The Half Awake Journey

Walking soberly in the midst of a dream. She grabbed the handle after her footsteps creaked on the fragile porch. “Wake!” And she got up. This is the world where there is none. Up.

“ Now. Walk.” Amber O’ Reilly Jr. looked to her bed and thought how to wake up. “Oh no! Can’t do it!” A quick walk to bed and the chore of shutting heavy eyelids and then Snooze.

FOUR HOURS LATER

Where, who, what are you? Imagination and reality were all mixed up in sorts. Then she awoke, after a reluctant moment, a burst of energy: “Mummy, time!”

“Yes of course sweetheart, it is 12:00.”

A fatigued groan slipped from her mouth. The sign of an adolescent girl’s inner struggles: facing the coming day and waking up. “Must get up!” Amber, struggling, stretched her body upwards and in a swift motion maneuvered out of bed. She ran down the steps and wrapped her arms around Mumma.

Sniffling: “Mummy!”

“Sit down Sunshine and eat!” Amber turned herself around and, O, the sun has presented a golden feast of eggs, strawberries, pork, and an abundance of foods. Amber scampered frantically and ate several strawberries. A lazy afternoon during a sunny Sunday in June, what to do?

SLEEP

AMBER’S MIND: On the ocean. I’m a mermaid! Swim and rest and sing. And relieve my sorrows. The woes. No toes. The sun is bright and never sets. Glistening blue diamonds swimming with me. Where am I now? On the road. Drive Mumma! The sky is peeling up! Where are the clouds? The Sun? Am I still your Sunshine Mumma? Where is Daddy? A castle stretching above the sky is in front and the darkness is behind. The car lifts and Mumma and I see angels dancing on the clouds. She takes my hand and jumps, yelling to fly. We do. Flap, flutter, flip; I’m a bird and Mumma’s a butterfly and the darkness can’t catch us. Daddy! Oh Daddy! I’ve missed you so. His laughter is heartier than I have ever seen on the ground. The higher we go our spirits must lift with us. A natural feeling of seeing the familiar above the cloudy castle; we are above all.