The Red Shoe Dreamaries

Val does not put much stock in dreams that foretell the future. Not her own dreams, anyway. She's never been precognitive like that.

Genius had been talking all summer about a camping trip that was scheduled for this past weekend. He goes every summer now, with his fellow staff from Missouri Boys State. They sleep in tents and float the river. Genius returned sick as a dog last year. I think it stemmed from the stoppage of his over-the-counter allergy medicine and exposure to too much nature. I never know for sure where this wilderness adventure takes place, but I know it's in the middle of the state in the middle of nowhere. Genius is not one to volunteer such information unless interrogated. All I know is that he called and said he might need me to drop off his tent in town to a total stranger passing through if the guy bringing one to share forgot it.

Thursday night, which was actually 3:30 a.m. Friday morning, I awoke from a dream about Genius. In that dream, I had been at a Boys State basketball tournament to watch The Pony. Let the record show that neither of my boys are athletes, and that Genius played one year of JV basketball in high school. In this dream, I was sitting in the bleachers with The Pony, waiting for his team to play, and he was talking to his friends about his new girlfriend, and they were declaring that he had one of the two biggest heads in their class.

In that dream world, I was looking at the court for Genius. I could not find him. The teams were playing six on six. I looked from one player to another, both teams. No Genius. I checked the bench. No Genius. Between games, I walked out to the gym lobby and looked at the tournament bracket. It showed that Genius's team had forfeited. Furthermore, a fan was saying, "...and Lesterville did not show up. They got lost, I guess. So they forfeited."

In my dream mind, I was concerned. I had just spoken to the dream Genius an hour or two before, and he was on his way to the tournament. He was excited to have new red shoes. He was wearing a blue track suit with white stripes down the side. Now he was dream missing!

Flash back to real time. Friday morning, I told The Pony about it on the way to my mom's house to work with my sister the ex-mayor's wife cleaning out more belongings. The Pony laughed. "Ha, ha! Me and Genius playing BASKETBALL? That's funny."

While I was at Mom's house, Genius called to tell me from his college town. He talked about getting internet and cable service for his upcoming rental house, and reminded me about being on-call for possible tent delivery.

"I had a dream about you. Where will you be camping and floating with these Boys State people?"

"Lesterville."

"Oh. Um. You don't have new shoes, do you?"

"As a matter of fact, I do. They're red. I'm wearing them right now."

"What are you wearing?"

"Who am I, Jake from State Farm?"

"No. My dream. Do you have on a track suit? Or a sweatsuit?"

"No. You would not approve of what I am wearing. My new shoes, and white shorts, and a light green shirt."

"Okay. That's a relief. Be careful on your trip."

"I will."

Let the record show that it is rare for Genius to get a phone signal when he's on these camping trips to the middle of nowhere. Or at least that's what he tells me. As I type this on Saturday, getting it ready to post on Monday when I am otherwise occupied...I have not heard from Genius since yesterday's phone call.

Maybe I should watch the news for information on Lesterville.

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Let the final record show that Genius called Sunday evening at 6:00 to report that he had survived his camping trip. He was less than pleased that I did not do cartwheels upon receiving his call. It did not seem to matter to him that I was out of breath from slurping down the last of a delicious chocolate chip/caramel concrete from our newest local frozen custard stand, and in the midst of petting my sweet, sweet Juno, who was snuffling at my face (probably for the frozen custard residue) and simultaneously begging for cat kibble.