The Dreamer and The Dreamed

A Story by Cris Gregorio

Coming home from his work, the old man, Tim, exhausted, succumbed to his emotions, as the anguish of losing his son's life could only have been compounded by his strong objections in life. Feeling uneasy, the grandpa took two bottles of beer from the shack and a sack of sunflower seeds to eat. Tim was feeling light-headed ever since he came home; he was lonely, divorced, and financially unstable.
"Tony! Wake up!"
Feeling nostalgic of that particular voice, that particular accent, he stood up and looked for where the voice was coming from.
"Looking good, cowboy! You still haven't changed."
It was a boy in his teen years, full of freckles, and looking attenuated.
"What do you want from me? Begone!"
"Are you a cowboy?"
Feeling anxious of the boy's presence in his yard, Tim yelled
"Of course I am! Can't you see? This has always been my dream since I was a kid! I chose this path. Now, buzz off and look for other houses to annoy, and by the way, my name is not Tony! Now, get out!"
With a soothing voice, the boy replied
"Nope. You didn't choose it, it chose you."
"What do you even mean?"
"You look exhausted. You should be getting some rest. Your troubles shouldn't be keeping you like that. I never wanted that, nor did you."
"Who are you to even tell me that? I haven't seen you since I moved here."
"Oh no-- you have seen me, but you never wanted to look at me at the mirror."
Encompassing his past together with his worries, he answered.
"Tony, are you not?"
"My name isn't Tony, silly. It was the first nickname that you gave to your son. You thought ŷof giving it to him when you were 17, but life hit you hard, and neglected the opportunities that could have changed the entirety of your life. Remember, we didn't choose the path of being a cowboy, it chose us. The opposite applies to your life however. Look up, Tim. I never wanted to have a body like that when I grow old, break free."
Suddenly, the boy disappeared into thin air and the grandpa woke up. Being upset by the burden his life gave him, he sat there and wept.