The Pier of His Dreams

“We have been waiting as you have been”. Did his childhood tree just speak with him?

Olaf woke up with a start. His mouth was parched. It seemed like that every second of the day for the past two months. Wiping off his sweat, his shirt sleeves seemed to protest coming off his arms as tried to pull them down. It was drenched from the summer sweat. Peeling it off, he swung his legs down the left side of the bed. He always slept on this side even though all he saw was a blank wall as he got up.

He had the strangest dream. He was in the middle of the river. He had been running across the broken cracked earth. His feet were red and ready to break into blisters. The barrage around the river seemed imposing. Didn’t Mr. David say that it was built to keep out the waters of the flood that the river Danube seemed to swell with every rain? It seemed impossible as he sat down and closed his eyes. Tired, he looked at the empty pail in his hand. “How will I face Ellen?” All she had wanted was some water to get her kitchen running. He had promised to keep her happy as he had put the ringer on her finger two summers back in 1940. The sun shone mercilessly. His eyes were drawn to his childhood tree on the far bank of the river. He wiped off the tear at the corner of his eye. The shriveled branches cried out to him matching his tears and thoughts. “We have been waiting as you have been”.

With the trees and murmurs and gurgles, he was disoriented as he slowly put on this pair of trousers. “I must remember to remove this stain. Where did I pick it up? Maybe the garage. Oh, Mr. Smith had wanted a 5 mm spanner for the workshop. Did I write down what length? Will remember to get that book to write next time”

The sound was deafening. It felt as if the world had come crashing down. Melissa came running to him. He remembered her from his school. The most gregarious girl and one of the first to always announce an event, forced sometimes by her personality and at other times by her role as the class leader, she had endless energy around her. It was no different as she bounded towards him, her skirt dancing around her black, wet, and stiff gumboots.

She jumped into his arms. It’s the river! They have let the water in.

The most miraculous sight. The drought had been severe this year. The village had been quiet and somber. The authorities had been speaking to the town council downstream. The barrage had been opened.

A smile broke as he imagined Ellen busy in her small kitchen. The pail will no longer be dry.