A Child's Dream

by Ian West© Copyright Ian West. All rights reserved. (445 words)

            Just the other day I was sitting in my office preparing my Daily Lesson, when a small girl suddenly appeared at my door. Her name was Ee Soo-hyun and she was five years old.

 

“Teacher!” she began, with great excitement and zeal, “last night I had a dream.”

 

            I looked to her for a moment and then back to my work, balancing my priorities.

 

“Teacher!” she exclaimed again in a restless fervour, “I want to teach you about my dream. I think it is very important.”

 

            I smiled and put down my pen, she had won me over with childish enthusiasm – just the type that kept me in this line of work, so far away from home. Before I could speak she had settled in the seat across from me and readied herself with a deep breath.

 

“Teacher, last night I had a dream and I want to teach you about my dream. In my dream I was alone in a big space and it was dark and I was scared. And then a big light was into the space and I was in a room with all of my family and friends. And I was happy because all of my family and friends were there. But all of my family and friends were broken. They were broken in little pieces and all on the ground and I was sad. But teacher, I had many buckets. And so I picked up all the people and I put them into buckets. But the buckets were too heavy and I can not lift all the buckets at one time. I am not that strong. And so I was sad. Because if the people were not broken I would not have to lift them and they can carry themselves. Teacher? Why is everyone broken? Why do I have to carry them all myself?”

 

            She paused for a moment awaiting a response. My heart had thrust itself into my throat and I could barely speak.

 

“Teacher? Why do you cry? Are you sad too?”

 

            I nodded slightly. The word Sometimes was on my lips in a whisper.

 

“Teacher? Are your family and friends broken?”

 

            I looked at her blankly not knowing what to say.

 

“Teacher! Thank you for sharing my dream with me! I am going to play!”

 

            She got up from her seat with a smile on her face and skipped out of my office to her friends. I watched for a moment as they ran and laughed and rolled about on the padded gymnasium floor innocent of what had just been said.

 

            I gathered myself and reached for my pen knowing that Classes were about to begin.