The infirmary wasn’t too big, only three beds, two tables and a few chairs around. When Malik woke up, he was laying down in one of the beds, the one closest to the door. Looking around he saw the place was empty, save for his brother, who rushed to him as soon as his eyes opened. He sat beside him on a comfortable, beige chair.
“Malik? Feeling better?”
He touched his head. There was still a faint headache but he felt a lot better than before.
“I’m fine.”
“What happened?”
“I felt dizzy all of a sudden.” he sighed. “Where’s the other guy? I thought he had collapsed as well.”
“He did, but he woke up a while ago and left.” Kadar’s features turned serious and he twisted his nose. “Did you know Altaïr?”
“Never seen before.” Malik shook his head, then stopped and looked at his brother. “Wait, you know him?”
His brother snorted. “He’s my neighbor, moved in to the house next to mine shortly after I moved there. Remember when you were in my house and you had one of those panic attacks?” Malik nodded, but turned his face. He just wanted to forget that embarrassing night. “The one Anne said had hit the garbage and woke up the canine neighborhood was him. He’s usually not a troublesome man, most of the time he’s not even home, but that was the second time he caused tumult in the neighborhood.”
Then Kadar turned to him and his eyes almost seemed to shine. “You should have seen when the cops came a few months ago. They thought Altaïr was a drug dealer and then two cops came to him and you should have seen the way he fought them off. It was so cool.” his brother seemed to struggle to contain a smile. “Well, turns out he wasn’t a drug dealer, but they still took him for punching officers around. He was released the next day though.
Malik raised an eyebrow at his excitement, but said nothing.
“He seemed to know you.” Kadar mentioned after a moment of silence and that bit of information caught Malik’s attention. “I brought you here and someone who was passing by helped bring him too. When he woke up he just stared at me and asked if you were Malik. I said yes and again he asked ‘Are you sure?’ and when I said yes he just took off. Didn’t even let the doctor do the usual check-up. I don’t even know what he was doing here, he’s not coursing anything here, as far as I’m concerned. Crazy guy.”
Malik opened his mouth to say something, but closed it. His brother probably noticed it and held his hand in a way that comforted him. He knew Kadar wanted to ask ”What is it?” but also didn’t want to pressure him. He really didn’t want to share everything related to his dream problems with Kadar - it was bad enough already that he knew they existed in the first place - but at the same time, hiding it from the only person who could probably understand him also felt wrong.
“I’ve seen him before, I think. In one of these vis- dreams,” dreams, not visions. “I didn’t see his face, but I think it was him. It didn’t happen once or twice, it’s been happening a lot now.” He glanced at Kadar to see his reaction, but he listened quietly. “I see a lot of people dressing the same, and one of them feels like him. Like this guy.” Sighing, he let go of his brother’s hand. “I’m always angry in the dreams whenever he shows up. It makes me anxious, makes my heart beat faster. But also...” Malik blinked and looked at him. “I didn’t wake up in panic the few times I dreamt of him.”
“Really?” Kadar relaxed in his seat, messing with the armrest. “Well maybe you should dream of him more often.”
“Maybe I shouldn’t dream any of this at all.”
His brother seemed serious for a moment and let out a long sigh. He braced himself for what was coming. “I know you don’t believe any of this. I don’t either, but...”
“But what?”
“Given the circumstances, don’t you think these dreams really mean something?”
“Kadar.” Malik rolled his eyes.
“I don’t mean like the book you were reading! I don’t think you need that to figure out something on your subconscious is trying to lead you to him. Maybe you should talk to him. Just talk with him, it might help with something. He seemed like he wanted to talk to you anyway.”
“Kadar.”
“Two people collapsing when they touched each other? What sort of coincidence is that? It has to be something more. What if he’s suffering, just like you? What if he’s having weird dreams too? What if that’s what he wants to talk to you about?”
“Oh, that’s a brilliant idea. What am I supposed to do? Knock on his door and say Hello, I’m your neighbor’s brother and I’ve been dreaming of you. Can I come in for a cup of coffee while we talk about our creepy dreams?’” He snorted at his own mocking idea. “No, if anything, I just want to stay away from him.” He turned to Kadar. “And so should you. Drug dealer or not, he doesn’t look like good company.”
“But Malik...”
“IF he has something to do with my problems, just IF, then it’s all the more reason for him to stay as far away as possible. I don’t even know for sure that he was the man I saw in my dream. But if he’s causing this to me Kadar, I swear...”
“But maybe it’s fate. Maybe it’s destiny that you should talk to him.”
