We take turns in shutting the doors of our house each night. Tonight, it is my turn to check all doors. There are only three anyway. I make sure that I check them before turning in. When everyone is sleeping, I hear a sound. I tiptoe to the back room and come face to face with a thief. Before I can shout he cuts off my head. I run to the police station with my head in my hand to report the crime. The police are acting quite strange. Instead of running to help me, they are running away from me.

Please help me! My head keeps shouting. "Help! Help! Help!"

Now Mama is shaking me. "Wake up!" she says. "You are shouting to wake the whole district. What were you dreaming about?"

I tell Mama. She looks concerned. "You must go to bed early and stop eating so late!" she warns me. "You were having a bad nightmare."

She covers me up and sits on the bed for a little while before she returns to her room. Meanwhile, Babsy is sleeping like a log beside me. She has not even shifted. I lie on my back with my eyes opened wide. I can't go back to sleep.

How come when I dream these dreadful dreams Mama says I ate too late or that they are nightmares? How come all her dreams have meaning, but mine are nightmares? How come? When I dream of the cats calling me and the lizards laughing at me, are they nightmares too? My dreams are nightmares, but her dreams have meaning.

If she dreams of hogs or lizards, she says that enemies are watching her and saying bad things about her. Bees and filth mean money, dirty water is trouble and dead people means new death.

Mama wakes up this morning and tells us a dream.

She dreamt that she was going down Weslian Hill when she saw a whole heap of duppies on horseback. Weslian Hill is about two miles from our house. It is a long hill and our school is in that area. Mama is really bothered by the dream.

"One of the duppies jumped off his horse and announced that he was going to arrest somebody," Mama says.

"Mama, yu eat too late and it give yu nightmare!" I laugh.

"Chile, hush yu mouth! Yu too ups!" Mama reprimands me.

I see that she is upset by this fool-fool dream, so I leave her alone and get ready for school.

At recess time, I see Mama at school talking to the principal.

Later, I learn that Papa was knocked off his bicycle by a motor car. He fell into the barbwire fence, which damaged his throat. Luckily, the driver stopped and took him to the hospital.

He is spending a whole week in the hospital but, to tell the truth, I do not miss him. He is too stern, and when he is at home everybody is uneasy. 'Don't spare the rod and spoil the child' is his motto.

Mama visits him every day, except on Thursday when she goes to Fasting at Mum Thompson.

Mum Thompson's meeting house is far from home. You have to pass Weslian Hill, and go to Booka Square. You then climb a very steep hill, and at the very top is the meeting house. Fasting is kept on the fourth Friday of each month.

When I come home from school Mama is just returning from the Fasting. She is excited.

"Miss Hermin!" she calls at the fence, and Miss Hermin comes running.

"Miss Hermin!" Mama says, all agog with excitement. "Yu know what happen today? As a reach the door of Mum Thompson meeting house she got into the spirit and shout, Alanzo Miller is in handcuffs! Brothers and sisters, meck wi get down on our knees and pray fi Sister Miranda, for her husband is in handcuffs!"

Mama is in awe for the rest of the day.

Mum Thompson knew nothing about Mama's dream. Yet, on Mama's arrival at the meeting house, Mum shouted that Papa was in handcuffs, thus linking her dream to Papa's accident.

Mama is certain it was a great sign and a revelation from above.

After this I don't think I want my dreams to mean anything!