SWEET DREAMS

I was curled up in a chair when I felt a blanket being placed on me. Startled, I realized I’d fallen asleep and sat up. “What time is it?” I looked at my son Alex who was still in the process of covering me.

“It’s only six thirty.” he said. “I thought you were trying to take a nap.”

“No, I didn’t want to fall asleep!” I looked outside and saw it was already dark out. I began to shake my head trying to wake myself up. “If I take a nap now I’ll be up all night.” I slid the blanket off of me and started to get up. “Did you eat dinner yet?” I couldn’t believe how hard I’d fallen asleep.

“Dad and I ate some leftovers, but we didn’t want to wake you.”

“Oh, okay.” I was feeling grateful that I didn’t have to cook. I went to the kitchen and opened the refrigerator door.

“Oh, good! You saved me some soup!” I took out the container of homemade chicken soup that friends of ours had made us. “This is perfect!” Pouring the soup into a bowl I placed it in the microwave to heat it up.

Turning around I leaned against the counter still rubbing the sleep from my eyes. “Between the weather, time change and work I feel like I’m always short on sleep.” I sighed.

“Dad and I were just saying the same thing.”

I looked at my watch, it was now six forty-five. “Well, if I push myself to stay awake for another three hours I can go to bed early and maybe make it through the night.”

The microwave beeped and I took out my now steaming bowl of soup. I grabbed a spoon from the drawer and headed for the dining room table.

While I blew on a spoonful of soup Alex sat down across from me. “Do you feel like playing backgammon?”

“Sure! My soup needs a chance to cool off.”

I pushed the bowl aside and we set up the board.

A few minutes into the game I sighed again. “Oh no.”

Alex looked concerned. “What?”

“I’m feeling a new surge of energy.” I shook my head. “That nap just ruined any hope for a full nights sleep.” I pulled the bowl closer and had a spoonful of soup.

It was my turn to roll the dice. “So now I need to make a decision.”

“About what?”

I looked over at Alex. “I have to decide what I’m going to do in the middle of the night. Am I watching a movie, a cooking show or tuning into a DIY channel.”

Alex laughed as he rolled his dice. Moving his pieces he landed on two of mine, taking them out of play.

“Or maybe you could Google backgammon strategies for the next time we play.” he said as he placed my pieces out of play.

“Hey! I’m just waking up from a nap! My brain’s a little foggy!” I cried.

Alex’s eyebrows went up. “Didn’t I beat you yesterday?”

“You’ve won the last four games we’ve played.” I laughed as I shrugged my shoulders. “But who’s counting?”

Alex started to laugh too. “Clearly you are.”