dreaming of dreams

I'm picking the kids up from school. I collect Thomas from his classroom, gather Lizzy on the way, and go to find Ben on the school playground.

As soon as he sees me, the words pour out of his mouth. "Joel had a dream about Pokemon, Mummy! He actually dreamt about Pokemon! He dreamt he was a Scyther in a Pokemon battle! I want a Pokemon dream too, Mummy! I'm going to make myself have a dream about Pokemon!"

Like me, Ben can occasionally control what he dreams. He can pull himself out of a bad dream, or think so hard about something before sleep that he dreams it. He has a vivid imagination, which sometimes terrifies him, so every night we pray for "good dreams and good imaginings". If anyone can make himself have the dream he wants, it's Ben.

***

It's after dinner, and Ben is getting ready for his great night's adventure. He prances around the kitchen, working himself into the role, arms scything the air.

"Do you think it would hurt if you had a Pokemon battle in a dream, Mummy? I'm sure it would! But I don't care! I want to be a Pokemon in a battle, even if it does hurt! Sometimes the attacks do 150 damage! That would hurt, wouldn't it Mummy? I think I'd like to be a Pokemon with really high health. Then the attack wouldn't do so much damage. But I don't care if it hurts! I want to dream I'm a Pokemon in a battle! I'm going to make myself dream about Pokemon, Mummy!"

I tuck him into bed. I can hear him muttering frantically to himself, trying to soak his brain in the world of Pokemon so that he can segue effortlessly into the dream he longs for. He falls asleep.

***

It's morning, and Ben comes out of his room, all rumpled and bleary eyed with sleep.

"Did you have a Pokemon dream, darling?"

"Yes, but it wasn't quite what I'd hoped for."

"Oh. What happened?"

"Well, it was a quiz, and I had to answer questions about rock-type Pokemon."

"So no battles?"

"No battles."

"Oh."

***

Ah, the small disappointments of life.