11/22/99

Saturday's Dream

I was going to rent this old mans house and we were finishing the deal. I think he must have lived there since the early 50's. He was at least in his early eighty's. The house was in a fictitious place but also based on reality. It was near or at Imperial Beach but over the freeway on a land bridge. The house and land was like an island. You could go outside into the yard and see that surface streets completely surrounded the lot. The landscaping was wonderful. Old cactuses and bushes all nicely kept. I remember walking all around it with him and admiring the uniqueness of it all and especial the more open views to the north. On the East Side of the house was a chainlike enclosure that triangulated to the end of his lot and sidewalks trimmed it to the street. I noticed a couple of German Shepherds inside, one very agitated and barking at me. I expressed my concern about the vicious dog and he tried to tell me that they were ok and kept the house safer. The agitated dog got out and came for me. I climbed to the top of the fence and he jumped up to bite me. I seemed out of his reach but he eventually caught my wrist and bit down to hold on. I had to make a decision for the old man and me. I felt that I could not manage this animal and I did not want him there. I pulled him up closer and suffocated the dog to death. I explained to the old man that it was better this way and he seemed to accept this. He had a sad resolve on his face as if he was old and maybe he had already lost his wife to age. This was just one more thing. I was below on the ground again near the opening where the dog had gotten out. I saw the other dog come to greet me gently and also noticed a horse come to see me as well. I told the man that at least we still had these two animals and they were more reasonable and not a potential liability to him. At this point in the dream we went into the house. The interior of the house looked 1940's with kitchy wall treatments, one a gold pearlescent waterfall design cascading down from the ceiling. I believe that was in the back of the house like in a den. I remember a blue wall treatment of similar character in the front room when you came in; probably the livingroom. I told him that I was from a nice family and well raised; that he need not worry about my taking care of the house. I sat at a kitchen bar that separated the kitchen from a central hallway while the old man restlessly walked about me explaining his conditions to rent the house. I asked him questions. Could I take on a room mate since there seemed to be at least two bedrooms. He said yes with some condition that I cannot remember from the dream. I asked how much he wanted today. In my mind I was expecting in his answer what the deposit and the monthly rent would be. He mentioned a couple of hundred for a deposit and said something about five hundred for the rent. Then he started itemizing other costs like the fertilizer for the garden, odd things. I determined in my head that so far today I was going to have to pay him around seven hundred dollars and was pleased at how cheap that was. But he was not finished deciding and I woke up.

<index - back - next>