With the Name of the Gracious and Compassionate
Creator of the Heavens and the Earth
“Mabel!”
“Huh?”
“MABEL!”
“WHAT?”
“Turn on the light, Mabel.”
“Where is that light? … Oh, there it is! … Goodness gracious! What are you doing on the floor, Walter? You should be in the bed!”
“Mabel. You knocked me out of the bed. That’s why I’m on the floor.”
“Knocked you out of the bed? Why would I do that?”
“I guess you must of been dreaming.”
“Dreaming? … Oohh, yes! … Dreaming! And what a dream it was! Now Walter, you just get up off that floor and let me tell you about this dream.”
“Just a minute, Mabel. … Umph. Not as easy as it sounds. At our age, you don’t ‘just get up off the floor.’ It’s a bit of work. … Ah. … Oop. … OK. I’m ready.”
“You sure?”
“Ready as I can be!”
“Well! … I was on one of those big brand-new interstate buses, going to see my mother. And the whole bus was full of us women, going to see our mothers.
“The sky was deep blue, with beautiful white fluffy clouds, and the sun was shining bright. I was wearing my favorite pink, blue and yellow flowery dress, and everything was wonderful.
“We were so happy! We were clapping and singing that old song: ‘I’m goin’ to see my mother. I’m goin’ to see my mother. I’m goin’ to see my mother. In the heav’nly land.’ Clapping and singing. Clapping and singing.
“Then the sun set, and we fell asleep.
“When we woke up, it was dark and the bus had stopped. And we were underground. … Under the ground!
“Well, we got off the bus. … You know, I don’t remember ever seeing a driver. … Well, anyway, we got off the bus and went looking for our mothers. Why weren’t they at the bus to meet us?
“We went looking around and didn’t see nobody, but we kept looking.
“Finally, we found our mothers. There were all standing with their backs to us. They had their arms folded across their chests, and they wouldn’t turn around.
“We cried out, ‘Mama! Mama! Mama!’ But they wouldn’t even look at us. There was something wrong with us, and they wouldn’t turn around.
“I was so busy trying to get my own mother to speak to me I didn’t notice the other women had got on the bus and left.
“There I was all alone with my mama who wouldn’t even look at me and I wanted so bad to get home.
“So I started running around, and I found this great big root, and I climbed up the root and reached the ground and clawed my way through to the surface.
“And way off in the distance I saw the house. I started walking, but the house kept getting further away. So I started running, but the house was still getting further and further away.
“Well, I just took a great big breath and heaved myself up into the air and flew – just like an eagle. I would not be kept from my home!
“It didn’t take long, either! I caught up with the house and flew in right through that window.”
“Mabel!”
“What?” “The screen is broken!”
“Broken?” “Yes! Broken! Just as if something – or somebody – came bustin’ through the window.”
“Now isn’t that strange!”
“As if I don’t have enough to fix up around here.”
“That sure is strange.”
“Well, go back to sleep, Mabel. I’ll fix it in the morning. … You and your dreams.”
“Good night, Walter.”
“Good night, Mabel.”
…
“Hmmph!”
“What’s the matter now?”
“Walter, I can’t believe the nerve of that woman!”
“Who are you talking about?”
“My mother! Why wouldn’t she talk to me?”
Lester A. Knibbs
27 Jumada al-thani 1422 / 12 Safar-1433
September 15, 2001 /January 6, 2012
Which Way Is Up? 