FRAGMENT 1: I walked into Bub City (perhaps for the first time in 25 years of having Bubmares, as a customer rather than "on my first day back after a long absence") and the only person I recognized working in the open kitchen in the middle of the restaurant was Fabian Hernandez.
I called out to him by his surname as I couldn't remember what his first name was at that moment and he greeted me in Spanish and shook my hand.
Just then, another Mexican employee walked over and interrupted my reunion with Fabian.
Oddly, I didn't recognize the other guy be he knew me and spoke to me (in English) as if we were old friends.
Trying to free myself from the awkward conversation, I told the guy I had to run because I was invited to go swimming by a friend who was staying at a nearby resort.
The guy told me he loved swimming and perhaps he'd stop by after work.
I was at the pool with a female friend who was floating through waterfalls on an inflatable toy, more suitable for young children, when the guy showed up.
I got out of the pool and greeted him and we began speaking Spanish. Then I woke up.
FRAGMENT 2: I was apparently in a student residence, an old, white Nantucket-style house, walking down a corridor looking for someone's room when suddenly a young woman appeared and asked if I was from Claudia's family and that she was sorry to hear the tragic news.
I told her I wasn't from this Claudia's family, that I was merely looking for someone.
She apologized for the confusion and told me she was looking for Claudia whose parents had just been killed in a car accident. Then I woke up.
FRAGMENT 3: I was walking down Devon Avenue (in the old neighborhood) and noticed that the entire street had undergone a major renovation, looking more like Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, than the middle-class neighborhood of yesteryear with sari shops and ethnic eateries.
Walking east towards Western on the north side of the street, I noticed a few shops that had mezuzahs hung on the wall just outside and above the shop doors, curiously not on the door frame itself (as Jewish custom requires), but higher up on the wall, which I assumed was to prevent them from being stolen or vandalized.
I continued walking eastbound and came upon a few small shops for rent I thought would be ideal for a barbershop. I took my phone and snapped photos of the "for rent" signs as I thought it might be interesting to expand my Night Barber concept to Chicago. Then I woke up.
*These fragments occurred between 9:45 and 11:45 this morning during an after-breakfast nap. Each fragment took place after waking up momentarily and falling back asleep. I believe the final fragment occurred in the space of less than ten minutes as I had woken up from Fragment 2 at 11:37 before dozing off for the final time.
[Photo: Fabian Hernandez, from my private collection]
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