A thirsty man's dream (short story)
I saw it, at that moment I noticed how rich we were. There was no thirst, we had four immense infinite flows of water that surrounded each cardinal point of our extensive land, they had names of gods: Mediterranean, Indian, Red and Atlantic. The gods filled our thirsty throat and drenched our dark skin with a vital and refreshing liquid that renewed our strength. They endowed us with powers and spiritual gifts and made us invincible and enviable by other continents, they allowed us to cultivate and harvest what was sown abundantly in fertile lands. I also saw beasts fighting against us looking for someone to devour. The beasts were gods with women's names: Sahara, Namib and Kalahari, which had arid, deserted and dusty hearts where not a single seed of mercy germinated. Its winds caused an immense thirst in my throat and itching in my eyes that did not let me see the immensity of the flows, it was the only thing that could weaken me, despite having the gifts of the seas, my sight made me doubt, since I saw the sandy storm and, by my sight, I suffered more and more.
Already on the ground in fear, I had no saliva or a crumb of bread inside me, speaking became increasingly difficult, the tip of my tongue only felt the dry enamel on the back of my white teeth. Once there, lying on the ground, I begged the four gods for some water. My eyelids clouded my vision, becoming heavier, and the gritty winds of the beasts covered me and surrounded my weak body while emitting a slow and stealthy female melody of despair.
As my eyes closed, inside me I began to feel an inexplicable coldness due to the intense heat there was. Suddenly, I saw it... I saw an imposing figure that, roaring with a voice of a thousand thunders, dispersed with its breath the sandstorm that surrounded me in four directions, freeing me from the storm that welcomed me. My eyes stopped itching, but I was still thirsty… I was able to open my eyelids a little, but I couldn't see anything else. Still weak, I tried to get up, looked in all four directions, and the imposing figure had disappeared. I screamed, I'm thirsty! At that moment, I hear the roaring voice that came from all sides in unison say: Have I not given you the spiritual gifts of the seas? You are rich, I have enriched you abundantly, but your eyes made you suffer and you could not see the immensity of the seas that I gave to your nation, due to your lack of will and the desire to see before believing, you saw first what limited your destiny, and you have become a slave to fear and other continents. I closed my eyes for a moment and replied: now I don't see you, but I do believe... A few seconds later a bright presence like the sun hit my eyes when I fell to my knees and said: drink! I drank some water and felt how every fiber of my body regained its vigor and strength.
Being completely upright, the brilliant presence concluded by saying: Do not forget that you are rich, I have made you rich in abundance, in wealth and food, you have spiritual gifts that you must know how to dominate so as not to be slaves of fear and scarcity. Do not allow the sandy winds to cloud your vision, it is safer to walk blindfolded, but with certainty in your heart, than to walk with your eyes open, but being a slave to fear. After that, I woke up… I really woke up, it was a dream… an amazing dream.
Story of an African man rescued from the desert…
By: M. Palmi