The Girl in My Dream

Mom howled with laughter and replied, "That's cute," and then gently taking Sparks from my arms, she walked back toward the kitchen holding the puppy close to her chest and gently cooing, "Come on in here with Grandma, baby. I'll feed you a little something and fill up your little tummy, yes I will."

"Come on in here and sit down with me, Bryan," said John, "There's something I'd like to talk to you about."

"Sure, John," I replied, "What can I do for you?"

As we sat down on the couch, John looked toward the kitchen, and loud enough so Mom could hear, said, "Karen, honey could you come in here for a minute, please?"

Mom came back into the living room with Sparks in one arm, and a bowl of puppy chow in the other. After setting the bowl of food on the floor, she put Sparks down in front of it, patting his back when he began to eat the food. Then she looked at us and said, "Tell him, John."

"Tell me what?" I asked, confused.

Mom began, "Bryan, you already know about the vacation house that we have in Key West, right?" After I nodded, she continued, "Well, John has a house way up the coast on Juno Beach."

"And opposed to having to maintain two houses, we've decided to give the one in Juno Beach to you," said John, picking up where Mom left off.

"Oh, no this is too much," I protested.

"It's done," smiled John, handing me a large manila envelope containing a set of keys and some paperwork, "And when you sign the forms on the places that are marked, all you have to do is stick them in the mail in this envelope, and it's yours." I was going to protest more, but John stopped me, and looking into my eyes, sadly said, "Please Bryan, let me give this to you. Marie, my late wife, and I, well, we were never able to have any children. This is the closest I'll ever come to having any children so; don't hurt an old man's feelings....son," as a lone tear slowly rolled down his face.

"Well," I said smiling, "Since you put it that way, thank you....Dad, but what am I going to do with a beach house?"

"You're going to go on vacation and stay in it just as soon as the New Year rolls around," Mom sweetly chided.

"What am I supposed to do about work, Mom?" I asked, shrugging my shoulders.

Mom smiled that same knowing smile she did when I was young that always made me feel safe when I was afraid, and then said, "I talked to your second in command, Dave Miller, yesterday, and he told me that everything will be just fine without you, and that you can take as much time off as you wanted. He also told me that you could really use a break, Bryan so, I'm asking you to do this for me, sweetie."

In the past whenever she would ask me to do something for her, she always knew that I could never refuse her, no matter how menial the task she wanted me to perform. So, I simply threw my hands into the air and said, "Aw, man!"

Chapter Three

I'd spent Christmas and New Years with Mom and John, which really was fun. However, it was the third of January and Sparks and I found ourselves driving down I-10, headed to Florida. Needless to say, before I left I'd called Dave at the office to make damn sure that there were no foreseeable problems and that everything would run smoothly in my absence. I trusted Dave and knew that if anything did arise, he was more than capable of dealing with it. Besides, Dave had been with me since the beginning and knew the business as well as I did.

As we drove further east, Sparks began to get settled into the little bed I'd made for him in the front seat beside me. Every once in a while he would raise his little head and I would reach over and scratch behind his ear, making his little tail wag before he would lay back down and go to sleep.

I drove until it got dark, and then I continued on for another hour so I wouldn't have that far to drive in the morning. I checked into a hotel in somewhere in Alabama, paid a pet deposit for Sparks, and after taking him for a walk, we settled in for the night and went to sleep.

~~~~~~

The next morning, Sparks and I had breakfast on the road. It was funny watching the little fella eat while we were driving. I was glad that I had someone to ride along with me, and I silently thanked Mom and John for the companionship I felt with my little buddy, Sparks. The only good thing that came out of my relationship with Kelly was that she had insisted I buy a Jaguar XLS convertible, telling me that it would make me look more chic. Jeez! What a materialistic bitch she was, although I know that I only fueled her stupidity by indulging her. I must've been insane. Oh well, such is life, huh?

It was around noon when we hit I-95 and turned south. By this time I'd already pulled over and put the top down, and now Sparks and I were enjoying driving down the highway with the wind in our hair. Once I was near our destination, I got off the interstate and drove down alternate route A1-A, so I could see the Atlantic Ocean and smell the sea breeze. I hadn't been to Florida since way before my father died, and I noticed how much things had changed since the last time I was down this way. Sparks was enjoying himself riding in my lap with his head out the window and his little butt on my leg. But it was mostly because of the adoring looks as well as the little remarks he would get from all the young girls that would stick their heads out the windows of their cars when were stopped at red lights.

