THE DREAM BOOK

The one I love.

"Gosh, I'm tired" Luke groans, then throws himself on the bed, making the bed dip due to his weight. He falls asleep minutes later, lying in a starfish position.

I chuckles at my boyfriend's childish antiques. I doesn't blame him for being so tired and out of it. After all, it's been a while since we spent this much time outside. The double date with Mia and Rick was nice, but going on a date with your friends and going on a date, just Like and I, there's a big difference.

After Luke got the book for me, we spent about an hour roaming around the park and playing some couple games with other couples. It was worth it. I felt at ease. alive.

To me, no matter how tired I am, I can't deny that this was one of the best days of my life. A life I am extremely glad to share with Luke. He's the best thing that has happened to me. He's my only family and all I have.

I set the book on the center table, and walk leisurely to the kitchen to get something to eat. I would like to wake Luke up to eat but that can wait till he's thoroughly rested.

After eating a sandwich and gulping down a glass of pineapple juice, I clean up the place a bit. After that, I decide to have a close look at my book, after lifting the beautifully made cover, I find the words ' A FAIR EXCHANGE. ALL THAT'S MINE FOR ALL THAT'S YOURS" written in capital on the first page.

It might not mean anything, I mean the book already belonged to someone else before it was pawned off. I think to myself.

Having no clue as to what it means, I ignore the words with the thought that, the kid who traded it might have written it down. I make no attempt to erase it or tear that page from the book. I leave it to remind me of my time with Luke.

Instead, with eagerness of a newborn ready to see the light of the world for the first time flowing through my bloodstream, I open a new page and begin my artistic journey to put down the park I visited with the pencils on paper.

I draw the green grass, with all it's glow as the sunlight shined on it and see drops shimmering on it. I draw the blue sky with it's ash and white clouds, all it's contrasts and glow shinning perfectly with the correct color, the some multicolored butterflies I saw on the rich green trees.

I put everything I saw down on paper, well, all but the people I saw. I didn't want the faces of people she didn't know to cloud the image of the park in my drawing. I didn't want them to overshadow my time with Luke, and the memories I made with him. I want it all to remain untainted. Perfect with all its flaws and irregularities.

I finish my work an hour later with aching muscles and limbs from hunching over the book as proof of her hard work. I love it.

The butterfly with blue and gold wings looks perfect, maybe a little too perfect and very real. I stretch my limbs a little, then get up leaving the book open on the table to join my boyfriend on the bed.

After pulling off every piece of clothing off my body, I join him in bed.

Luke pulls me closer to himself, with his front to my front when he feels me pushing against his chest trying to get closer. After which he goes back to sleep.

I put my nose at the base of his neck, letting the smell of him relax me. I have given Luke's words some thought. I really need a job, I can't keep letting Luke do everything for me although he would gladly do and give everything I need to me. But I can't keep letting him do that. I want to be someone he can also depend on when he's in need. When he wants something I want to be able to give it to him without much of a fuss.

I love Luke so much. He was there for me after everything I have been through. When my parents died, I was left to fend for myself with no one by myself. My parents starved to death. We didn't have money, we were so poor we had to beg to get something to eat. But my parents would never let me go to sleep with an empty stomach.

 They would give the food they have to me and go to bed starved. We didn't even have a proper roof on our head, we stayed in an abandoned house, not far from the orphanage. So when my parents and I slept one day and didn't wake up, I knew they were dead. At 10 years old , I was older in mind than some people my age. I knew death was coming, that it wouldn't take long before my parents were taken away from me.

The orphanage was still working at that time, so I was sent there after they died. I didn't cry because I was prepared for their death. I found solace in the fact that it wouldn't take long for me to join them and we would be happy in heaven.

I didn't have any friend in the orphanage. The kids there were mean and not welcoming. They didn't like seeing new faces, so I kept to myself. But the sisters there were kind and understanding, they would tell me that if I want to cry I should cry, that I shouldn't keep the pain of my parents death inside me. That it would only cause me pain.

 But I couldn't cry when I didn't feel like crying. It got unbearable there, how the kids would call me names. They would say I killed my parents, that I starved them. At that age I believed them but I know better now.

I left the orphanage when I was 12. I lived off the streets, taking up jobs nobody would take on. But I survived and I'm still surviving. However, I have survived for so long that now....I just want to live. To live with the person I love.