Dust

Inspired by Wisdom or Luck, Yiddish Folk Tale

In the dream Gloria is cleaning the bathroom with a friends she's known since high school. They both have teenage children. Her friend, in real life, has a special needs son. As they are cleaning together, Gloria comes across a panel of woodwork hiding behind other bathroom items such as a set of shelves. There is so much dust across this panel, that Gloria's cleaning rag does nothing more than make a puff of dust in her face.

“My son did that,” says Gloria's friend with a sly smile.

“It's hard to breath,” Gloria responds with a cough.

“You can scrub until you drop from exhaustion and you will never get it clean. The dust that he made on your hidden bathroom panel will stay there forever so you mine as well cover it back up with your bathroom shelves.”

“But I really want to get it clean. Dust isn't good for you.”

Gloria's friend since high school smiles with pride. Gloria wakes up.