“Heavens!Arethehandsomey🇨🛉🚟ouhecityallblind🗋likemethattheyletsuchabeautifulyoungwomanliveal⚿🗈🙫one?”jokedDimitri.
“It’snotthatIhaven’tthoughtofgettingmarried”admittedCharina.“It’sjustthatatthemomentImustdevoteallmytimeandattentiontomywriting,soIjustotbedistractedbyanythingelse.Oh,peoyoureyes,Dimitri?”Dimitriseemedtomakeoutshadowymovementsofherhands🚲🗔astheymovedtoandfrobeforehiseyesuhebrightsunlight.
“It’snot🍇🆀hing.Ibecameblind.Ithinkitmustbethewillofheaven.Ihavebeeusedtoit,butitisnotveryvewhenItrytogetarous.It’snothingreally”,repliedDimitriresignedly.
“ItmustbeGod’swill”saidCharina,m🝚🝅akingthesignofthecrossonherself.“Hemusthavegreatthingsins🚳🗠toreforyoutodo.”
“Let’shopeso”repliedDimitri.Thenhequicklygedthesubjedasked,“Areyou🀧⚲🕗stillwritingnovels?Iamagreatfanofyou🚜🔒rs.Whatki🜪ndofnovelsareyouwritingatthemoment?”
“That’swhathasbeenbme”repliedCharina.“Ihavepublishedabouttwodozennovelsandhavealsohadquiteafollowing.ButIfeelthatthenovelsIhavewrittenareshallow,mediodthethemeshavebeenmuchrepeated.Iwanttowriteaboutsomethingthathash,somethingnovendinal.ButIhavenotbeeosettledownonanythingasyetandhaven’twrittenasinglewordforoverayear.🗊🙸Y🕼🏀🗂ousayIhavebeenhavingawriter’sblock.”
“Really?Wha🎤tdoyouwantto♹🍓🇮writeabout?PerhapsIgiveyous🖅🐋omematerialsestions.”
“🍛Iwanttowriteaboutwhatisbehindtheblueskies”saidCharinapointingtotheskiesaboveher.“IwanttoknowifthereintheKingdombeyondtheblues😚🁹kiesthereisloveandwarfare.Thatwouldbeanattractivetopic.”
“Ofcoursethereis”repliedDimitriwithouthesitation.“Where🚬therearepeople,therewillwaysbeloveflidwar.Thatisanungeableironcdrule.”
“Tellmew🍇🆀hatyouknowaboutthingsintheheavenssothatI🅽🌂🟤u🂫👳sethemibook”beggedChariedly.
“Top🙽🏶utitsimply,”beganDimitrilikeabardofold,“beyondtheblueskiesthereisawealthy,mysteriousKingdoheKingdomisfamousforitsbeautifulwomenwhichareasprolificastheflrowingeverywhereinthegardens.Thisarousedtheenvyandjealousyofaprimitivenativetribelivinginthedenseforestsandmountainsandflidwarfarethusbegan.Solongastherearehumanbeings,therewillbeenvyandjealousy...”
“Stop.Stop”criedCharina.“Thismustbeaveryiingstory.IneedmoretimetolistentoyoutellmeeverythingiailbutnowImustgotochurass.youwaitformehere?Iwillbebackbefo🔬🃯renoon.”
“No🝃🈡problewillsithereandwaitforyoutillyoueback.”
“ImeanttotakeMaureenbaebeforeIwenttoMass,butnowit’stoote🚚.Wouldyoubewillingtotakeforme?🔱🄗”
“Su🝃🈡re,noproblem.Iwouldbemorethanhappytotakecareofthislovelylittledog🌹foryou.Wewillbegoodfriends.”
Dimitriwasdifferentfromotherhomelesspeople.Althoughhewasshabbilydressed,hewasnotdirty.Manyhomelesspeoplearebad-tempered,irrationandaddictedtoalddrugs.Theydonotwashandoftengiveoffastinkthatmakesitimpossibleforpeopletogethem.Dimitri,oherhand,wasgentleandwell-mannered,quietly🂱💡doinggoodintheneighborhood,earningther🍂eputationofa‘GoodSamaritan’Seebook1TheDream-Maker.ThereforeCharinahadnoqualmsaboutleaviinhiscare.Pointingtothepaperbag,shesaid,“ThisisthebreakfastIboughtforMaureen,butheisahospitablelittleguyandhasevidentlydecidedthathewantsyoutohaveit.Goobefets🚆cold.”
“WhatwillMaureehehisbreakfast?’askedDimitrishy🈔♦ly.
“🍛Oh,heha🍇🆀shisownfood”repliedhisowner.“Waithereamomentplease,”saidCharinawalkingquicklytowardsherdcamebacksoonwithabag.“Thisishisdogfood.Thereisabowlinsideyouusetoscoopitoutandtherearesomebottledwaterthatbothofyoudrink.Mycarisrightthereuhetrees.Ifitgetstoohot,getinthedlistentosomemusic.Iwillbebackbeforenoon.”
“Noprobleveeverythingtome.Youbett👅🆙🏽ergooryouwillbete🖅🐋.BeingteforMassisdisrespectfultoGod.”
“Good.See🍆🅲youter.”Sayingso,sheleft.
