The Dream Seed

Alpha lived on the edge of town with his mum. They had a little old house with a big yard, and a big paddock out the back that looked right across the valley. Behind their yard were more empty paddocks that belonged to someone they never saw.

In Alpha’s yard was one big tree. A very old tree that was probably older than his mum. There was a school down the hill that he went to and there were some other kids that also lived in old houses with run down yards with old cars, and paddocks full of weeds.

Athena lived next door. He didn’t know what it was about her, but she seemed to be different from the other kids. For one thing, she was called Athena. None of the other kids had a name like that. They were called names like Sam or Joe or Lucy. But Athena stood out not only because of her name. She had long dark hair and really blue eyes, like deep wells. They seemed to have violet and green flashes in them.

At school they had been told about blood. They were asked if they knew their blood type. Only some kids did. Athena did. She was RHnull. Her blood was known as Golden Blood!

She was special after all, because we learnt that her type of blood to be given to anyone else with other blood types, but she could not have any other blood types other than her own.

Wow! If that didn’t make her special enough, then the teacher Ms. Starseed told them that scientists had started to theorize that maybe people with this blood type were not even human, that perhaps they came from somewhere else.

Athena had sat there quietly when the teacher told them this, but her eyes seemed to flash the colours, like they were transmitting light waves of intelligence. Well that is what I had come to imagine about Athena. She was different. She couldn’t be like anybody else ever, even if she tried.

Sometimes the kids hung out together after school, or on the weekend after their chores, if they didn’t have too much homework. After all, kids here did chores. There was a lot to be done on these properties and it never really looked like anything much was done, because, people didn’t have the tools and equipment they needed to make the jobs easy. That was because their parents didn’t have the money.

Their parents all just got by. Some of them had jobs, and others didn’t. Alpha's mum loved to cook. She said that the best way to eat was to eat natural produce. She didn't do fast food, and Alpha wasn't allowed to either.

One day Alpha came home to the rare smell of chocolate cake! It was a treat his mum didn't normally make, but when she did it was heavenly. Deep rich, dark chocolate chips melted in amongst the layers, and small chunks of dates and raisins added to the sweetness and texture of the cake. Mmm. What could be the occasion?

He raced into the kitchen eagerly and threw down his bag. His mum stood there and waved him over. She had saved him the wooden spoon and the bowl to lick.

Alpha's mum's name was Davina. Davina said that tonight was special. Tonight was the Summer Solstice. The night with the most light in the year and the cake was to honour and celebrate the sun and the bounty it provided. Sometimes my mum is really good weird, thought Alpha.

Then Davina announced that she had invited the neighbours over for tea. Alpha looked up in wonder. His mum never had people over. well hardly ever anyway. From memory he couldn't remember when she had last invited neighbours over for tea.

He looked in the fridge and there was a Greek salad from the cucumbers and tomatoes that she grew in the garden, and a spinach pie! This was Alpha's absolute favourite and it felt like Christmas!.

He really didn't want to question why, but the question just slipped out. 'Why is the solstice important Mum?'

'Because, it is the longest day of the year. the winter solstice is the shortest day. But, I like to celebrate the light, as we are all light beings. The light has given us this food, allowed the spinach, cucumbers and tomatoes to grow bountifully this year, and we are blessed with abundance and so we are celebrating a bountiful season of abundance from the garden'.

Davina continued, 'If we are lucky, the dream tree will also blossom and grow'.

'What is the dream tree mum?'

'Ah, that is something for you to discover. The dream tree brings forth very special flowers. Each flower is a hand held dream, and each one contains the seed of that dream. If you catch the dream flower as it falls and hold it and nurture it with your energy, and never give it over to anyone else to care for, it becomes a magic dream seed, a dream seed that only you can look after and really see'.

She passed Alpha a string of garden lights in the shape of flowers and asked him to put them around the branches in the tree in the garden. He took them outside and noticed the table had been moved out in the garden under the tree, a pretty green table cloth glowed softly under the lights when he turned them on.

His mum had a shrine with crystals at the base of the tree and she had incense sticks ready to burn to keep away the mozzies. She had thought of everything. There were four chairs around the table.

At 7.00 exactly the door bell rang with uncanny preciseness. Wow, who does that thought Alpha as he opened the door. There stood Athena with her father and a bunch of flowers.

Athena said the flowers were in honour of the solstice celebration they were having. Her dad had also brought a bottle of home made mango wine and a kids mango lassi mix.

They gathered in the garden and Davina welcomed the visitors to her humble abode. She graciously waved them to the table and ushered Alpha to get the cheese platter that was also made up in the fridge.

The glasses filled and they raised them to the stars. Davina wore a dress that was yellow and glowed like the sun. Athena looked like she was in awe. She was rather quiet. Alpha decided to start the conversation and so he asked her what it was like to have special blood?

Athena was a bit taken back as this was the last thing on her mind at this moment, but she said she had to be very careful, not just with her body, but also with her thoughts because she could make things happen.

Davina turned and took stock of Athena at this moment. She said she saw a girl who had many gifts. Gifts she was not even aware of at this moment and that one of them was the self awareness that Athena possessed.

The night went on and music played softly in the background. the spinach pie and salad was a hit with Athena and her dad Raul.

Then came the chocolate cake. It was brought out on a cake platter that Davina only used on special occasions. It had chocolate swirls on the top and tiny icing edible flowers. It was more beautiful than any cake they had all seen.

Davina also brought out a teapot filled with a special brew of flowers and aniseed stars. Who would like to cut the cake she asked. Alpha jumped up and volunteered. He couldn't wait to see inside.

He took the bone handled knife and cut four generous slices and then took the bowl of whipped cream and put a great blob on each piece of cake. Davina had gone and reappeared with a bowl of fresh raspberries. She spooned them on the side.

At the end of the meal the sun's light had all but gone and they were all sleepy with full bellies. It came time for Athena and Raul to go home. Davina said with a wink, 'Write down your dreams this night. They may be the seed of your next harvest'.

Alpha thought it was great that neither Athena or Raul seemed to notice how weird his mum could be. It seemed to be a change from other parents. He went off to bed with a smile on his face and a very full belly. The moon shone on the top of the tree and he drifted into a deep sleep...

This is the end of Part 1 of The Dream Seed. It is also an entry in Vocal's Summer Fiction Series, SFS 2: Death by Chocolate challenge.