A story

Some dreams fade away, others feel real even after days or weeks. This dream still is fresh so let me describe it to you.. since it is about you too!

I had switched off the light, preparing to go to bed. In the darkness I could see that the moon was bright outside. It cast a pale blue pattern on the sheets, slipping through the cracks in the blind. Parting the blind and looking outside, my mind right away became serene at the sight of a bright moon, just past the half moon phase, lighting the clear sky and the still leaves of the grapevine  spreading out on the trellis next to the window. The leaves, like the grass below, looked magically dark and full of shadows in the moonlight, as if hiding some mystery.

At that moment, an image flashed into my mind from out of nowhere. A memory of one of our walks, along the path bordering the Otaru canal, you in a white dress, the sun hot and bright from above. I suddenly felt nostalgic. I did not want that image to slip away. Closing the blind, I slipped between the sheets and drifted off to sleep, with that scene still keeping company..

Next thing I recall, I was walking with you along a winding path in a lush green wood, with a whisper of a breeze, with dark shadows and hidden corners. We were walking slowly, having pleasant conversation, punctuated by an occasional laughter from you that I so love to hear. I was feeling like nothing else existed except you, me, the woods, the bright specks of light streaming through the dense canopy of leaves, and the cool shadows away from the path in the bushes.

Then, suddenly something changed. We came upon a strange scene. Strange only after I thought about it on waking up, in the dream it was perfectly normal. And even though I say we, of course you did not see it, since you were not ACTUALLY there, this being my dream...

We heard it first before we saw it, the sound of gently running water. It was otherwise getting quieter as we approached the source of the sound, just around the bend in the path, among the tall trees to the right. And then we could see it.

The scene may have been strange in real life, but it wasn't, in the dream. It was inviting, mysterious, and pulled us closer to it with a mix of curiosity and mild excitement. A roughly hewn marble tub was set in a low stone platform under a beautiful, tall, oak tree, partially surrounded by a low stone wall with moss and bracken growing on it. The tub was full of water, flowing in from a cast iron pipe above it. There were bright patches of light sparkling on the water and casting dancing patterns on the stone wall.  There were deep shadows everywhere. On a grassy patch to the right of the platform  grew a bunch of daisies, intensely white in a beam of sunlight streaming through the leaves. Your eyes widened with delight at the sight, but even as your steps got faster, you also moved closer to me, holding my hand lightly for assurance and company while  slightly pulling me along towards the scene.

As we drew closer, something eerie happened. Again, eerie if it had happened in  humdrum daily life, life that sadly we call the real world. In the dream world it was quite normal and perfectly acceptable, even as it felt strange. The slight breeze that was moving the leaves quietly died down. It became warmer and more humid. The closer  we reached the tub the more we felt like we were in another world. It was perfectly still, with only the sound of the falling, rippling water and the song of a distant bird breaking the silence. A cloud appeared to hang, warm and vaporous like in a hamam, in and around the tub. The whole scene took on a soft, misty feel.

Suddenly we were standing next to the tub, and you were looking at me with bright eyes and a slightly mischievous smile. You were wearing the white dress that you wore on our Otaru trip. You asked me to unzip it, cautioning that the waist band was entangled. As I unzipped the dress it fell to the ground, and you emerged out of it like a nymph, picked it up, hung it on the tree, and stepped into the tub in a single smooth and effortless movement, a perfectly executed little dance. You then sank into the water with a satisfying sigh as the hot water enveloped you.. you were in heaven. 

I found myself standing behind you next to the tub, wearing a loose fitting white shirt and pyjamas, like a masseur. You were sitting with your back to me in the tub, shoulder deep in the hot water, with white clouds of thick mist that were bobbing on its wavy surface. Without turning around, you held up a small bottle of Argan oil in your right hand, and asked me to massage your neck and shoulders. Earlier in our walk, you had been complaining of a pain in your neck from long sessions on the computer keyboard due to not paying attention to your posture. I was only too happy to oblige.. a dream come true, in a dream!

Taking the bottle from your hand, I poured a generous dollop of oil into my cupped right palm, put the bottle down, warmed the oil up by rubbing it between both palms, and then let the warm oil start it's magic on your neck and shoulders with long firm strokes  from both my palms, fingers probing in advance for knots in the muscles. 

Once again I got that feeling that time had stopped. There spread a faint perfume of sandal and vetivert, presumably from the oil but it could have been from elsewhere. A feeling of being there in that moment with nothing before or after came over me. I could sense the little knots of tension in your neck yielding and dissolving away under my fingers. The sound of water dripping into the tub mingled with the sound of the little waves lapping the sides of the tub, occasionally punctuated with little sighs and gentle moans of satisfaction that came from you as your tensions ebbed away. The water felt pleasant and soft. I could not help but imagine its velvety caresses cuddling your nakedness hidden under the floating white clouds. A slight feeling of guilt, with a hint of jealousy towards the waters' intimacy to you, denied to me, bubbled up in me. I scolded myself for having such indelicate thoughts about you, and tried to stick to being a professional masseur, paying attention only to knots and nothing else..

All of a sudden I could feel your neck relaxing, followed by your shoulders. You held your breath and became still. I paused, anticipating your response as you realized what happened. You turned around with a surprised grin on your face, and impulsively stood up, delighted, exclaiming that the pain had suddenly and completely gone away,  ready to give me a big hug of thanks, entirely oblivious to the fact that you were facing me naked.

And then I woke up. Darn!

I was confused at first, finding myself in bed in the dark instead of getting a hug. I turned around, and while doing so, it dawned on me that the pain in my neck and shoulders from a bad posture while asleep a few days before was draining away even as I turned. 

It felt so good, being pain-free after three days of suffering. But it was quite disappointing to wake up from that dream.. I wished it never ended..