Sugared Almonds

Date: 7/29/2017

Needed an operation for a damaged tooth. I'm assured by someone it'll be under general but it'll only take a couple of hours. In a hospital bed in a small room. Bed facing away from the door. Nurse comes in with assistant in a black suit. Starts talking about my being an in-patient, and that I'll be out in a few days. I realise she's about to put me in for someone else's operation (an old woman's) and freak out. She apologises; takes chart and leaves with assistant. Bed now in different position - now parallel with the door. Tall large-headed Japanese surgeon comes in with short assistant in black suit. Assistant gives me a complaint sheet, which I put to one side, and offers me a sugared almond, which I think I take. They discuss something in Japanese. Surgeon pokes around my back teeth, painfully, and explains he's going to take one of the teeth out. I'm worried he's got the wrong one. He mentions "Oh, you've got another broken one there, too." Puts a mask on me. I start breathing heavily. Countdown on the wall in front of me. Tell them how much I love this feeling. Start to go. Tell them I've been learning Japanese. Explain I've been swapping piano lessons for Japanese lessons with a student. Countdown reaches zero and I'm still not out. They up the gas volume and start again. Still don't lose consciousness. They leave to discuss something. I'm in a large room with other people - friends I don't recognise. High ceilings. Bar area at the back. Large botanical arrangement in the middle. Conservatory at the front. Coffee tables and upholstered chairs with ornate wooden arms and legs. Missing a large section of this dream, but I know there are now family members I don't recognise, and we're eating a meal. I'm cutting up a thick slice of ham into tiny pieces. Surgeon reappears. Still waiting for a time for my operation. He's at the bar at the back, worried, consults the I-Ching. Gets half way through then makes me do the rest. Coin showing words and figures. I flick the coin then have to write the word in the appropriate place on a child's drawing. Of a village, lava flow or a tree root, and a tidal wave. One word on coin: "Ganesh". I don't know where to write it. Surgeon angry - where did Ganesha come from? The sea! So write it in the sea! Assistant pops up, asks if I've eaten anything. I realise I should have been fasting, but totally forgot. And anyway- she gave me a sugared almond! Everyone angry. At a university. Sat on round picnic table behind bar, alone. Lots of other students around. Start playing "Straight No Chaser" on table - sounds like a piano. Some people impressed but that's not why I'm playing. Is it? One girl watching; I like her. Explain loudly that operation has been delayed due to "that CUNT consulting the i-Ching then leaving." On raised walkway, like Waterloo footbridge. Buskers. I can play loud sounds on phone, so thinking about doing that. I have a bottle of rosé. Kid next to me on right with violin. Cute girl sat on left in fishing chair assembling some sort of woodwind instrument. Two lads with cheesy Casio keyboards walk up on other side and start playing dual lead riffs, slightly out of sync but still fun. I try and get violin to join in but he's too nervous. I can't get a working sound on my phone. Offer girl a sugared almond. Now in post-apocalyptic scene. Lobby of a skyscraper. Been living there for a while with a couple and a young boy. I'm staggering around due to suddenly being drowsy from anaesthetic. Fall to the floor. Sweet wrappers everywhere. Boy and woman leave. Boy has balloons. He walks in one direction into the crowd; woman considers following then checks her phone and walks in opposite direction. I'm in the garden of a very expensive, modern house. Summer's day. Found what looks like a cheese net on a frame. Two recently-out gay boys next door have flown their drone accidentally into this garden, owned by an older gay couple. Drone looks like two orange squirrel tails. They plan to tell them to come round to fetch their drone, and invite them to stay for a foursome. Unclear whether I'm half of the older couple or just happen to be there. Watching YouTube video of one girl standing proud on left, facing camera, in jeans and blue/white stripy t-shirt, while another runs away from camera and falls in slow motion into the mud. She's got a nice round arse and I'm trying to resist putting some sort of comment on there about it.