Taken In

A couple nights ago in my dream I guess I was an orphan or something because I was taken in by a husband and wife with four kids — 2 girls and 2 boys. They lived in the country on an old farm, were really nice, and gave me my own room because that’s what I was used to. I got along with three of the kids pretty well but the oldest boy didn’t really like me a whole lot. The oldest kid was a girl, and she was a few years younger than me. The parents had an old truck they said I could drive if I got it fixed up a little, and running good. The dad and I were out in the old barn where the truck was kept, messing with the engine, when the oldest kid came running up and said “Jessi, there’s someone here for you!” I asked her who it was and she said she didn’t ask. So I went in the house and it was Linda, a good friend of mine from high school. I hadn’t seen her in a while, and we hugged and I started crying, so she started crying too. Then I realized I hadn’t introduced her yet, so I did and everyone shook her hand and said they were glad to meet her. The wife asked, “So what brings you by? How did you know Jessi was here?” Linda said she went and visited another friend in town who asked her if she’d heard what I was doing now. Then Linda suggested that the two of us go shopping or something and the mom said “Sounds like a good idea,” and the dad told me, “If you want we’ll work on the truck tomorrow.” At a store in town I saw a cute little red Mickey Mouse duffle bag that was only 6 bucks so I bought it after debating with myself if I really needed it or not.
Linda said she’d have to go back later and get one for a friend of hers who’s obsessed with all things Mickey. We went back to the house and I showed her my room and the truck, and she stayed for dinner. It was quiet except for Linda and I talking to each other. After dinner Linda had to leave so we hugged and
when she saw I had tears in my eyes she pointed a finger at me and said, “Don’t you start, now!” and I said “You don’t either!” Then she left and the kids went out to play in the screened-in back porch and I went to join them but the oldest boy said no. I asked him why couldn’t I play and he said, “Jessi, you abandoned us for your friend! We’re your family now but you don’t care about that!” I started crying and tried to tell him that wasn’t true but he wouldn’t listen. He told me, “You *don’t* care about us. You didn’t want to share a room with any of my sisters because you’re selfish! You want that old truck to drive so you don’t have to stay here and do things with us — you’ll go off and find some place better to go. Well why don’t you just go live with your friend then?? Go on, get out of here — if you don’t want to be here WE DON’T WANT YOU HERE!” I looked at the others but they wouldn’t look at me or say anything to me, so I went to my room. The dad was reading the paper in the living room
and he looked up and I rushed by, and started to get up to ask me why I was crying. But I closed and locked my door when he was almost there. The mom had a friend over who was about to leave — they were in the dining room where the front door was, saying bye, when the dad went and asked his wife if she knew
what was wrong with me and she said, “No, why? Is she sick?” He said, “Well, she’s crying, and she closed her door in my face.” I was still standing at my door, leaning against it while I cried, and they all turned and looked at me, and the mom’s friend made that “Oh, poor thing!” noise and that’s when I remembered about my other door. I closed and locked it when the mom started to come talk to me. I didn’t feel like talking to anyone so when the friend left and the husband knocked on one door and said, “Jessi? Can I come in?” and the wife knocked on the other door and said “Jessi, honey, is something the matter?” I didn’t answer, just lay on my bed and cried. The tried turning the
knobs, and the mom said “Jessi? Are you okay?” and the dad asked, “Are you in some kind of trouble?” but I still didn’t say anything so they said “Okay, well we’re here if you need to talk, no matter what it is… Always remember that, okay?”