Since childhood I’ve experienced vivid dreams. I can always recall them if they served me any purpose but mostly they’re pointless and I let them go. I once wrote my dreams down right after waking up, and I believe that led me to lucid dreaming—where I can control them. I’m in Cairo, Egypt now, still dreaming childhood places. And this dream, for some odd reason, I’m convinced to share with my readers.

Wednesday, January 26, 2022

Last night, I dreamt I was rollerblading through Richmond Elementary School—that’s the grade school I went to and first learned Japanese.

I started off downstairs in front of the principal’s office, then glided through the halls near the boy’s bathroom. Somehow, I glided those blades up the steps, rolling past Ando and Ilief sensei’s classrooms. Eventually, I lost the skates and searched all over the school for them.

Even though she was busy with her students, Mrs. Nelson tried to help me find them. I then went down the steps near the cafeteria; and nope, they weren’t there either.

My dream ended near the classroom where RIGIL, who’s my main character writing A RECOLLECTION THROUGH HIM, is placed while daydreaming, or sleeping through class in one section of journal III. By the way, my apologies Mrs. Nelson, that was your classroom, right next to the library. I actually recall depositing money into my first savings account with Washington Mutual at that library.

So, yeah, that’s just how my brain connects dots and spaces.

I write all this to say, I want rollerblades now.

Another thing I recall is that the rollerblades were pink and black—same color I had growing up. But honestly, they were my sister’s.

I once rollerbladed to football practice when I was in middle school.

I saw a group of guys rollerblading through Zamalek last week—that’s the area I dreamt this dream, and now rewriting to say, I want a pair of rollerblades.

—Budd