~~~~~~

It was around two-thirty in the afternoon when we pulled into the driveway of my new (to me) beach house. John wasn't lying when he said that it was nice. It wasn't just nice, hell; it was almost like a mansion on stilts that sat right on the beach. As soon as we got out of the car, Sparks wasted no time in marking his territory, and when he was done; he met me, his tail wagging rapidly, at the front door right as I opened it.

John had called ahead and had his cleaning service come and freshen everything up and turn the air conditioner on so that the house would be cool when we got there. The house had three bedrooms. The master opened up onto the deck out back where a hot tub sat, the water already heated and waiting. "Damn, that's going to feel good later tonight," I said, to no one in particular. I looked to the far end of the deck and discovered a stairway that led to the sand in case I wanted to swim in the ocean.

Sparks began to bark at me from inside the house to let me know that someone was knocking on the front door. I came back into the house and made my way to the door and opened it. Before me stood a couple whom, I would say, were in their mid to late fifties.

"So, you must be John's new step-son, Bryan," the man said, extending his hand, "My name is Don Schwartz, and this is my wife, Helen. John called us and asked us to look in on you. I hope you don't mind."

"It's nice to meet you both, I replied, smiling and shaking hands with them, "Please, come on in and make yourselves at home."

"It's good to see this place getting used. It was boarded up after Marie died," Helen sadly said.

"I would offer you something to drink," I laughed, "But I just got here and haven't had the chance to stock the house with food yet."

"I'll bet that if you open your refrigerator, you'll find some cold beer in there," John laughed.

"And why would there be beer in my refrigerator?" I suspiciously asked.

"We asked your Mom to fax us a list of all of your favorite foods so we could stock the pantry for you as a house warming gift," said Helen, "Welcome to Juno Beach, Bryan."

I got up and went to the pantry to find it overflowing with food. Then turning and opening the door to the refrigerator, I smiled when I saw it full of everything that I liked to eat. "Aw, you guys didn't have to do this," I replied smiling, as I closed the refrigerator door with three beers in my hand.

By this time, Sparks had come in, and after some coaxing from Helen, hopped up into her lap, and was being scratched behind his ears, just the way he liked it. "Yes, we most certainly did. We love John like family," she said smiling, "So, don't argue with me young man."

"Yes ma'am," I said, teasing her with a mock salute. I came back into the room and sat in the chair while they sat on the couch. As I handed them their beers, I grinned and said, "From just meeting you two, I'll bet that we're going to be good friends. If either of you ever need anything, don't ever hesitate to ask me before you ask anyone else, okay?"

"Now that you mention it, Bryan, John told me that you were an electrician," said Don.

"Yes, sir, that correct," I said, knowing what was coming next.

I grinned when John scratched his head and said, "I've got this ceiling fan in our bedroom that just won't act right."

"What he means is, he didn't put the damn thing in right," smirked Helen, "Could you be a dear and come take a look at it for us, Bryan?"

I always carried a set of basic hand tools in my trunk so, as I stood up, I looked at Don and said, "I'll tell you what, lets you and I go take a look at it while Ms. Helen baby-sits Sparks for me, okay?"

As he rose from his seat, Don smiled and said, "John was right about something else, too."

"And what was that?" I asked.

Patting me on the shoulder, Don laughed and said, "You really are a good kid."

