230402 The Dream Machine

The Dream Machine

Chapter 1

She got up from her chair as he stopped the truck. He walked up the driveway to look over her garage sale treasures.
“I’ve got just the thing you want, young man.”
“I’m just looking Mam.”
“And I have just what you’re looking for.”
“What’s that?”
“The mattress you need, over there.”
“I’m not in the market for a mattress, I just thought I’d stop and look over your sale items.”
“But, you’ve been having trouble sleeping and this mattress will make you sleep like a baby,” she said.
Both Rick’s eyebrows rose as he turned to face her. The words just wouldn’t come to him. How could this crazy old woman guess he was having trouble sleeping? Maybe his eyes were dark or bloodshot. Maybe she has been trying that same tale all day long. He continued down the driveway into the garage, glancing at everything as he passed.
“The mattress is up against the wall by the door,” she stated.
Rick couldn’t help but grin at the persistence the old lady had. The old mattress stood right where she said it was. It didn’t look like anything he wanted in his home so he passed it by.
“That’s it,” she cried. “That’s the one you want.”
“I really don’t need a mattress,” he said. “I don’t see anything I can’t live without, nice to talk with you, goodbye,”
The old crone followed him all the way over to the truck. “I’ve saved that mattress all day for you. You need to take it with you.”
“I really don’t need any bedding,” he replied.
“You do indeed need this bedding,” she insisted. “This is just what you need to sleep well again. I know, I’ve been seeing you trying to sleep and it’s no use, you won’t get the rest you need until you get that mattress home and sleep on it!” That crooked little index finger shook at Rick as she warned him of his continuing lack of sleep.
“Thanks for the warning, but I have to go.”
“Don’t you leave this driveway without that mattress,” she insisted.
At this point it was beginning to get weird. The old woman was shaking as she cried out her dire warning. Rick thought for a minute and decided to take the mattress just to calm the old lady down. “Okay, I’ll take it.”
“You’ll be happy you did,” she answered. “This is going to fix you right up. You’ll sleep like a baby and have many happy dreams.”
“How much are those happy dreams going to cost me?” Rick asked.
“No charge, I said I’ve been saving it for you all day. I could have sold it three times, but I was saving it just for you. I knew you needed it, so I saved it for you. Now you take it home and enjoy.”
“Well thanks,” Rick said. “I hope this thing does the trick.”
“You won’t be sorry,” she answered.
I think I’m sorry already, Rick thought. He loaded the mattress in the back of the truck and thanked the old woman for her kindness.

Chapter 2

Back home he unloaded the mattress and took it into the house. He laid it on the bed in the spare bedroom and walked away to pop a top on a cold beer. Out on the porch he sat in the swing and mulled over the event while drinking his beer. A second beer made the event seem even stranger than it was. Rick finished two more and wobbled into the house, too tired to fix supper. He wandered past the spare room and looked in as he passed. I wonder if it’s even comfortable? Lying down he soon found it very comfortable as his eyelids drooped and let the beer do its job.
He had a dream. In the dream he walked into the yard of his deceased parent's home and there was Mom, her smooth skin was radiant, her hair in place and she was as young and beautiful as ever. Rick sat down and spoke: “hi, Mom, I’ve missed you. It’s been such a long time.”
“It’s so nice to see you again. Where are Dad and Grandpa?”
“Oh they’re over behind the house working on the back screen door. Your Dad always has to have something to fix or he’s unhappy.”
“How’s his bad leg?”
“Just fine dear. He’s a big strong man. He couldn’t drive that truck and make those deliveries if he didn’t have two strong legs.”
Rick’s eyes opened and everything was gone. He closed them quickly and tried to bring back the yard, house, Mom, anything at all, but it wasn’t going to happen. It was wonderful and he wanted more, but the alarm ringing jolted him, time to get up for work. That was a great dream; too bad they’re so few and far between.
Rick thought about that dream all through the day. He missed her so. Losing a Father and a Grandfather is very tough, but losing a Mother is something you never get over. He thought about the house where he acquired the old mattress. That old woman in the funny looking outfit with the gold stars, moons and symbols on it.
Well of course, it was the beer, not the old mattress. Hell if I drank four or five beers a night, I’d sleep quite well indeed; but I usually don’t have dreams when I’ve been drinking.
After work that day Rick drove out toward the area he’d gotten the old mattress. He’d decided to stop and thank the old woman for the mattress. He turned on the street and drove to the end of the cul-de-sac where she lived. He blinked his eyes and stared out at an empty lot. There was nothing but a large overgrown plot there. I must have made a mistake, he thought. It’s the next street over. He put the truck into gear and drove over to the next street. At the end of the cul-de-sac he found a nice new house. That’s not the old woman’s. Rick circled the entire sub-division but found nothing that resembled the old lady’s home. I know it was right here he thought as he pulled up to the end of the street he originally drove to, it had to be here. I know it was right here. This is too strange for words. I think I’ll head for home.
Once home, Rick sat on the porch and pondered the events of the last two days. I know that was the right place, but no one could remove a house that quickly. The weeds couldn’t grow that fast.
Rick got ready for bed that night and wondered how the old mattress would be on his bed. Maybe he would sleep better. He swapped the mattresses and settled in for the night.

