Dreaming True
The fire had died down to embers. Angela, half asleep, curled up on a woven mat, didn’t have the energy to fetch another log for it. Cold and tired, she wouldn’t have to wait much longer anyway.
She had seen HIM approaching. Dreamed it, really. How many times had she dreamed the dream? The first time had been when her bleeding time had started. It had been her first true dreaming. She had known it was true because each of the women in her family had had the same dream when their menses had begun. It was a gift and a curse.
Angela was old. Older than anyone she had ever known. She had seen one hundred and four summers. Even Granny Donna had not stayed so long.
A twig snapped. Angela opened her eyes a crack, not bothering to try to force her aching bones to sit up. It was only Charlie. He would be wanting her to come into the house. But if she did, HE would not find her.
“Go away,” she said, closing her eyes and curling more tightly into herself. The cold made her bones ache.
Charlie ignored this, squatting down to add a few more logs to the fire. “I know what you’re doing.”
“Then you know there’s no point.”
Silence. Then, “I’ll wait with you.”
Angela reckoned that would be okay. HE would come, whether Charlie sat with her or not. Warmed by the now blazing fire, she uncurled and, using her arms, leveraged herself into a sitting position.
She sat with her great grandson, now a man himself. Charlie was her favorite. She had only had sons, and then grandsons. No daughter to pass along the sight to. That wasn’t such a bad thing. And Charlie was a good boy. He at least tried to understand. He claimed to have a bit of the sight himself. That was impossible, though. Men didn’t dream. Not true dreams.
The fire burned low again. Charlie added more logs. He could have asked her to go into the house. He could have left her there. He did neither. He didn’t even try to make conversation.
Night fell. HE would be coming soon. She could feel HIM, so close now. Angela would finally be able to rest. Suddenly she wanted to stand.
“Help me up, Charlie. There’s a good boy.”
Charlie bounded to his feet, then gently took the frail old woman by the hands and lifted her up. He was so much taller than her. He looked down at her, sadness filling his eyes.
“You’re not the last, Nana.”
“What do you mean?” Angela looked past her great grandson, as if there might be a hidden granddaughter she didn’t know about, suddenly here to reveal herself.
“They never let me tell you. They said you wouldn’t accept me. Only now, I need you to know. Now, when HE is coming.”
Angela’s eyes flew to Charlie’s face. How could Charlie know about HIM? HE was never mentioned, except to others who dreamed true. “What did you say?”
“I dreamed the dream, Nana. When I turned fifteen. And then again when I was eighteen. I dreamed it again last night.” Charlie wet his lips. “Nana, I knew HE would come for you tonight.”
Tears welled up in Angela’s eyes, spilled onto her cheeks. “How?”
Charlie’s eyes pleaded for understanding. “Nana, I’m Charlene. I’ve known since I was little. Always known I was a girl. I wanted to tell you…”
Angela lifted arms thinned by age. “Come here, darling.” She took Charlie into her arms. “You know Charlie can be a girl’s name too.”
“I know.” Charlie wrapped her arms around Angela, and they held one another for a long moment before sitting back down, hands held.
“Nana?”
“Yes, dear?”
“Who is HE, anyway?”
“HE’s the one who leads us home. I don’t know much more than that. HE put the first of us here. We absorb the experience of life on Earth, then HE reminds us who we really are and we rejoin the whole.”
Charlie sighed. “Do you think my being in a man’s body means he’ll leave me here to die?”
Angela squeezed her hand. “Of course not. It’s just a body. You’ve dreamed. You and I will see each other again.”
Turning back to the fire, Angela and her great granddaughter waited in silence until HE came.
Charlie watched Nana leave. HE reached out a hand and Nana took it in hers. Released from the confines of her earthly body, she stood, young and lithe. Before she faded away, she winked at Charlie. “Be a good girl. I’ll be watching.”
This story was accepted into an LGBTQ anthology a few year ago. Unfortunately, the publisher folded prior to publication. Fortunately, I kept the story, so you get to read it today. Please let me know what you think (whether you liked it or not). And please share Fiction in 50.
How wonderful to be accepted just as we are ❤️
A surprising treat for my day. Thanks Dascha