"You sure are," replied Helen.

~~~~~~

After I'd taken care of Don and Helen's ceiling fan, Sparks and I were sitting out on the patio enjoying the sunshine. Of course he wanted to play tug-of-war with a piece of soft rope that had been fashioned into a puppy toy. He was a strong little guy for his age. Mom told me that he was only two months old when she got him at the pound. He sure was a cute little puppy. He was blonde all over with a little round belly that had a soft pink underside. Suddenly he sat up with his ears perked up and looked out to sea. "What is it, boy?" I asked him. He began to wag his tail and then excitedly ran over to the far end of the deck, next to the stairway and began barking at the sea gulls and the little sand pipers that were foraging for food along the shoreline. "Sparks, come here, boy," I said, making him turn around and come bounding back, his wagging tail rapidly moving behind him as he ran.

For the next few days, Sparks and I explored the beach by day, while I enjoyed the therapy of the hot tub at night. I let my mind drift to thoughts of how nice it would be to have a beautiful woman next to me. Then all at once, visions of Kelly invaded my psyche, painfully waking me from my reverie, reminding me of the hurt I thought was gone. At night my heart was once again filled with visions of my beautiful Sara while I slept. We were talking to one another now in my dreams. I could never remember what was said, but the mere sound of her voice drove away all the pain I'd ever felt, and I was once again at peace. If only she were real, life would be like I yearned for it to be.

One night Helen and Don volunteered to baby sit Sparks while I went out and explored the night life. I found a spot in Palm Beach Gardens called "The Snuggery". They weren't extremely busy, and the bartender, whose name was Lori, had a drink sitting in front of me only moments after I'd ordered it.

As I sipped my drink, Lori asked me where I was from, and when I told her that I was from Texas, she smiled widely and told me that she was born and raised in Dallas, which was where I was living at the time. We talked a while longer, and when I was asked if I wanted another drink, I declined as I had to drive home. I did stay and order some food though. I had pan fried Yellow Tail Snapper, fried crab and a baked potato with a big glass of iced tea to wash it all down with. And when I was done, I paid my tab, thanked Lori, and then drove home with a full belly and a big smile.

~~~~~~

I had been in Juno Beach for a little over two weeks, when Helen and Don invited me over for coffee one morning. These were two of the kindest people I'd ever met, and there was no way I could ever refuse anything they asked of me. As I walked next door and rang the bell, I heard Helen's voice say, "Come on in, Bryan."

I had been to their house more than once since I'd been here. So, when the front door closed, I heard Don say, "We're out here." I made my way out to their screened in back porch and sat down at the place that Helen had prepared for me.

"Good morning," I brightly said.

Don and Helen were acting a little strangely that morning, and when I asked if they were alright, Don looked at me and gravely said, "Bryan, I've got something to show you, and I'm not really sure how you're going to react to it...but...there is no way I could live with myself if I didn't show you."

"It can't be that bad, can it?" I asked, chuckling.

Don pulled out a large tablet similar to what an artist would do sketches on and laid it on the small table we were sitting around. Then with his hand on the front cover, he turned to me and said, "Look closely at what I'm about to show you, Bryan."

When he opened the tablet, I saw a drawing of a little boy that couldn't have been any older than eight or nine, sitting cross-legged in a meadow, wearing shorts and a tee shirt and was bare-footed. He was leaning on one hand and holding a tall piece of grass in his mouth with the other. He was smiling at something unseen and as I looked at the boy's face something in his eyes looked oddly familiar.

At my indication, Don turned the page to another drawing. This one was of a teen age boy, about fifteen or sixteen. His hair was dark and slightly unkempt, as if the wind had blown it. He was leaning against a tree with his arms above his head and a grin upon his face. This time when I looked at the face of the boy, a chill ran down the back of my spine when I realized that it was my face that I was looking at. It was as if someone had been there to capture every detail of my face, it was so exact.

I looked up at Don and Helen in amazement and asked, "Where did you get this, and who drew these?"

"Please Bryan," said Don, "Look at the rest of these."

The next drawing was of me when I was about nineteen or twenty. It was of me wearing an old baseball cap and I had a very studious look on my face as if I were in deep thought. The likeness, again, was exact. I'd never in my life, hardly sat still long enough for anyone to be able to take a picture with a camera, much less draw one that looked exactly like me.

The next drawing was one of me the same age as I am now. It looked like it had been drawn only yesterday. I looked even more closely than before, and was left almost breathless at how exact whoever drew this had been in creating another exact likeness of me.

"I take it you want to tell me something, Don," I said, as I looked back up at him and Helen.

"The artist is a friend our niece's, and according to this person, they said that they knew the man in these drawings, but that they just haven't met.....yet" Helen cryptically answered.

"I'm the man in the drawings, Helen," I replied, "But I never sat for someone to draw me before, not ever."

Don began to laugh, making me reply, "I don't see where any of this could possibly be funny, Don."

"Yes there is," he laughed, "And it's as plain as the nose on your face that you two need to meet.

