Every Waking Dream

When little Ani opened her eyes, the sunlight bathed her pastel blue room in warm tones.

‘Wake up sleepy eyes’ Ani stretched like a cat within her covers and blinked. Her father was by her side like every other time urging her to start her day. He had salt and pepper cropped hair, a loose T-shirt and a wide smile that made his eyes shine.

‘Good morning Papa’ Ani slipped out of bed and into her slippers making a bee line for the staircase.

‘Uh-uh… not so fast. Go brush your teeth” Ani slowly turned her head back scowled and dragged herself into her bathroom.  This scene played back every-day and though she knew well, she still attempted different. After getting ready she skipped down to the kitchen where the delicious smell of pancakes wafted towards her.

‘Pancakes!’Ani squealed throughout the time that she climbed up a chair to the cupboards and hunted out the maple syrup. Her father watched her with awe.

‘Yes, it’s Sunday. So pancakes for my hungry monster!’ Ani chuckled as she made faces pretending to be a zombie. 

‘Are we going fishing today again?’ she asked once they were halfway through breakfast.  She crossed her feet under the table, because her hands were busy, hoping he’s say no. She drew a breath, of course he’ll say yes.

‘Yes Ani, Uncle Gary loves to see you  at least once a week. And why don’t you try, you might turn out to be a really good catcher.’ He nodded towards her plate and Ani resumed her breakfast.

It was like every other Sunday. Uncle Gary bought her crayons and blank sheets of paper which she optimally utilized while they fished at the pond behind Gary’s house. After that they packed luncheons and the whole family made it to their private creek. Now this part, Ani liked. The smell of barbeque while the sun set, wading in the shallow bed and collecting pebbles… it nourished her for the next week. Finally they all sat around the campfire and talked for hours. Ani huddled into her father’s jacket listening to her cousins stories about high school. It seemed scary. Later on they’d say their goodbyes and her father would ride her back home in the big jeep.

‘How did you like the day, Ani?’ he asked.

‘Boring… Why can’t we go elsewhere on Sundays?’  She hid the part about the creek.

‘Because, these memories matter. I want you to look back on these days and realize that Sundays couldn’t have gotten better.’ Ani pondered over his words the entire way back. She did like some fragments about the day, but she didn’t see how it mattered.

She was still thinking of it while he tucked her in bed. The moon hung outside, and a fake on inside as well.

‘Don’t think too much.’

‘Are you saying that Sundays in the future will not be the same?’ asked Ani bewildered. Her father laughed.

‘Of course, times change. But you don’t need to worry anything for a while. Now; my little princess, close your eyes. It’ll be a better day tomorrow’ he said as Ani closed her eyes slowly.

The minute little Ani did, Aniston opened her eyes wide awake in her white walled room and drew a deep breath. She was not little anymore. And it was not Sunday. She did understand now what he meant by times changing. Oh well, it changed enough to take her happy life and turn it all around. But it was true about the memories of that one Sunday. She held onto it every time she needed hope which came in the form of her father. Every time she closed her eyes for the night, in-between her busy days, she had the same waking dream, urging her to start with the next busy day.  As she headed out of the house grabbing the keys to her anytime-breakable car,  she paused to look at the frames. ‘Memories become waking dreams dad, I get it now’. And she exited.