Chapter 8 Just Another Dream?
The day had held so much activity and the old woman was very tired. Before long, she was sleeping soundly. As she slept, she dreamed a peculiar dream. In this dream she was visiting a small town called Bethany. She appeared to be friends with two sisters. One named Mary and the other, Martha. Mary and Martha had a brother whom the old lady thought was rather handsome. The brother's name was Lazarus.
In her dream, the old woman could see herself eating with Mary and Martha, washing clothes together with them at the stream and carrying pitchers of water from the well. One day Mary and Martha's brother Lazarus fell ill. All of the town's physicians came to try and cure Lazarus, but unfortunately their medicines failed and Lazarus died. Mary and Martha grieved sorely; so much so that they were not able to prepare their brother's body for burial.
The old woman felt bad for them, and Lazarus had been very kind to her, so she took Lazarus' body and after washing it she oiled it with olive oil and other choice spices of myrrh, cinnamon, cane, acacia and frankincense. She then wrapped it in strips of linen and had it placed in a cave and covered with a stone.
A span of four days appeared to go by in the dream. Over which time Mary and Martha continued to grieve. On the fourth day the Son of the Power came to visit Mary and Martha. When she saw him, the old woman knew immediately who He was.
Mary and Martha were angry with the Son of the Power because He hadn't come sooner. They blamed Him for Lazarus' death. They thought surely that had He been there, their brother would not have died.
The Son of the Power was confused by their anger and He wept and told them, “Lazarus will live again.”
The two sisters cried all the more and said, “Must we wait until the last day to see our brother?”
The Son of the Power looked at them and said, “NO, you shall see him now! Where have you laid him?”
Those standing by pointed Him to the cave. The Son of the Power then said, “Remove this stone!”, and they rolled the stone away. The Son of the Power peered into the dark cave, and with a loud voice cried out, “Lazarus Come Forth!”
To everyone's amazement, Lazarus came out of the cave still bound in the linen the old woman had wrapped him in.
And the old woman jumped up out of her sleep gasping for air and feeling bewildered. By far, this had been her most unsettling dream. The old woman was restless. She wished she could understand the dream. She went into the kitchen and put on a kettle for tea.
Sitting at the kitchen table the old woman struggled in her mind, trying to make some sense of everything that had been happening to her lately. She felt like they were all possibly connected somehow. A good cup of tea always calmed her. As she sipped she thought about the day ahead of her. She wanted to string some more shells but she was tired, so it would have to wait until the morning.
The old woman finished her cup of tea, turned out the lights and went to bed. Laying there in the dark, she couldn't help but ponder the dream. “Is this dream trying to tell me that my wish of having my parents back from the dead is somehow possible?” she wondered. “But how could that be? No man has ever come back from the dead, at least none that I've heard of. And what did Mary and Martha mean by the last day?” she said to herself.
She couldn't imagine how it could happen. “What if it were possible to see my parents again,” She thought. “That would be so wonderful.”
In the old woman's dream, the man Lazarus had already been dead four days, before the Son of the Power showed up. “Clearly improbable”, she thought as she lay there in the dark...”But the dream seemed so real!”
She managed to drift back off to sleep and before long the morning sun was peeking through her window. The old woman jumped up anxiously. When she saw the sun, she knew that she was too late to catch the man who called himself the Watcher down at the dock. She really wanted to talk to him about the dream she'd had the night before. She decided to get an early start on her necklaces. She couldn't believe she had made one hundred and fifty dollars from selling only three necklaces.
“The price of things sure has gone up since I first arrived in America”, she thought, as she began to string shells on copper wire. “I'd better make at least six necklaces” she said.
The necklaces were very easy to sell because they complemented any skin tone, from dark to medium to very fair. Once she had completed six necklaces the old women showered and had breakfast. She then pinned Bob's ribbon to her dress, told her parents she would see them later on and got on her way to the dock.
