Chapter 3

Sherwin and I forgot about our close brush with the neighbour quite quickly. More important events happened at school. I had a major role in a school play about Jesus Christ. I played Jesus and my teacher said I looked just like how she imaged Jesus looked like. My mom and dad actually went to the school play, and they enjoyed it quite a bit. Dad was proud with my handling of the lead role. "You're gonna grow up to be a leader one day, son," he'd say.

Jesse finally graduated from university and left the country to work in France. I cried at the airport when she left. She was like a mom to me. Dad thought I was old enough to take care of myself and refused to waste money on a new babysitter. Sherwin and I had the huge two-story house to ourselves. My dad brought me a sack filled with cricket balls, so even though we hit about two balls over into Wayne's house every week, we were still able to keep playing. Wayne was his usual self. He didn't talk much to anyone. Whenever he saw me walking around with Sherwin he'd go on and on about how kids nowadays have no respect for older people. But I barely saw Wayne. He worked fairly hard as a taxi driver and often came home late at night.

Sherwin was much smarter than I thought he was. At the age of ten he won a national science award for an experiment he did. I have no idea what the experiment was about, but it had something to do with computers and had lots of numbers involved.

Sherwin and I were good friend but we got in a few fights. One time we both watched E.T.--The Extra Terrestrial. At the end of the movie I started crying and he made fun of me at school. He went around telling everyone I was a crybaby. I didn't really mind him telling people, but I knew for a fact that Sherwin cried too because after the movie his eyes were very watery. Maybe he was just trying to make himself look tough. I don't know, but I tend not to like people who aren't themselves.

The months passed on. One day I had a dream that shocked me. It shocked me so much I woke up with sweat all over my bed and blankets.

I was in bed. My eyes were closed. Then, when I opened my eyes again, I was in a rain forest--a misty rain forest with palm trees and streams of water running near my feet. In the distance were soaring mountains and dark valleys. I drank water from a wide river. I could see the other side of the river from where I stood, but only just. I was seven years old. My body was as small as a potato sack, and furthermore I was naked, although I wasn't cold. I stood by the edge of the river, looking at the peak of an ice-capped mountain in the distance.

I felt a cold hand on my shoulder and turned around suddenly. Standing before me was a seven-year-old girl. She was amazingly pretty. She was naked as well. Her hair was soft and brown, matching her eyes. Her face was round, which made her look more cute than sexy. We both stood near each other as the moist air glided over our skin and the muddy soil near the river seeped between our toes. She pointed to the ice-capped mountain over my shoulder.