Jenny’s Dreams
      

Night fell. Stars were out. 

Suddenly, a bright light came out of the sky. Mother called her inside. She started to go down the stairs. Slipped and fell. Hurtled downwards. She screamed. She woke up.

* * *

Crazy Clown was after her. She ran and and ran but he pursued her. She jumped into a well. The well was a magical one, a door to another world.

In the new world, there were two suns, yet it wasn’t half as hot. The day, though, was twice as bright. She saw a dancing maiden wearing a colorful frock. She continued to dance and twist like a top on her toes. A young man passed by without looking at her. He was smiling. It was as though he never frowned. Always smiled. A dog barked aloud.

And then, from the bright sky, a hundred stars came twinkling down and, as they reached the ground, they were no more than the size of raindrops. They sat on the grass and twinkled on it.

A giant face appeared in the sky. A wicked face. It opened its mouth and swallowed everything. The whole world was gone and Jenny was inside that being. A giant sword that shone with the brilliance of a thousand stars then cut open the huge monster and out came everything. The whole universe, and Jenny, was sitting on a rock hurtling through space. She woke up.

* * *

It was seven in the morning. Jenny opened the window to get a breath of fresh air. It was beautiful. The flowers in the garden looked lovely, as never before. She went outside. When she was walking on the street, people stopped and stared at her. They looked at her as if there were something different about her. She looked down, and saw that she had forgotten to put her clothes on. It was so embarrassing. She was in her underwear.

Suddenly, one person began to laugh. Then another joined in, and soon the entire neighborhood was laughing at her. She ran towards her house, crying hot tears. On entering her house, and locking the door behind her, she saw to her surprise that all the people from the neighborhood were inside the house, that she had lost her underclothes too, and that cameras were going click - click, flash - flash, click- flash, flash-click.. She screamed. Jenny woke up.

* * *

A tiny creature descended from the night sky and asked her to come with it to the Planet of Happiness. She refused.

When she was having breakfast, the tiny creature appeared again on the table, close to her cereal bowl. Once again, it pleaded with her to come with it to the Planet of Happiness. She refused again.

Then it appeared at night when she was just about to go to sleep, and begged her to come with it to the Planet of Happiness. She agreed this time, and as soon as she did, a large white envelope appeared before her. “What’s that for?” she asked.

“To get to the Planet of Happiness, just jump inside the envelope with me and we shall be posted to the place.”

She hopped in along with the tiny creature, and soon enough the envelope posted itself in a huge red letter box. They slept for a few hours.

When they awoke, a giant opened up the letter box and tossed each envelope through space in different directions. Soon, their envelope reached a planet. But to Jenny’s surprise, the planet was earth itself. “Oh no!” said Jenny, “We’re back on earth!”

“That’s what I wanted to show you, the earth is the Planet of Happiness!” said the creature.

“There is not much happiness on this planet, I’m sure about that,” said Jenny.

“Happiness is a feeling...an emotion...and on no other planet have I seen such emotional beings as humans are,” said the creature. “Most other beings on other planets cannot laugh or cry in the way you do. Insensitive creatures by nature, they are ruled by their heads rather than the heart. Therefore, although there is much sadness on this planet, there is also true happiness. If there were no darkness, how would you know that there was light? To understand what the day is, there has to be a night. Without the contrast, you wouldn’t know what light is! The contrast allows you to feel what light is! Good Bye, my friend. I must leave now.”

“No, please don’t go. You have shown me such a wonderful thing. I want to make you my friend,” begged Jenny.

“I must leave, for I cannot live on this planet even though I long to. Soon, my tiny space suit will run out of di-nitrowencide gas that is essential for my survival.. I have to go, but I shall remember you always.”

Jenny began to cry.

“It is your crying that shows your affection for me. I wish the others could also cry. but they can’t. that’s why this planet is so very special. Just by your sadness, you have given me true happiness, knowing that somebody in this vast universe cares about me. I shall never forget you. Good bye.”

The tiny creature disappeared. Jenny woke up.

* * *

Jenny was 5 years old. She saw her mom and her dad just as they were back then. She saw all that had happened during those years.

Jenny was now 12. She saw all that had happened back then.

Now she was 25 years old. She saw all the events that took place at that time.

Now, 37 years of age, and she saw all that had happened back then.

Jenny was now 88 years old. She saw a bright light moving towards her. As it came closer, she realized that it was an angel. Pure white, shining with an unearthly light. “Wake up, Jenny,” said the angel softly.

“What time is it? Was I sleeping?” asked Jenny.

“You were. Now it’s time to wake up.”

”It’s another dream,” thought Jenny.

But the angel read her thoughts and said, “Life is a dream . . . a long one. And one that seems quite realistic. But now it’s time to wake up.” So saying, the angel held out a hand towards her.

Jenny hesitated for a moment, but then placed her hand in the angel’s. “Where are we going?” asked Jenny in a frightened voice.

The angel smiled and said, “You already know.”

Jenny did. She woke up.

- Abhishek Mathur     
New Delhi, India.