Lourdes Ann Banal

Where Do You Want To Go? I am dreaming, he concluded to himself. Dreams play on existing memories, he knows this. But when a magician, sits atop a giant, white rabbit, with an outstretched hand full of rings towards you, you begin to doubt.  "Welcome, welcome! climb aboard!" the magician said. "I can take you wherever your heart desires!"  Ignoring what the man said, he asked: "Where do I know you?" The magician's stage smile dropped slightly. "Is it all that important to know?" He said, looking at his watch. "Okay, Francine, my fluffy friend here, is on a tight schedule. It's feeding time in a bit, and she gets nasty without her carrots. So I'll tell you what, if you climb aboard, I'll tell you where you know me. Deal?" He hesitated, it could all be pretend, a trick, and the man wouldn't tell him anything. Yet he wants to know, because knowing was everything; not knowing would kill him. "Deal." He said and boarded Francine who leaped up into the clouds. The back of the rabbit had a certain stench, and it was filthy. And this was the understatement of the year. How do he put up with this?  Cut from his thought-process, the magician shouted from the front "WELL! WHERE DO YOU WANT TO GO?" "You still haven't told me where I know you!" He replied. In return, the magician gave out a hearty laugh. "You sure want to know a lot, don't you! Is that all you really want? Is that the only 'why' you're here for?"  When the stranger laughed, he knew. The signs were all there. The rings, Francine, and finally, his laugh. He grinned at the sight of the magician laughing. Grandad. It's you. What grandad had said struck a chord. Maybe there was one more thing he wanted, something he'd thought was impossible. But then again, in dreams, anything was possible. "I want to go home, please." When the magician had heard this, he nodded. "Sit back and relax! We have long to go!" He laid down on the fur of the rabbit, thinking of home.