Chapter 3

His eyes closed and as quick as he did, Rick was back in his youth.
“Nancy, are you ready for the pool party?”
“I sure am.”
Rick quickly changed and was waiting outside the girl’s locker room. Nancy walked out and Rick’s eyes bugged out of his head! That was a fine swimsuit and she filled it out perfectly! The suit was brand new and she seemed like a new girl in it. The two of them walked into the water and just bobbed along while they talked about dreams for the future. Rick took her in his arms, opened one eye and damn, the alarm clock went off again! He slammed the snooze button and clapped his eyes shut tightly, but it was over. Time to go to work.
All through work that day Rick wondered about the events of the last three days. This wasn’t one giant dream. He was awake and conscious through the past days, but he still couldn’t account for the missing house. The old lady could have died or even moved in a day’s time, but the house couldn’t vanish.
That evening Rick was ready for bed early. He hadn’t slept so well in years, maybe all his life. He was anxious to see if tonight would bring more wonderful dreams. What a gift this old mattress really was if it continued to work so well. Sure enough, as soon as he laid down the dreams began. Rick, Larry, Judy and Joan were cruising down the lake in Rick’s Dad’s boat, headed out of sight so they could grab a smoke out from under parent’s watchful eyes. Pepsi in one hand and a Camel cigarette in the other, life was good. Summers, swimsuits, shady coves and no worries in the world made for fine days and nights. Rick leaned over to kiss Joan when the damned alarm went off! His eye opened and once again there was no going back. The night was over.
Rick sat at his desk that day and wondered if he was hypnotized or something? Ever since he had stopped at that garage sale and the old woman told him she had saved that mattress for him he had been having all these wonderful dreams, but why? He needed to have someone else sleep on the bed and see if they too had the great dreams he did. It couldn’t be hypnotism if the next person to sleep on the bed had the same great dreams without knowing the story behind the acquisition of the bedding.
Rick picked up the phone and called Lea in accounting. “Lea this is Rick, are you busy tonight?”
“No, what’s up?”
“I just thought I’d take you to supper.”
“What brought this on? You know it’s over between us. You aren’t just horny are you?”
“Lea, am I that kind of guy?”
“Yes you are,” she replied.
“Well all that aside, I just want to take an old friend to dinner. Is that okay?”
“Sure, what time? You know it’s just dinner, nothing else.”
“Sure, how about seven?”
“Okay, I’ll be ready then.”
Rick hung up and began to plan his strategy. This wouldn’t be easy, but at least if the plan didn’t work, there was no harm done.
Rick kept ordering drinks at the bar after their supper. He wanted Lea in a good and drunken mood. That was the only way to get her to stay in his home. His plan worked. He put her to bed on the new mattress and went to the other bedroom. The next morning Lea woke up with a big smile on her face. They sat drinking coffee and Rick listened as Lea told him about the wonderful dream she had. Later at work Lea told her friends about the dream. They were intrigued with her story and wanted to see if the story was true.
Soon Rick had one or another people testing the mattress, all agreed it was magical. It turned out the dream machine was indeed a perfect sleeper.
I am currently looking for a dream machine, a perfect sleeper. So far no luck, but I have a dream that one day I will find one.