Incongruence

I open my eyes.

I’m looking downward and my feet are positively off any solid device. My body is parallel to the ground, which is very far below. It takes me a fraction to realize that I’m floating mid air. Actually, not just floating - I’m flying.

I find it interesting that there are no panic buttons going off anywhere, it doesn’t seem like a strange thing to do in the least bit. I realize I’m very comfortable flying. I can feel a big smile creeping up the corners of my mouth. I give into that feeling.

I fly very fast, whizzing by amounts of constructed matter – some huge, others miniscule. To me, the matter resembles art installations and there exists zero conformity in thematics, design or the consistency of the matter. These installations float freely as well. I’m beginning to think my cognitive memory has failed me because most of it I do not recognize. Come to think of it, I don’t even remember knowing how to fly.

Looking around I sight a fair amount of sparkle in the atmosphere; like someone just blew at a handful of chamki. Its almost like the stars are really close but these are not stars just shiny miniscule objects of light orbiting no particular space. It’s marvelous. The air is slightly cold and devoid of that grimy smell which presents itself in the constitution of air I normally breathe. It actually comes very close to smelling like airplane air.

It just occurred to me that I can’t remember where I’m coming from or for that matter, where I’m flying to. The current location I’m en route seems alien to me but somehow a sense of familiarity prevails - like i don’t know the place but still I do. It’s weird.

I find flying relaxing and to me the feeling of floating on air seems a lot like the feeling i get when I’m floating in water. The only difference is, its way better. Similarly like when one swims, I can control my flying speed by kicking my feet mid air. I realize it gets me flying faster if I kick harder and vice versa. My flying speed stays constant otherwise.

I’m excited that my body works its way around objects when I’m flying. Its like I’m fitted with this inbuilt proximity sensor so I’m not a perfect recipe for disaster. I can also navigate my path easily. Its like I’m autopilot but my destination is being kept a surprise. I really want to know where I'm headed.

There are quite a few installations on the way that fascinate me. The shiny walls are one of them. They resemble big movie hall screens and they display memories. My memories. They started with the most recent memories and right now they display memories from around the time I was a teenager.

Apart from the memory walls, cloud like formations surround me as I fly by. These look retro reflective in the distance but when I come close to one I realize they are like mirrors. I look at a reflection of myself and I see a younger version of me. I look like how I did when I was 10 years old. I’m a little stunned that I’m small again. How did I go back 15 years? I then look at my hands and my feet and they don’t look like a 10 year olds. That’s odd. I place my hand on the glass in front of me and the hand in the mirror reflection is tinier. I now feel the need to know what exactly this place is, where exactly it is and what exactly is happening. I'm beginning to get a little impatient.

I look around me and I’m curious about everything I see. In the far off distance I can see a massive screen with my oldest memory. It is of my deceased grandfather holding my hand and taking me for a walk around the lake next to my old house.

Suddenly, it all makes sense to me. My journey from the time I opened my eyes till now has been me traveling back through time and space. I fly towards the massive screen. It takes me a while to reach it. When i get there I realize how beautiful my memory is. Its not hazy in the least bit. On the contrary, it is extremely sharp and the detailing is grand. I watch my grandfather for a while. He is playing with me and I can see how fond he is of me. I’m laughing now and I’m pointing to someone in the distance. He turns around I see him waving at someone who I can’t see. For a brief second I think he’s waving at me but I tell myself it can’t be. I don’t know why but I impulsively wake back. He gives me a wonderful smile, turns around and continues playing. Time and space stopped for me right there. At least I felt it did. I continue watching that memory over and over again. I begin to feel sleepy. I close my eyes.

I open my eyes.

I mechanically check the time on the bed side clock. I overslept. Quite a bit actually. I feel a little sick, the kind of sickness I feel when I take a flight. I wonder why.