Beyond the Western
A Dream Too Real
Scott A. Gese


Coconut palms lined the beach as far as he could see. Image source: Unsplash

It was just a dream…or was it?


Beyond the Western

When Angelo closed his eyes for the night, he had no clue as to what was about to take place.

It was a routine evening. He brushed his teeth, set his alarm and went to bed. What he expected was, as always, to wake up in the morning and start another workday. What happened was much more than that.

As he drifted off to sleep he suddenly found himself standing bare footed on a tropical beach wearing shorts and a tee shirt. He felt the warmth of the noonday sun on his face. A slight breeze drifted in from across the surf. He stood at the waters edge and let the warm waves lap up around his legs. It felt good. He felt good.

Coconut palms lined the beach as far as he could see. They lazily swayed in the breeze as if waving a welcoming hello. He wasn’t alone. There were others enjoying the sun and surf. Angelo decided to walk as he enjoyed the moment. He knew it was a dream but it seemed so real. So lucid.

As he walked, he could hear tropical birds and howler monkeys in the distance. They blended nicely with the sound of the surf. Angelo took it all in. The tropical smells and sounds. The vibrant colors, the feel of the warm water, sun and the sand between his toes.

As Angelo walked he met a man who began to walk with him. He was told the beach was along the Pacific coast of Costa Rica. The stranger was quite intuitive. He understood things about Angelo’s psyche that most people wouldn’t be aware of. He enjoyed talking with the stranger but they eventually parted company.

Angelo spotted something that intrigued him. It was away from the beach amongst the palms. He could hear music so he decided to investigate. As he got closer he could see people milling around. Two young women, well tanned in string bikini’s walked by carrying boogie boards. Others were eating, drinking and enjoying each others company.

Angelo walked up to the bar. “Welcome to Lola’s Beach Bar,” greeted the bartender. “What can I get for you?”

“I’ll have a cerveza,” he replied.

He handed the man his Visa card. The bartender handed him an ice cold bottle of Cerveza Imperial. Angelo took a seat at one of the tables overlooking the ocean. Everything was perfect. He sipped his beer until the sun faded below the horizon reflecting its warm red glow off the clouds above. It was one of the most spectacular sunsets he had ever seen.

Just as suddenly as the dream had appeared, it vanished. Angelo was back in bed. His alarm was ringing.

That evening as Angelo’s wife was at her computer going over the bills she called to him. “Angelo, come take look at this. I have a Visa charge here for one beer from a Lola’s Beach Bar in Costa Rica. I don’t get it?

Angelo smiled. He got it.

© Copyright 2019 by Scott A. Gese All Rights Reserved.