• I have a dream, every night. The same one, over and over again. It’s about my father. He passed when I was little from a heart attack. In this dream, I see long golden grass swaying in the breeze. I’m in Africa the last land my Dad saw before he died. It is my belief that his body was sent home to England but his soul was not. In these dreams I see a place I’ve never been. The sun is bright and hot, I’m thirsty… oh so thirsty. I kneel to the ground in my nightgown the golden grass tickling my face. I look up at the sky not a cloud in sight. Looking over the savannah, I don’t see water anywhere.

    I hear an elephant trumpet, so close to me I’m scared. I look behind me there standing on a small hill stands a large bull elephant with long ivory tusks. He is very close at least thirty-five feet away. I feel so small compared to his large size. He trumpets again, his trunk he lifts to the sky. He’s pointing at something. I look up dark clouds move across the bright blue sky. Turning and twisting they turn to a dark purple. The sky is so dark and humid and the grass is so golden and hot. The mixing of colors is so shocking so unreal. I look back to the elephant as he trumpets again.

    Rain falls in sheets quickly spreading across the savannah. I close my eyes and spread my arms up to the sky. The cool rain falls down on my face in slithering patterns shaping to my face. I smile, my thirst is quenched. I laugh I feel so free and light. I stand and Jump around in the tall grass and rain. I turn around to look at the elephant, who stands patiently watching me. He is closer now twenty feet away. I smile at him.

    “I love you Dad.” I whisper blowing a kiss to the bull elephant. He raises his trunk and lets out a loud trumpet.

    This dream I have, is a sign. He lives on in Africa. He is my protector. He is the rain that quenches my thirst of a dry heart of longing. I need to see him one last time. In these dreams, I’m a child of fifteen years old. When I wake again I am an old lady of seventy-eight. Tomorrow I get on a plane to Africa, to go see him.