Matthias, The Dream Maker

The Dream Maker

It was a summer afternoon, as pleasant as any other and at the same time so different which held the promise of a new adventure. The grass and the flowers among it shined all over the field, letting show a beautiful ocean of colors that went as far as the eye could see. In the center of this field, perhaps a little further to the north, there was a small cabin made out of wood. In this cabin there lived a short man and a bit thin, blonde and with green eyes, not too young nor too old, his hair was short and wavy. Matthias was his name, and he had a very important job in this place.

You see, Matthias was in charge of dreaming for the whole world. Day in and day out, he would go out to the field and cut flowers, blue flowers, red flowers, green flowers, purple flowers, white flowers and yellow flowers. In the afternoons he would make an ornament using those flowers and some magic wooden sticks. One day he could make a unicorn, the next day it could be a kiss, afterwards he could create a beautiful sunset, Matthias was probably the most virtuous dream maker in the whole world. However, he couldn't dream for himself. You see, what makes of Matthias a great dream maker is precisely that he was uncapable of dreaming himself. He loved his job like no other, but it saddened him to know he wasn't capable of dreaming as everybody else did. He learned to accept that fact and with time it ceased to bother him too much. He was able to create the right dream for whoever asked him for it, because he also had a good ear that could hear the wishes of people with good heart no matter how far they might be. If a little girl, of those who are good behaving, suddenly asks for a dream in which everybody gathers in celebration, Matthias would make sure to give the little girl a dream with all her friends and family in midst of a splendorous banquet with music and entertainment. If a boy, of those who are good behaving, suddenly asks for a dream in which he could fly, Matthias would create the most beautiful sky anyone has ever seen and the boy would be able to roam freely among the clouds to his heart content.

But who would make Matthias dreams come true?

Matthias was a man whose only dream was to be able to dream, not knowing of what exactly he would like to dream of. It was that afternoon that for the first time ever he hear someone calling at his door. KNOCK KNOCK! Confused, and also excited, he ran to the door and opened it to receive whoever was visiting him. Once the door was open he saw a man who looked as a grandfather's grandfather. The old man was wearing simple clothes out of wool and was wearing a hat that had a feather on it that made him feel classy. Matthias, surprised, asked the old man what he was doing in such a place like his home. The old man spoke.

-I've come because I can do whatever I want within dreams-.

-Within dreams you say?- asked Matthias.

-That's right, for this is a dream-.

-Oh, I'm sorry grandpa, but I'm afraid this is no dream-.

-Sure it is, and I can prove it-.

-Really? How?-.

The old man stepped inside Matthias cabin as if it were his own house and sat on a small chair beside a window. Matthias sat on the floor in front of him, just as any child would sit to hear stories about wonderful places that could only exist in the realm of that which can be imagined. The old man put his right hand inside one of his pockets and took out a little wooden bird. Matthias looked at it with curiosity, the old man continued.

-Can you see this?-.

-Yes, it is a wooden bird-.

-How do you know it is not a horse?- the old man asked.

-Because horses have no wings-.

-How can you be certain of that when I see no birds nor horses anywhere near this place?- the old man asked again, Matthias kept silent, and after taking a few moments to think he answered.

-Because I have books-.

-Books?-.

-Yes, books that describe not only birds and horses, but also many other animals as well-.

-Well, that's wonderful, kid- he paused -but still, how do you know this is not a horse?-.

-I've already said it, horses have no wings-.

-So? Who says this right here has wings?-.

Matthias kept silent again, he started thinking and realized that, no matter how many books he had, he actually did not know how wings were supposed to look like. The more he looked at the wooden figure the old man held, the more he wondered what it could really be. But after a short while he answered again.

-You're right, that's no bird and no horse, it's a whale- said Matthias optimistic.

-Young one, this is no whale, it's just a wooden bird-.

-But that's what I said from the start! And you told me I was wrong!-.

-Boy, I never said you were wrong, I simply asked how did you know it was not a horse-.

There was a brief pause in the conversation, Matthias remained sitting, without saying a single word, thinking and angry because he fell right into the old man's trick. Then he said.

-Anyways, how does that prove this is a dream?-.

-How else, if not within a dream, would you be able to forge dreams with no knowledge of the world surrounding you?-.

Matthias woke up in bed, a familiar darkness greeted him as he stretched out his hand, and held his cane.

Reviews

[Isemay]

I like this one. It's somehow sad and sweet.

[Su' Nacnetaf]

I don't like happiness in stories :P