I was outdoor, facing one of the doors of a blocking house. I looked at the door in front of me. I couldn’t remember if I had ever been in this place, city or town, or this street before, but strangely I didn’t have any fear of being there. Instead, I had an urge, a knowledge that I have to go inside that very moment. It was like I have to meet with someone inside, behind the door.

Without knocking or even searching for a doorbell, I opened the door, just to find that there’s a blockade of old stuff piling high in front of me, and it is blocking my way. It’s a piling of rolled carpet, cloth.. well actually more like a barrier than a ordinary pile, made exactly to block the way. There’s a note attached onto the pile saying “We’re moving address to…” and there written an address I can’t recognize. I was starting to think it was actually a carpet shop which is closing and move elsewhere.

There’s a movement behind the pile, and then I saw a lady behind this pile straighten her posture from bending position, she saw me and knew I have intention to go inside. She then told me -as if she already recognized me- to use the side entrance. She then got back to her business: piling more stuff behind this barricade, bending while carrying rolled carpets, chairs, pots and whatnots from another room inside. All of those stuff looked pretty heavy.. but no way I could help her from the other side of the barrier. So I exited and seek out for the side entrance.

I found it on my left hand side of the main door. It’s a smaller door; very short, it’s height is below my waist-high; with two windows on its side, on a wall made from bricks. You know, like the door Alice found (in Wonderland). The door suddenly opened, apparently there’s a different lady who noticed me approaching the door and she invited me in. I have to sit on the ground and push myself to get through the door.

I successfully got inside, into a very big room, so huge that it feels like an outdoor room. You know how a panel of jury usually sit in a box in a court room? In this huge room, along the walls there are seatings like the panel of jury’s.. made me feel like in a court room. And not just along the sides, there are panels too in the middle of the room, scattered here and there in random pattern. It’s like a maze made from panels. Most of it are normal seatings, but some are taller than others, like in a theater. Or.. more or less, like the maze inside of Colloseum.

Anyway, there are lots of people inside of this panels, sitting and waiting. I wondered if these people too had to pass the small door I just got through, elderly man and woman. I can’t remember what kind of clothing they were wearing. But I do remember that they looked as if they’re expecting go get a show started in that room, though I’m not sure where the stage is.

Quickly, I found an empty spot, no chairs though, so I just stood beside an old man who seemed to be crippled. I knew it from his extra small body despite of his old face, also he was using a special-sized wheelchair, and got a walking stick leaning to it. He reminded me of Stephen Hawking, with a much more normal and straight face. His grey hair gave impression to me that he was really really old.

I couldn’t understand what was the upcoming the show all those people were waiting for. It started right after I found my empty spot and stood still there. All those people looked into the alleys between all the panels. I suppose it was like a drama, but the performers were using all space available between the panels as their stage. I saw some performers in the alley in front of me, about four of them, were miming things that I don’t understand. Their faces were all painted white, with red lips, and they were wearing suit like a mime actors do.

As they got closer to where I stood, they were mocking the old man beside me. His stick was taken and he was challenged to take it back from them. They carried the stick a bit further away from the panel we were in, about 5 meters away, and put the stick in the odd machine looks like an old phone booth.

This old man beside me gathered his strength and suddenly could walk, albeit awkwardly and clearly with effort. He was shorter than me, about the size of a 8 year old child. Slowly he was was approaching that machine. I followed him while everyone else seemed not to care.

Suddenly, I felt like I’m in an outdoor space, I realized the ceiling of the room was not there anymore. On the other side of the machine was apparently a swimming pool, which was hidden by a panel so I couldn’t see it from the place I stood before. Some of the huge room, on my left side, was no longer exist, changed to a backyard with that swimming pool in the centre. On my right hand side, the panels and audience was still there, behind the swimming pool, which was about a half Olympic sized pool.

The old man kept staring at his stick while walking slowly. These performers who were mocking him had stuck the stick into an opening pipe at the machine, and it blocked the machine’s output.. there was a pumping mechanism in the machine that was clearly continued pumping and processing.. and the machine started to look more steamy and bloated. I had slight thought that it did look like in the cartoon movies. I stopped the old man’s walk, brought him back to his seat and told him I would take his stick for him. It all looked to dangerous for him to do it himself.

He replied while smiling “I take your offer anytime, sweetie”.

That was quite an odd reply, I think. But I just went back to the machine who seemed gonna explode anytime soon.. And those miming performers were still beside the machine and the pool and pretending they were going to jump into the pool, escaping from the mischief they had created themselves. These irresponsible dudes kept on smiling widely and happily like Ronald McDonald. I didn’t understand why they could look so happy and enthusiastic. The machine would explode anytime and we were in danger!

Fortunately, I managed to unplug the stick before it got too late, and I brought it back to the old man. He was still smiling and gave me signal that he’d like to go out from there. He needed my help to push the wheelchair. Hey why didn’t he use his wheelchair before, instead walking? I couldn’t find the answer.

There was suddenly a big exit door from this huge scene (I couldn’t say we’re indoor.. while it was like outdoor place at the same time) We stopped before the door, it opened by itself automatically and he stared at the view outside in silence.. and he seemed suddenly so emotional and almost cried to see the very beautiful scenery we saw on the other side of the door. He murmured some words as if saying his last message to me. Or to anyone who could hear, because I barely can hear what he said.

Next thing I know he was like having a seizure, and had difficulty to breathe. I got panicked, what was wrong? What happened?

I moved to his side and hold his body in my hands, somewhat cradling him since he was so much smaller than me. In my panic I called for help from anyone around me, the performers, the audience across the pool.. But before anyone could react upon my cry of help, the old man passed away.. his face looked peaceful despite of his sudden call.. I was so in grief..

And then I woke up still feeling very sad… almost crying in fact, and didn’t have a clue of what was that dream all about.
Who was that old man? I don’t have a clue..

This story was based on a dream I had in the early morning of June 1st, 2012.
I wrote a rough note about the dream (so I won’t forget) and just tonight edited the note into a blog post.
Pictures are taken from here, here, here, and here.