"I don't know about that, "I said, "But there's something strange going on here, that's for sure."

"I'll agree with that," smiled Helen, "There is something going on here, but I'm not real sure if strange is the word I would use to describe it."

Chapter Four

I was sitting on my couch that afternoon, watching the television but not really seeing what was happening on the screen. I was still trying to wrap my mind around the drawings that Don and Helen had shown me earlier that morning. Who could've drawn these pictures of me without my knowledge, and with such precision at that? I had to find out who it was, it was that simple.

~~~~~~

The next day, Don had their niece, Wendy, over for lunch. She stood about 5"6, had dark brown hair and eyes like me, and was definitely a very pretty girl that could most certainly turn male heads everywhere she went. However, when she saw me for the first time, she gasped and said, "Oh my God! I can't believe it. You're the man in the pictures that my friend drew."

"Does your friend have a name?" I asked cautiously.

"Yes," she smiled mischievously, "But my friend lives a closely guarded life, and as opposed to telling you this person's name, I think it would be better if you two met face-to-face."

"We agree with her, Bryan," said Don, Helen nodding her approval.

"Okay then, when can that happen?" I asked again.

"How about if I come and pick you up at your house tomorrow morning around nine, and then I'll take you to meet my friend, okay?" Wendy asked with a conspiratorial smirk.

"I'll be ready" I quickly replied.

~~~~~~

As I took Sparks down the beach for his evening stroll, I was anticipating meeting the person who drew my pictures. I knew nothing about them as neither Wendy nor her Aunt and Uncle, would tell me anything, not even so much as a name. I decided that it might be someone famous and I was going to get the opportunity to be immortalized in pencil. Nah, that couldn't be it, but damn, who was it that I was going to meet tomorrow? The question haunted me all evening.

That night as I lay asleep in bed, Sara came into my dreams again. This time I was lying next to her in the meadow and she had her arms wrapped tightly around me with her body pressed closely against me. I heard her whisper, "I've been alone for so long, Bryan. I need you, I need you so badly."

"I need you, too, my love," I breathed, "I need you, Sara."

Then she rose up onto my chest and looked into my eyes, and smiling brilliantly, said, "I love you, Bryan," and before I could respond, I awoke.

The four walls of my bedroom were staring at me again, but it was still dark outside. I looked over at my alarm clock to discover that it was only four in the morning, yet I was now wide awake with no chance whatsoever of going back to sleep any time soon. Sara was now living in every cell of my body. And although she had only come to me in my dreams, I still felt alone and empty now that I was awake. I was having a hard time dealing with these dreams now, and I felt like I might be going off the deep end somehow. Still though, I wasn't about to tell anyone of my dreams, for fear of jinxing them and never being able to see my beautiful Sara again.

Suddenly I felt something jump up into the bed with me, but before I could reach over and turn on my bedside lamp, a cold wet nose nudged my throat, making me laugh. Sparks had jumped up in the bed and was now attacking me with puppy kisses all over my face. "You wanna take a walk, boy?"

His reply was a simple and happy little bark, letting me know that, whatever I wanted to do would be just fine with him, as long as he was included.

~~~~~~

We took a short walk out onto the sand for what I thought was only going to be long enough for Sparks to do his business, until he spied a stray tomcat lurking beneath the house. I was very thankful that I'd thought to put Sparks' leash on him, because the minute he saw the cat; loud feline wails and shrieks, accompanied by Sparks barking at the top of his lungs, began to slowly awaken the whole neighborhood.

"Sparks, lets go, boy," I told him, while gently tugging him away before the tomcat whipped his little ass for him. He finally did his business, and after a few last sniffs here and there, as well as marking his territory one last time; we were finally ready to go back inside.

~~~~~~

I tried to lay back down when Sparks and I came back in, but somehow, sleep just wouldn't come. I knew it was because of my dreams of Sara and worrying about her. I knew she wasn't real, but still, I wondered why God would allow anyone to go through the torture that I was experiencing. She was the most beautiful creature that I'd ever had the privilege of beholding. Sometimes life just didn't seem fair, that's for damn sure. I eventually drifted off to sleep though, and when I looked at my alarm clock for the last time that night, I remembered it being just a little after two o'clock in the morning.