The old lady decided to try a new route today. She had already missed the Watcher so she was in no rush. As she walked along she saw fruit trees. She wondered if her neighbors would mind her picking a few apricots. She also noticed dog's barking, though she had never heard them. It was as if she were in some strange new place although she was just a short distance from her house. She noticed how the neighborhood kids had grown. Some she had helped to cross the street as youngsters were now teenagers.
When the old woman arrived at the dock, 2 huge ships had just come in and people were getting off of one and onto the other. Suddenly she saw a familiar face emerge from the crowd. She yelled out, “Lazarus?! Lazarus, over here!”
A well-dressed man with lots of luggage made his way over to her.
“Are you calling me”, he said.
“Yes, is it really you?!” the old woman asked excitedly.
“Well, I'm not sure. Do I know you from somewhere?” the man asked her.
The old woman was embarrassed now. She had mistaken him for the brother of her friends Mary and Martha from her dream. The two men looked identical.
“I'm sorry young man. I mistook you for someone else”, she said.
“Oh, that's quite alright”, the man said laughing. He noticed Bob's ribbon with the gold trinket attached to it, pinned to her dress.
“Where did you get this?” , he asked pointing to it. “It belonged to a friend of mine”, she replied.
“I had one just like it some years ago; it had belonged to my mother. But I tied it to a letter and threw it in the ocean,” the man said looking confused.
The old woman couldn't believe what she was hearing. Could this be Bob standing right in front of her? She took a deep breath and asked him his name.
“My name is Robert.” he said. “But my friends call me Bob.”
The old woman then looked in her bag and pulled out the bottle containing Bob's letter. “Then I guess this belongs to you.” she said handing it to him.
As he took the bottle in his hands he began to cry. Life had changed drastically for Bob since he had written that letter 10 years earlier. He had all but forgotten about it, until he saw his mother's ribbon on the old lady's dress.
“I'm so glad you changed your mind Bob”, the old woman said. “I found your letter a few days ago, floating in the water. When I read it, it broke my heart and I vowed to wear your ribbon every day in remembrance of you”, she said.
Bob cried all the more. “Things were so bad for me at that time. I thought to kill myself and just end it all,” he said. “But then I met, Simon Williams.”
“A therapist?” she asked.
“No, a businessman, life had been going pretty bad for him too. In fact worse than it ever had for me. Simon was terminally ill. He didn't have any family and he was looking for someone to take over his business” Bob continued.
“I had climbed over the railing of the San Francisco Bridge and threw the bottle in. I was just about to jump in myself when Simon called out to me. He talked me down and asked me to take over his business and I've been very well off since. Simon died a few days later.” Bob said trying to compose himself.
“I can't believe that you cared about me so much that you would wear my ribbon. That means a lot to me”, Bob said.
“Now we who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of those who are without strength”, the old woman replied. She was quoting something she remembered having read in her special book.
“As this ribbon belonged to your mother, I assume you would like to have it back. ” the old woman said as she began to take it off.
“No, I want you to have it.”, Bob said. “My mother died many years ago and this is the closest I've ever felt to the love she showed me.”
“I don't mean to pry Bob”, the old woman said. “But are you married?”
“Why, yes I am”, Bob replied.
“Excellent”, she exclaimed. Pulling out one of the necklaces from her bag she said, “Give this to your wife.” Bob took a necklace in his hands and studied it. “Wow this is stunning. Did you make this?” , he asked the old woman.
“Yes I did”, she answered. “And I have 5 more like it.”
“Great, I'll take them all!”, Bob said handing her an envelope.
The old woman looked into the envelope and said, “Bob I can't take this, it's way too much money.”
“I insist”, he said taking the necklaces from her hand and kissing her on the cheek. “I hate that I have to run but I can't miss my ship.” Bob handed her his business card. “If you ever need anything don't hesitate to call me. I must go now, I have to be in Paris in two days.” Bob told her running off.
“Take care of yourself Bob”, the old woman yelled after him.
“I will and you too,” Bob yelled back to her.
