When You Sleep

                                                                "When You Sleep"

                                                                            By

                                                                    Jerry Steele



"Mikayla," father said, "it's time for bed".

She crawled under the soft covers. Mikayla felt safe and warm. Her cat Mindy slept in her box on the wooden floor. Snowflakes swirled outside her frost-covered window.

"A bedtime story, daddy?"

"Not tonight," he said, kissing her on the forehead. "Daddy's had a long day." He walked over to the light switch. Suddenly, the question came to her.

"Daddy, what happens at night?"

"What do you mean, Mikayla?"

"What happens when Mindy and I sleep?" He looked at his watch, and then rubbed his tired eyes.

"Well, when you sleep, a part of the world is still awake."

"I don't understand, daddy."

He thought for a moment. Then, he picked up the world globe on her dresser. He twirled it once and sat down next to Mikayla.

Now awake, Mindy jumped up to the bed. Mikayla sat up, put her pillow behind her back, and pulled her cat close.

"In Australia," he said pointing to it, "there's a girl your age studying in class."

"Really? Does she have a cat too?"

"I'm sure she does," dad said.

And at moment, thousands of miles away in Australia...

"Joan," her mother said, packing her lunch, "it's time to go to school." Joan was combing her hair in the bedroom mirror, when the question came to her.

"Mum, what happens when I'm in school?"

"What do you mean?" asked her mother, walking into her room.

"What are the other people in the world doing?"

Her mother thought for a moment. She walked over to the world map taped on her daughter's wall. Joan's cat Jasper jumped on to the dresser. Joan petted him.

"It's a big world, as you can see," said mother.

"In America," she said, pointing to it, "a little girl about your age is now going to sleep. In Canada," she said, sliding her hand to the north, "there is a farmer at work in a field."

"Is he as old as father?" Joan asked.

"Why, of course," mother said laughing, "with a little boy, just your age. Now let me help you, or you'll be late for school."

And on a small farm in Canada...

"Pierre, come here. I need you," father said. "Help me bring in the cows from the pasture."

Pierre heard his father call from across the yard. Putting down his pail of chicken feed, with his dog Pepper at his side, he joined his father, walking with him. Thinking about it for a while, Pierre blurted out the question on his mind.

"Father, what happens in the world, when we're out here?"

Pierre's father stopped walking.

"What?" he said. "Why would a young boy ask such a question?" He looked down on his son. Pierre just shrugged his shoulders.

"Okay," father said, " I will try."

He knelt down with a stick and drew two circles in the hard dirt.

"Here, in China, a mother is cooking breakfast for her family. Here, in Russia, where it is still night,there's  a little boy  dreaming big dreams."

Back in America, Mikayla looked closer at the globe, as Mindy gently sniffed it. Suddenly, her blue eyes grew wide.

"Boy dad, all of this time, Mindy and I thought the whole world was sleeping."

"No, Mikayla," said her dad, turning off the light, "the world is a big, big place."

"Good night, Mikayla."

"Good night, daddy."



                                                                    THE END