The Dreamer

       In a new place, with a strange dream...

PART 1/2

      Jasire opened his eyes slowly. Regardless of his fearsome dream, he was used to waking up quietly, as his mother would surely awake at any sound he or his siblings made, cautioning them to keep their voices low as the night was a very sensitive time. For the sake his mother, Jasire sat up as quietly as he could, this time, his mother wasn't leaning on the wall, asleep, and he infact had slept on a bed the night before, with his younger brother Tola by his right. The day was clear and Jasire felt a little bit of fright within him as he saw his mother asleep on a mat with his younger sister,  Alita. The day was never clear and his mother would still be asleep, infact,  she hardly slept through the night,  waking up at even the mere sound of a passing mosquito. 

      Jasire remembered his dream and wondered if he'd still be asleep like the rest of his family if he hadn't dreamed. He didn't know what to do about his dream this time. As he grew, he dreamed repeated dreams often, and just as his mother predicted every time he told her about it, they were always gone after the third day, buh he had had this dream since they left Adito about 5 days ago. What was different in this dream aside the length of days was that when he had had the dream for the past 4 nights, they ended on the same scene, or rather,  paused in same place. This time, the dream had elongated further, yet, unclear and so he couldn't tell if that was the end or there was more to it.

     Jasire watched as Tola turned slowly on the bed, he didn't know if he had to wake his mother or leave her to the rest she usually deprived herself of. He on his thoughts would like to leave the room and check who their new owners were, what the new neighbourhood was like, who their new neighbours and coworkers were, buh he knew too well than to make a move, if at this point a passing mosquito couldn't wake their mother, as her blood runs through their veins,  any loud move he made would surely awaken her. And at that, a soft knock came on the door of the room. No one had ever knocked to enter into any of the rooms Jasire grew up in.

      Jasire saw his mother jolt quickly out of her sleep as she sat up, he could almost read the fear on her face. He had his guess - his mother had overslept and forgotten that she had chores that morning. Her mother didn't tell him the discussion she had with the house owners when they got there the night before, so he didn't know which work they would be doing there. The door to the room creaked loud as it was pushed open from outside, Tola awoke slowly, and quickly their mother, Mrs Dotun stood on her feet, placing her daughter carefully onto the mat.

       The face that came in had a smile on and Tola sat up this time. The look was unusual to the boys, he was probably the lady their mother spoke with the night before, their eyes were heavy when they had arrived and so they didn't remember much from when they came into the house. 

The lady, Phoebe had a pile of folded clothes on her hand. "Good morning Mrs Dotun" She said through her smile. 

Mrs Dotun smiled a little, Jasire had never seen his mother smile or attempt to. Maybe he did once, he couldn't recall. "Good morning" Mrs Dotun said carefully, unsure what title to give Phoebe, she couldn't be a maid, she was too well dressed for that, and she couldn't be a house daughter too, house owners don't serve helpers. 

"Hello boys" Phoebe addressed the boys, and quickly, the two boys stood from the bed. 

Phoebe turned again to Mrs Dotun, "Here, I brought a change of clothes for you all..." she raised the clothes in her hand "...there's water in the bathroom..." she continued as she pointed to the bathroom door right next to the door she was standing by "...and by 10, come downstairs for food" Phoebe said as she dropped the clothes on the bed. She pointed at the clock that leaned on the wall beside the mat Mrs Dotun was standing on. "It's almost 9, do well to make it downstairs by 10" Phoebe said and Mrs Dotun nodded eagerly. "Alright then" Phoebe said and left the room, closing the door behind her.

     The boys turned to their mother after Phoebe left, they were as unsure as their mother as to what to do, nobody ever offered anything except their coworkers, who weren't even endowed enough to give them a change of clothes. As far as Jasire could recall, all his life, he had only ever had two shirts to call his own, one of which he had outgrown and three trousers of which he could only wear one comfortably, even the one Tola had on presently used to be his. Mrs Dotun reached for the clothes Phoebe had dropped. "Jasire, take your brother for a bath while I sort this out" she said. Jasire nodded. "Yes mother" He said, he couldn't figure out his mother's thoughts this time. A bath wasn't something they usually have upon waking, the only time they had to wash their bodies was when they took clothes to the stream to wash. Jasire looked at Tola, "Let's go" he said.

                                        To be continued...

Proverbs 24:14 KJV

So shall the knowledge of wisdom be unto thy soul: when thou hast found it, then there shall be a reward, and thy expectation shall not be cut off.