The old woman couldn't believe that she had actually met Bob. “Who would've thought”, she said. Having met Bob made her feel like she had a Son.
She was so excited that she had worked up an appetite. She decided to go and see what goodies Carlos had on his cart. As she approached Carlos she noticed that he wasn't smiling as he normally was.
“Is something wrong Carlos”, she asked him.
“No, It'll be alright”, he replied. “Things just aren’t moving as fast as I thought they would, and I'm very anxious to send for my parents.”
“Carlos”, the old woman started, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your request be made known to the Power.” She remembered once when she was feeling especially anxious about a problem, she opened her special book and it had said this.
“Thank You,” Carlos replied, though he was still clearly upset.
“I’ll take one quesadilla, a serving of flan and 1 cerveza,” she said, feeling a tad awkward.
Coming right up,” Carlos said feigning a smile. He had sensed the old woman's discomfort. She took her food and drink, said goodbye to Carlos, and was on her way home. Somewhere between the excitement of having met Bob, and the sadness she felt for Carlos, she was left feeling indifferent.
“It's still however, a beautiful day,” she thought to herself as she walked. She enjoyed the gentle breeze on her age worn skin, and the birds serenaded her. She was going home when so many didn't have the simple luxury of home. She was headed to the comfort of her chair, to do the thing she loved and had no worries about money.
Then suddenly, as if her mouth were being controlled by some outside force, she began speaking familiar words. “Whatever is true, whatever is honest, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good report, if there's any virtue, if there's any praise, think on these things,”
The old woman was stopped in her tracks. This experience was much different than times past, when words from her special book would come to mind and she'd speak them out loud to herself. This was very different. A passerby might have thought the old woman was in distress, possibly stricken with mental illness and had probably forgotten where she lived. She stood completely still for a few moments and the Watcher's words came to her mind.
The old woman resolved that she would meet him at the dock at sunrise and get some answers. Somehow she felt certain that he had them. It was but a short walk between where she stood and her house. She had so many thoughts and questions in her mind. As she turned the key and entered her home, a sense of relief came over her.
”I'd better sit for a while”, the old woman said to herself. She made her way to her chair. She ate the food she'd gotten from Carlos, trying to slow her mind to no avail. The events of the day and the multitude of thoughts had begun to weary her.
She couldn't wait to meet the Watcher at sunrise to get some help in sorting it all out. In the mean time she went to work stringing her shells on copper wire. She had decided on a limit of only six necklaces. She didn't want to risk breaking any, and too many shells would become quite heavy.
As she carefully strung her last shell she allowed herself to drift off to sleep. While she slept she had a dream that she was sitting on a bench down at the dock stringing shells, when the Son of the Power came and sat down next to her.
The Son of the Power put his hand on her shoulder and asked her, “Do you have an immediate need that I should fulfill today?”
The old woman replied, “No, I am well and have need of nothing.”
The Son of the Power then asked her, “And what then do you say of your brother who has need?” And He went on to say, “Do not withhold good from whom it is due when it is in the power of your hand to do it. If you know that your brother has need of something, do not leave him in despair, when it is in your hand now to give it. As you have been given, freely give.”
And immediately the old woman was awake staring at the ceiling. “I've got it!” she exclaimed. “Tomorrow I will give Carlos the money he needs to send for his parents!”
As she lay there, she felt good within herself knowing how relieved Carlos would be and she drifted off to sleep once again. She had another dream. This time in her dream she was walking along with the Son of the Power and twelve others whom He called His brothers. As they walked, the old woman noticed that a crowd was following them that numbered a great multitude of men, women and children.
The place looked deserted and it was getting late, so one of the brother's told the Son of the Power that He should send the multitude away, to go and find food. The old woman thought it cruel of him to say, but was also wondering if they might be hungry and where they might find food.
“All who come to me, I will never send away hungry when I can so easily feed them.” The Son of the Power replied. He then turned to the old woman and asked her, “How much food do you have with you?”