“There is no fate!” He slapped his hand down on the mattress hard. It startled Kadar who looked him right in the eye. He was out of control. “There is no destiny! There isn’t ANYTHING of the sort! Okay, maybe it’s one hell of a coincidence, a creepy coincidence - I’ll give you that - but there are no ultimate forces doing this! Maybe I’m stressed, I’m not sleeping well and that’s what causing the nightmares, but I am in control of my own person and I’m not letting anyone - anything of the sort decide what I should or should not do!”
Silence filled the room and Malik lowered his eyes. Guilty overtook him when he realized he had been yelling.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to lose control. I just... I really don’t want to see him again. I don’t want to have anything to do with this anymore. I’m tired.”
But Kadar shook his head. “I’m sorry too, I shouldn’t be putting these things in your head. Perhaps it will do you some good to avoid him after all.” He got up and helped Malik. “Come on, I’ll give you a ride back home.”
The history teacher grabbed his backpack and followed his brother. He regretted yelling at Kadar, but was surprised at how good it made him feel after his outburst.
“Still, it’s a shame that it’s gonna end like this. Very anticlimactic. I kinda wanted to know what would happen if you two met. Without the two of you collapsing, I mean.” Kadar started on their way to the parking lot. Malik glanced at him, but waited for him to finish. “In any case, you shouldn’t worry about it anymore. If Altaïr’s related to your bad dreams, they should stop this week.”
“Why is that?” He tried to sound uninterested.
“He’s moving to New York this week. That’s what the neighbours are saying at least.”
“Really?”
They entered the car and as Kadar started the engine, Malik couldn’t stop thinking about it. Somehow it seemed anticlimactic indeed.
“Yeah. Maybe you two weren’t supposed to meet after all.”
For the rest of the week, Malik didn’t have any nightmares. No nights he woke up frightened and shivering, but the dreams didn’t stop either. Instead, he had pleasant dreams. In the dreams, somehow, the few times that man - Altaïr - showed up, Malik didn’t feel enraged anymore. He felt calm. They talked sometimes, though he couldn’t make out the words.
When weekend rolled in, he put away the dreamcatcher in the same drawer from before. Still no nightmares. He met with Kadar, told him how he was getting better and how, somehow, Altaïr may have been the cause of his bad sleeping habits to begin with and how he couldn’t have been more grateful that he was gone.
For a moment Malik honestly believed that, with time, even the dreams that showed him visions would stop entirely. He was sure of it and dare he say, even had faith in it. Soon, he would be completely back to normal.
Perhaps because of this belief, of this positively certainty that he would never suffer from those bad dreams again, it almost felt like a punch on his stomach when the principal told him he was going to attend to a lecture in New York during the next week.
Re: Dream Catcher - Part 1b
“Malik? Feeling better?”
He touched his head. There was still a faint headache but he felt a lot better than before.
“I’m fine.”
“What happened?”
“I felt dizzy all of a sudden.” he sighed. “Where’s the other guy? I thought he had collapsed as well.”
“He did, but he woke up a while ago and left.” Kadar’s features turned serious and he twisted his nose. “Did you know Altaïr?”
“Never seen before.” Malik shook his head, then stopped and looked at his brother. “Wait, you know him?”
His brother snorted. “He’s my neighbor, moved in to the house next to mine shortly after I moved there. Remember when you were in my house and you had one of those panic attacks?” Malik nodded, but turned his face. He just wanted to forget that embarrassing night. “The one Anne said had hit the garbage and woke up the canine neighborhood was him. He’s usually not a troublesome man, most of the time he’s not even home, but that was the second time he caused tumult in the neighborhood.”
Then Kadar turned to him and his eyes almost seemed to shine. “You should have seen when the cops came a few months ago. They thought Altaïr was a drug dealer and then two cops came to him and you should have seen the way he fought them off. It was so cool.” his brother seemed to struggle to contain a smile. “Well, turns out he wasn’t a drug dealer, but they still took him for punching officers around. He was released the next day though.
Malik raised an eyebrow at his excitement, but said nothing.
“He seemed to know you.” Kadar mentioned after a moment of silence and that bit of information caught Malik’s attention. “I brought you here and someone who was passing by helped bring him too. When he woke up he just stared at me and asked if you were Malik. I said yes and again he asked ‘Are you sure?’ and when I said yes he just took off. Didn’t even let the doctor do the usual check-up. I don’t even know what he was doing here, he’s not coursing anything here, as far as I’m concerned. Crazy guy.”
Malik opened his mouth to say something, but closed it. His brother probably noticed it and held his hand in a way that comforted him. He knew Kadar wanted to ask ”What is it?” but also didn’t want to pressure him. He really didn’t want to share everything related to his dream problems with Kadar - it was bad enough already that he knew they existed in the first place - but at the same time, hiding it from the only person who could probably understand him also felt wrong.
