“It’snotthat🈮🁭Ihaven’tthoughtofgettingmarried”admittedCharina.“It’sjustthatatthemomentImustdevoteallmytimeandattentiontom🍘🈓♝ywriting,soIjus👅totbedistractedbyanythingelse.Oh,peoyoureyes,Dimitri?”Dimitriseemedtomakeoutshadowymovementsofherhandsastheymovedtoandfrobeforehiseyesuhebrightsunlight.
“It’snothing.🟃🚡Ibecameblind.Ithinkitmustbethewillofheave🚯🖽😆n.Ihavebeeusedtoit,butitisnotveryvewhenItrytogetarous.It’snoth🕜ingreally”,repliedDimitriresignedly.
“ItmustbeGod’swill”saidCharina,makingthesignofthecrossonherself.“Hemusthavegreatthingsinstoreforyoutodo🛪🟎.”
“Let’shopeso”repliedDimitri.Thenheq🔓⛶uicklygedthesubjedasked,“Areyou🚛stillwritingnovels?Iamagreatfanofyou📾☷rs.Whatkindofnovelsareyouwritingatthemoment?”
“That’swhathasbeenbme”repliedCharina.“Ihavepublishedabouttwodozennovelsandhavealsohadquiteafollowing.ButIfeelthatthenovelsIhavewrittenareshallow,mediod👆🆦👶thethemeshavebeenmuchrepeated.Iwanttowriteaboutsomethingthathash,somethingnovendinal.ButIhavenotbeeosettledownonanythingasyetandhaven’twrittenasinglewordforoverayear.YousayIhavebeenhavingawriter’sblock.”
“Really?Whatdoyouwanttowriteabout?PerhapsIgivey🝏🎱ousomematerialsestions.”
“Iwanttowriteaboutwh🙍🉄atisbehindth♜🅱eblueskies”saidCharinapointingtot👪heskiesaboveher.“IwanttoknowifthereintheKingdombeyondtheblueskiesthereisloveandwarfare.Thatwouldbeanattractivetopic.”
“Ofcoursethereis”repliedDimitriwithouthesitation.“Wheretherearepeo🚛ple,therewillwaysbelov🏑🙙eflidwar.Thatisanungeabl🙡eironcdrule.”
“Tellmewhatyouknow💕ab🙍🉄outthingsintheheavenssothatIusethemibook”begg👪edChariedly.
“Toputitsimply,”b🁷eganDimitrilikeabardofold,“beyondtheblueskiesthereisawealthy,mys🛥🞡teriousKingdoheKingdomisfamousforitsbeautifulwomenwhichareasprolificastheflrowingeverywhereintheg🃖🗶☞ardens.Thisarousedtheenvyandjealousyofaprimitivenativetribelivinginthedenseforestsandmountainsandflidwarfarethusbegan.Solongastherearehumanbeings,therewillbeenvyandjealousy...”
“Stop.Stop”criedCharina.“Thismustbeaveryiingstory.IneedmoretimetolistentoyoutellmeeverythingiailbutnowImustgotochurass.youwaitformehere?Iwillbeba🕓ckbeforenoon.”
“Noproblewillsithereandwaitforyoutil🝁lyouebac🞰🗱k.”
“ImeanttotakeMaureenbaebeforeIwenttoMass,butnowit’stoote.Wouldyoubewillingtotakeforme?”
“Sure,noproblem.Iwouldbemorethanhappytotakecareofthislovel🐾🅛ylittledogforyou.Wewillbegoodfriends.”
Dimitriwasdifferentfromotherhomelesspeople.Althoughhewasshabbilydressed,hewasnotdirty.Manyhomelesspeoplearebad-tempered,irrationandaddictedtoalddrugs.Theydonotwashandoftengiveoffastinkthatmakesitimpossibleforpeopletogethem.Dimitri,oherhand,wasgentlean🗼dwell-mannered,quietlydoinggoodintheneighborhood,earningthereputationofa‘GoodSamaritan’Seebook1TheDream-Maker.ThereforeCharinahadnoqualmsaboutleaviinhiscare.Pointingtothepaperbag,shesaid,“ThisisthebreakfastIboughtforMaureen,butheisahospitablelittleguyandhasevidentlydecidedthathewantsyoutohaveit.Goobefetscold.”
“WhatwillMaureehehisbreakfast?’a♜🅱skedDimitrishyly.
“Oh,hehashisownfood”repliedhisowner.“Waithereamomentplease,”saidCharinawalkingquicklytowardsherdcamebacksoonwithabag.“Thisishisdogfood.Thereisabowlinsideyouusetoscoopitoutandtherearesomebot🎐🐌tledwaterth🞎atbothofyoudrink.Mycarisrightthereuhetrees.Ifitgetstoohot,getinthedlistentosomemusic.Iwillbebackbeforenoon.”
“Nop🍥robleveeverythingtome.Youbettergooryouwillbete.BeingteforMassisdisrespectfultoGod.”
“Good.Seeyouter.”Sayin🅌gso,sheleft.