AfterChari,Dimitriopehepaperbagandtookoutthestillwarmhamburger.HetoreoffhalfandofferedittoMaureenwhorefusedtheofferasifsaying“that’sforyou.”SoDimitrihappilybitek,chewedblissfullybeforeswallowingit,thinking“Imustthankheavenforsendingmesuchalov🌢🀵elylittledoggenerousenoughsharehisfoodwithmewhenIwasreallystarving.Yes,Imustthankheavenforthat.AfterseeingtoitthatMaureenwaswellfed,Dimitriputthepsticbowlbatothedogfoodbagandstuffeditintohiscoatpocket.Maureenwasanactivepuppytowhomtheworldwasanovendiingpce.Heranaroundonthegrassbythesideofthekeexplwhatevercaughthisfancy.Hebarkedatthesquirrelslookingforfoodontheground,sendingthemscramblingupthetreesinfright.Heharassedthewilddudgeeseuntiltheysquawkedandscreechedastheywaddledindignantlybatotheke.Tohimallthiswasamarvelousgame.ButthemomentDimitricalledout,“Maureen,ebackhere!”hewouldgobackatonce,jumpontoDimitri’spasiftosay,“Look,hereIam!Ihaven’twanderedfar.”Dimitriruffledthefuronhischubbybodyaffeatelysaying,“Goodboy!Goodboy!”Soon,somethingnewagaincaughthiseyeandhejumpeddownandracedexcitedlytowardsthegrass.
Dimitristoodup,stretchedhimselfandmassagedhisagbackbefonthebenchtoletthewarmsundryhismoistclothing.Heclosedhiseyes,pulledhiscaplowerdownhisfadletthewarmsunbathehiswholebody,fullyenjoyingthefreesunshiwasavaibletoall.ItsuddenlycametoDimitrithathewasthemightyrulerofapowerfundmagnifitKingdomwithmanyloyalsubjects.Therewhateverhewishedforwouldmaterializeatoncebeforehim,beithundred-year-oldwiicdelicacies.Hehadma,gealentedbeautieswholovedhimandgatheredaroundhimcateringtohiseverywant,allofthemlivinghappilytogetheriifulpace.Whe🙻🏨rewereallofthemnow?HethenrememberedthatthepacehadbeenburhebeautieshadallreturhemundaneworldandhisKingdomofDreamswasnomore.Hewasagainapoorhomelessperson,ablindmancursedbyfate.Lifeoreetsmeantbeingavictimofhunger,coldandillness.Infacttherewerelittleoflife’smisfortuneshehadhrough.LuckilyhecoulddodgerealityanytimehewantedbyesgtohisKingdomofDreams.“Butdoesdream?”heaskedhimself.“Idon’tthinkdreamsareallunreal,norisreallifepletelyrealeither.Bothofthemmaybeunrealorbothmaybereal.IfIwao,IcouldletmytwoloyalservantsCreativityandImaginationbuildanotherbeautifulworldforme.Butiherewouldalwaysbesuccessesandfailures.Ifwecouldhaveoureverywishfulfilledmerelybydesiringitaheseasonsoftheyearatwillitwouldbelikelivinginamagicalrealm.Butinthelongrunevensuchaperfectlifewouldpal.Reallifeisfullofsuccessesiwihfailureswithallkindsofvariables,whichiswhatmakesitiing.Otherwiselifewouldbetoodull.
Dimitri‘sfeetmovedsubsciouslyonthegrouedtoseeifhewouldbeluoughtofi🀧⚲🕗ndahalfsmokedcigarettebuttaround.Inthisdayandage,whenmostpeoplehadgivenupsmoking,theprobabilityoffindingonewasslimihathewasblindmadetheprobabi🙕🏅lityevenslimmer.Butstillhestoopedandranhishandsroundtoseeifamiraclewouldhappen.Atall,muscurmanwalkedover,saying,“HeyDimitri,myoldfriend,whatareyoudoing?Tryingtofindacigarettebutt?Ihaveapackhere.Takeone.”Dimitri’sheartjumpedatthewords.“Iamhaviremelygoodlucktoday”hethought.“WhenIamhungryasmalldogesivesmeahamburger.Iwanttosmokeandanunknownoldfriendoffersmeacigarette.It’smyluckydaytoday.”Thetwoofthemsatdowheronthebench.ThetallguyofferedDimitriacigaretteandlititforhim.Maureen,yingnearbynoticedthattherewasastratingonthebenchtalkingtoDimitriandcameragback.HejumpedontoDimitri’spandbarkedatthestrangermakinglow,angrygutturalsoundsinhisthroat.Dimitritookthelittledogintohisarmsandsoothedhimbystrokinghisfurlovingly.“Goodboy.Goodboy.Don’tbenervous.Heisanoldfriendofmine.Don’tbeangry.”Dimitriwasbynaturekindandgenerous,sotohimeveryoneelsewasgoodaoo.Themanearedsosuddenlywasstrongandmuscurwiththefiercefaceofaruthlessmurderer.Whenhesmiled,heseemedguilelessandiwithatouchofslyness.Soitwashardtodetermiherhewasgoodorevil,hoordeceitful.Dimitrifeltthatthisman’svoicewassomewhatfamiliar,thathehadheardhimtalkbefore,buthecouldnotreallypceh♙🈸im.