“Five loaves and two fish is all I have”, she replied. “It's barely enough for us and can you feed this multitude also?”
“Yes I can and I will”, He answered her, “and with food to spare having done so!”
And the Son of the Power motioned for all of the people to sit down and they did. He turned to the old woman and said, “That which you have, allow me to use it for those who are in need.”
“Yes of course,” she replied handing him her five loaves and two little fish.
The Son of the Power held the five loaves and two fish over His head and seemed to be mumbling something to Himself. The old woman strained to hear him but could not make out what he was saying. All of a sudden he lowered the basket and began to break and hand out fish and bread to everyone who was sitting around.
The old woman and the brothers watched in amazement as the Son of the Power fed the multitude of people, because it seemed the food was multiplying in His hands, right before their eyes! Not only did The Son of the Power feed the entire multitude, but there was plenty left over just as he had said there would be.
“How did you do that?!” the old woman asked him.
“Ask not how I did this”, he told her. “For you will do even greater things than this”, he said. Immediately she was awake looking at the ceiling.
As she lay there pondering her dream, she felt sure that she should give Carlos the money he needed. She looked over and noticed her special book had fallen out of her bag and was on the floor next to her bed.
She smiled, and reaching down to get it she asked, “And what do you say of these things?” She opened the book and her eyes fell on a sentence that said, “The two dreams are one. They show
you what must happen shortly.”
The old woman was astounded! Now she was certain that she must give Carlos the money immediately. Upon making that decision, she felt a peace come over her. She had slept only a few hours but she felt energized and so she sat up. Looking at the clock she saw that it was 3 am.
“Excellent!” she thought to herself. “I can make it down to the dock to meet the Watcher!”
The old woman scrambled to shower and dress. She then packed her bag for the day and headed out to the ship yard. It was 4 am and ample time to catch the man who called himself the Watcher. When the old woman arrived down at the dock she could see the sun making its way up on the horizon.
All in attendance again were the sea of men staring out into the distance. Their heads were all slightly tilted as if looking at something. The old woman now understood however, that they were simply straining their ears to better hear the Siren afar off, as she sang.
“Enjoying what you see?”, the woman heard a voice behind her. She smiled, knowing it was the man who called himself a Watcher. Without even turning around she answered.
“How long have you been watching me?”
“Since you were born on the Island of San Miguel at a little hospital just west of the capital of San Salvador,” the voice said. The old woman could not believe what she had just heard.
“How can you know these things about me?” she asked him.
“I know everything about everyone”, the Watcher replied.
“But that's not possible!” the old woman demanded.
“All things are possible to those who believe.” the Watcher answered.
The old woman turned to him with tears streaming down her face and said, “I believed my parents would survive until I could send for them, but they didn't.”
“Did you really believe or did you simply hope, all the while fearing the worst?” the Watcher asked her.
“That's what most humans do.”
“And are you not human?” the old woman asked.
“No, I am a Watcher. I am made a little higher than humans”, the Watcher told her.
“I don't understand that”, the old woman said. “How can you be made higher than a human?” she asked. “And who is it that makes you this way?”
The Watcher laid his hand on the old woman's shoulder and looked into her eyes.
“What the Great One wills, He but says to it BE! And it IS,” he told her. “And when the Great One wills a thing, no one can stop it or cause it to be other than exactly what He has willed it to be.”
“Who is this Great One?” she asked him.
“Have you been so long traveling with Him and still not known Him?”, the Watcher asked her.
The old woman was even more confused. “So I guess you're going to disappear now?” she asked jokingly.
“It is as you have said”, the Watcher told her, and he was gone. Suddenly, the vast sea of men began to disperse running this way and that. The old woman caught the attention of one of the men and asked him to explain how the Siren's Song sounded to him.
“The Song of the Siren is beyond explanation,” he said. “I can only tell you that once you have heard it, you will forever be under its spell.”
“Do you wish that you were free?” the old woman asked him.
“No”, he replied, and he walked away.
