Pretty Eyes and the Three Dollar Bill

"OK, I'm leaving at last,  you won't see me again!" I said to the woman, the manager there, and I stepped out of the office carrying my backpack. At least, that's how I remember it happened.  Outside I realized I had forgotten my photo camera and returned back to my old desk, where I discovered that the camera was already in the backpack. Oops! I retreated and, unfortunately, I ran into her walking to the elevator.   She saw me again, but said nothing.

Downstairs, I opened the front glass door to see that it was raining hard. I noticed George W. Bush standing under the awning, wearing a blue raincoat, probably waiting for a ride.  Laura will drive up a big olde SUV and pick him up, I figured, and wondered if they would mind giving me a ride to the station.  Then, a big olde SUV was turning from the avenue into the driveway when the rain suddenly stopped, and I proceeded to the path, two young women right behind me.

I asked them where they worked, and they said at the top floor, and explained the technology they were working on.  They must have arrived with the last corporate takeover, I thought.   I told them that I had been laid off two years earlier but somehow managed to hang around doing occasional and part time work until today when the gig finally ended  for good. Where do you live, I asked the taller woman. "In Napa," she said. "That's a long commute."

I started running along the avenue toward the station as I usually did, and the women were running behind me. I sped up wanting to lose them but they managed to keep up.   We arrived at the traffic light where you cross the avenue southward toward the station.  The light changed and we crossed together to the other side where we had to walk under construction scaffolding. There was a minor traffic jam there, some disabled people on wheelchairs were blocking the way and we had to wait, then squeeze in around them.

I found myself right beside the taller, prettier woman with large blue eyes. I told her, "You have pretty eyes".   We kept on walking. Suddenly our faces were close to each other, side by side, and I saw that she was as tall as me, maybe even a half  an inch taller.   She asked, "Are we going to stay at this stage?" and  I replied, "I want to see you again". She repeated "I want to see you again."  I wondered how my being unemployed would affect this acquaintance.

We arrived at the station and approached the ticket dispensing machine.  A couple of drunken old men were sitting on top of it and chattering.  I told them to shut up.   The taller woman wanted to buy a $20 ticket and inserted a $10 bill into the machine first.  I moved closer with the idea that I'll trade her second $10, and insert my 1, 2 and (2) 3 dollar bills that a bookseller had declared counterfeit before all this happened when I tried to buy two books for $7 each and he sold me one returning these bills.  Now by mistake the back of my right hand pressed a wrong button and the machine spat out a $10 ticket.   What to do now?  While I thought of a way to still get one $20 ticket instead of two $10 tickets, my bladder called and woke me up.   I got out of bed upset and depressed that the dream turned out to be only a dream.

Throughout the day I looked at women I passed in the store and on the street trying to match the face I saw in the dream, which didn't remind me of anyone I know.   In the afternoon, I walked past a McDonald's, and sitting by the window an older black man waved to me as if he knew me, and knew me well.  I didn't recognize him, but waved back nonetheless.