AfterChari,Dimitriopehepaperbagandtookoutthestillwarmhamburger.HetoreoffhalfandofferedittoMaureenwhorefusedtheofferasifsaying“that’sforyou.”SoDimitrihappilybitek,chewedblissfullybeforeswallowingit,thinking“ImustthankheavenforsendingmesuchalovelylittledoggenerousenoughsharehisfoodwithmewhenIwasreallystarvi🂥🐷ng.Yes,Imustthankheavenforthat.AfterseeingtoitthatMaureenwaswellfed,Dimitriputthepsticbowlbatothedogfoodbagandstuffeditintohiscoatpocket.Maureenwasanactivepuppytowhomtheworldw☳asanovendiingpce.Heranaroundonthegrassbythesideofthekeexplwhatevercaughthisfancy.Hebarkedatthesquirrelslookingforfoodontheground,sendingthemscramblingupthetreesinfright.Heharassedthewilddudgeeseuntiltheysquawkedandscreechedastheywaddledindignantlybatotheke.Tohimallthiswasamarvelousgame.ButthemomentDimitricalledout,“Maureen,ebackhere!”hewouldgobackatonce,jumpontoDimitri’spasiftosay,“Look,hereIam!Ihaven’twanderedfar.”Dimitriruffledthefuronhischubbybodyaffeatelysaying,“Goodboy!Goodboy!”Soon,somethingnewagaincaughthiseyeandhejumpeddownandracedexcitedlytowardsthegrass.
Dimitristoodup,stretchedhimselfandmassagedhisagbackbefonthebenchtoletthewarmsundryhismoistclothing.Heclosedhiseyes,pulledhiscaplowerdownhisfadletthewarmsunbathehiswholebody,fullyenjoyingthefreesunshiwasavaibletoall.ItsuddenlycametoDimitrithathewasthemightyrulerofapowerfundmagnifitKingdomwithmanyloyalsubjects.Therewhateverhewishedforwouldmaterializeatoncebeforehim,beithundred-year-oldwiicdelicacies.Hehadma,gealentedbeautieswholovedhimandgatheredaroundhimcateringtohiseverywant,allofthemlivinghappilytogetheriifulpace.Wherewereallofthemnow?HethenrememberedthatthepacehadbeenburhebeautieshadallreturhemundaneworldandhisKingdomofDreamswasnomore.Hewasagainapoorhomelessperson,ablindmancursedbyfate.Lifeoreetsmeantbeingavictimofhunger,coldandillness.Infacttherewerelittleoflife’smisfortuneshehadhrough.LuckilyhecoulddodgerealityanytimehewantedbyesgtohisKingdomofDreams.“Butdoesdream?”heaskedhimself.“Idon’tthinkdreamsareallunreal,norisreallifepletelyrealeither.Both🐂ofthemmaybeunrealorbothmaybereal.IfIwao,IcouldletmytwoloyalservantsCreativityandImaginationbuildanotherbeautifulworldforme.Butiherewouldalwaysbesuccessesandfailures.Ifwecouldhaveoureverywishfulfilledmerelybydesiringitaheseasonsoftheyearatwillitwouldbelikelivinginamagicalrealm.Butinthelongrunevensuchaperfectlifewouldpal.Reallifeisfullofsuccessesiwihfailureswithallkindsofvariables,whichiswhatmakesitiing.Otherwiselifewouldbetoodull.
Dimitri‘sfeetmovedsubsciouslyonthegrouedtoseeifhewouldbeluoughtofindahalfsmokedcigarettebuttaround.Inthisdayandage,whenmostpeoplehadgivenupsmoking,theprobabilityoffindingonewasslimihathewasblindmadetheprobabilityevenslimmer.Butstillhestoopedandranhishandsroundtoseeifamiraclewouldhappen.Atall,muscurmanwalkedover,saying,“HeyDimitri,myoldfriend,whatareyoudoing?Tryingtofindacigarettebutt?Ihaveapackhere.Takeone.”Dimitri’sheartjumpedatthewords.“Iamhaviremelygoodlucktoday”hethought.“WhenIamhungryasmalldogesivesmeahamburger.Iwanttosmokeandanunknownoldfriendoffersmeacigarette.It’smyluckydaytoday.”Thetwoofthemsatdowheronthebench.ThetallguyofferedDimitriacigaretteandlititforhim.Maureen,yingnearbynoticedthattherewasastratingonthebenchtalkingtoDimitriandcameragback.HejumpedontoDimitri’spandbarkedatthestrangermakinglow,angrygutturalsoundsinhisthroat.Dimitritooktheli🈥ttledogintohisarmsandsoothedhimbystrokinghisfurlovingly.“Goodboy.Goodboy.Don’tbenervous.Heisanoldfriendofmine.Don’tbeangry.”Dimitriwasbynaturekindandgenerous,sotohimeveryoneelsewasgoodaoo.Themanearedsosuddenlywasstrongandmuscurwiththefiercefaceofaruthlessmurderer.Whenhesmiled,heseemedguilelessandiwithatouchofslyness.Soitwashardtodetermiherhewasgoodorevil,hoordeceitful.Dimitrifeltthatthisman’svoicewassomewhatfamiliar,thathehadheardhimtalkbefore,buthecouldnotreallyp🕠cehim.
“Howdidyoukn🈮🁭owmynamewasDimitri?”heaskedwhilehepuffedonhisci🛵garette.
“EventhoughIamhisareaIhe🏈ardofyousoonafterIarrived.Inthisneighborhoodwhodoesn’tknowyourname?”repliedthemanughing.“Yourniameis‘brokenball’.Anyonekickyouaroundandyouwillnotbeangryorretaliate.Youarereallyagoodsport,butperhapsyouaretoogoodasport,myfriend.”