“I’ve seen him before, I think. In one of these vis- dreams,” dreams, not visions. “I didn’t see his face, but I think it was him. It didn’t happen once or twice, it’s been happening a lot now.” He glanced at Kadar to see his reaction, but he listened quietly. “I see a lot of people dressing the same, and one of them feels like him. Like this guy.” Sighing, he let go of his brother’s hand. “I’m always angry in the dreams whenever he shows up. It makes me anxious, makes my heart beat faster. But also...” Malik blinked and looked at him. “I didn’t wake up in panic the few times I dreamt of him.”
“Really?” Kadar relaxed in his seat, messing with the armrest. “Well maybe you should dream of him more often.”
“Maybe I shouldn’t dream any of this at all.”
His brother seemed serious for a moment and let out a long sigh. He braced himself for what was coming. “I know you don’t believe any of this. I don’t either, but...”
“But what?”
“Given the circumstances, don’t you think these dreams really mean something?”
“Kadar.” Malik rolled his eyes.
“I don’t mean like the book you were reading! I don’t think you need that to figure out something on your subconscious is trying to lead you to him. Maybe you should talk to him. Just talk with him, it might help with something. He seemed like he wanted to talk to you anyway.”
“Kadar.”
“Two people collapsing when they touched each other? What sort of coincidence is that? It has to be something more. What if he’s suffering, just like you? What if he’s having weird dreams too? What if that’s what he wants to talk to you about?”
“Oh, that’s a brilliant idea. What am I supposed to do? Knock on his door and say Hello, I’m your neighbor’s brother and I’ve been dreaming of you. Can I come in for a cup of coffee while we talk about our creepy dreams?’” He snorted at his own mocking idea. “No, if anything, I just want to stay away from him.” He turned to Kadar. “And so should you. Drug dealer or not, he doesn’t look like good company.”
“But Malik...”
“IF he has something to do with my problems, just IF, then it’s all the more reason for him to stay as far away as possible. I don’t even know for sure that he was the man I saw in my dream. But if he’s causing this to me Kadar, I swear...”
“But maybe it’s fate. Maybe it’s destiny that you should talk to him.”
“There is no fate!” He slapped his hand down on the mattress hard. It startled Kadar who looked him right in the eye. He was out of control. “There is no destiny! There isn’t ANYTHING of the sort! Okay, maybe it’s one hell of a coincidence, a creepy coincidence - I’ll give you that - but there are no ultimate forces doing this! Maybe I’m stressed, I’m not sleeping well and that’s what causing the nightmares, but I am in control of my own person and I’m not letting anyone - anything of the sort decide what I should or should not do!”
Silence filled the room and Malik lowered his eyes. Guilty overtook him when he realized he had been yelling.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to lose control. I just... I really don’t want to see him again. I don’t want to have anything to do with this anymore. I’m tired.”
But Kadar shook his head. “I’m sorry too, I shouldn’t be putting these things in your head. Perhaps it will do you some good to avoid him after all.” He got up and helped Malik. “Come on, I’ll give you a ride back home.”
The history teacher grabbed his backpack and followed his brother. He regretted yelling at Kadar, but was surprised at how good it made him feel after his outburst.
“Still, it’s a shame that it’s gonna end like this. Very anticlimactic. I kinda wanted to know what would happen if you two met. Without the two of you collapsing, I mean.” Kadar started on their way to the parking lot. Malik glanced at him, but waited for him to finish. “In any case, you shouldn’t worry about it anymore. If Altaïr’s related to your bad dreams, they should stop this week.”
“Why is that?” He tried to sound uninterested.
“He’s moving to New York this week. That’s what the neighbours are saying at least.”
“Really?”
They entered the car and as Kadar started the engine, Malik couldn’t stop thinking about it. Somehow it seemed anticlimactic indeed.
“Yeah. Maybe you two weren’t supposed to meet after all.”
For the rest of the week, Malik didn’t have any nightmares. No nights he woke up frightened and shivering, but the dreams didn’t stop either. Instead, he had pleasant dreams. In the dreams, somehow, the few times that man - Altaïr - showed up, Malik didn’t feel enraged anymore. He felt calm. They talked sometimes, though he couldn’t make out the words.
When weekend rolled in, he put away the dreamcatcher in the same drawer from before. Still no nightmares. He met with Kadar, told him how he was getting better and how, somehow, Altaïr may have been the cause of his bad sleeping habits to begin with and how he couldn’t have been more grateful that he was gone.
For a moment Malik honestly believed that, with time, even the dreams that showed him visions would stop entirely. He was sure of it and dare he say, even had faith in it. Soon, he would be completely back to normal.
Perhaps because of this belief, of this positively certainty that he would never suffer from those bad dreams again, it almost felt like a punch on his stomach when the principal told him he was going to attend to a lecture in New York during the next week.
Kadar had never laughed so much before.