dining area. There is white vinyl on the floor like my old kitchen in a childhood home. White cupboards and no table. It lead directly to a staircase and a door that lead to the garden. In this room stood myself, my neighbor who looks suspiciously like me grandfather and who I can only conclude to be my landlord, or at least that’s who it was in the dream.

We were having a conversation, they, were having a conversation. I was only just there, and I couldn’t make out what they were saying. Maybe they were having an argument about me staying there? Or simply having a lively discussion as people do sometimes. The topic was lost to me as I slowly came to consciousness.

***

This dream really surprised me. It is only in my recollection of it that I picked up on all the details that are present. It even seems to be the longest one so far despite how long I spent mulling over the first two dreams. Some of the places described here are familiar to me in a comparative matter, but not exact. Like the kitchen seemed to be a combination of my own and my friend Zach’s. The Gate was definitely close to my cousin Gilberts gate and the garden reminded me of my friend Julies parents place. Their back garden rose up in the back, like its at the bottom of a hill. I need more time to process the man who looked like my grandfather, that was more then I was expecting coming into this.