He was the last man to leave the dock and the old woman was now alone. As she stood there enjoying the quiet of the morning she longed for days past when everything was simple. There were no Watchers popping in and out of her life and the Siren's Song was merely a fairytale, or so she thought.
Before long the dock was alive with the sound of workers carrying equipment back and forth. Ships were coming in, loading up and sailing on. The old woman wondered what she had done for so many strange things to be happening in her life. At the same time it was all so exciting to her. She longed to see the Watcher again. He was strange and yet familiar at the same time.
The old woman looked down the dock and finally she could see Carlos approaching with his cart, to set up shop for the day's lunch crowd. The closer he got the more excited she became. She felt sure that her dreams had instructed her to give Carlos the money he needed and she was insistent upon doing it immediately.
“Good Morning Carlos”, the old woman said cheerfully.
“Good Morning Senora. You're here very early today”, Carlos replied.
“Yes I am and I have some good news for you”, the old woman said to him.
“That's Great, I sure could use it”, Carlos said as he began arranging things on his cart.
“I'm going to give you the money you need to send for your parents Carlos”, the old woman said.
“No, Senora It would cost at least $3000 to get them both here! I can't ask you for that kind of money!”
The old woman then said, “Look Carlos, I was just given a substantial amount of money and I really don't have much use for it all. And besides, you didn't ask me, I offered”, the old woman said. And I insist! Actually, it would help me to feel better about not having been able to send for my own parents.” she said.
“How could I ever repay you?” Carlos asked the old woman.
“I'll take Arroz con pollo and one Cerveza,” she said laughing.
Carlos just shook his head in disbelief as he prepared the old woman's food. When Carlos was done with the food the old woman took it from him, handed him $5000 and walked away.
“Muchas Gracias Senora!” Carlos shouted after her.
“De nada”, the old woman replied.
As the old woman walked down the dock smiling to herself, she knew she had done the right thing. The sun was high now so she found a table with an umbrella and decided to sit there and display her necklaces. Before long passersby were stopping to admire them. In less than ten minutes she had sold two of them. Within an hour she had sold them all.
As she sat and ate the food that Carlos had prepared for her she thought about Bob. She ran her fingers across his ribbon that she still pinned daily to her dress and wondered if his trip to Paris had been a success. She felt like she had a son out there somewhere making his mark on the world. She was proud of Bob. The old woman also thought about the young woman she had counseled on her marriage. She wondered how things were going for her and hoped that she would be alright on her own without David to take care of her.
“Young people are so resourceful,” she thought. “They bounce back really quickly.”
She felt sure the young woman was done mourning David's death and was on to the next unsuspecting ATM machine. She wanted to believe that some part of their conversation had helped to change the young woman into a better person, but she knew it wasn't likely.
Right then a short phrase from her special book popped into her mind. “Whatsoever you sow, it is that same thing which you will reap.”
The old woman had found that phrase to be true over the years so she tried to deal fairly in her interactions with others. Even down to the smallest detail, she wanted to be true to herself and to others.
“It just makes things simpler,” the old woman said to herself. “What you see is not always what you get”, she thought. “But it should be.”
It seemed the day was passing so quickly. Nothing exciting was going on at the dock. Just the normal activities of the day and soon the old woman bored of sitting, decided to go home. The old woman was unusually tired today. She hadn't done much walking at the dock but she just felt like turning in early.
When she reached home she put on a kettle for tea and decided to do a little cleaning. After the old woman finished she had a nice warm bubble bath and settled into her favorite recliner drifting off to sleep. Shortly after falling to sleep the old woman began to dream. In her dream she had happened upon a particular field and was working there.
She was much younger and looked just as she did when she was around 25 years old. She had been instructed to glean after the harvesters alongside of the other maidens
and to have lunch and a cool drink with them. The other maidens were very nice to the old woman, but she couldn't help but notice that none of them looked like her. She felt a little out of place but decided to make the best of it. Even the men were very respectful of her as they had been warned by the owner of the field, to do the old woman no harm.